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Craft
Fun at Kat's Craft Corner >>> Cross Stitch
>>> Basics |
Cross
Stitching is a relaxing hobby, but it takes time and lots of
patience. The final result pays off in the end though,
because a finished cross stitch project is always
beautiful. Below I have detailed all the supplies you'll
need to do a cross stitch project and the next page explains
some tips for getting started.
Materials:
The materials for cross stitch are few and fairly
inexpensive. A piece of evenweave
Aida cloth fabric, a tapestry needle,
some 6-strand embroidery floss,
a charted design, and a scissors are all
you need to get started. An embroidery
hoop is optional, but it does make the stitching easier to
do. All of these items are readily available at most
needlework or arts & crafts stores.
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| Evenweave
fabric is
specially designed for embroidery. It is woven
with the same number of vertical and horizontal threads
per inch. Aida cloth is a basketweave fabric in
which the horizontal and vertical threads are grouped,
making the intersections very easy to use for
stitches. Aida cloth is woven with the
intersections spaced in different sizes. The
smaller the number, the larger the spacing which means
fewer stitches per inch and a larger design. The
most popular sizes are 11-count and 14-count. This
means 11 stitches to the inch and 14 stitches to the
inch. More sizes are available, but I like to use
the 14-count cloth, and sometimes an 18-count. The
larger numbers produce a smaller design because you can
get more stitches per inch and the spacing is tighter so
the finished product comes out much cleaner and crisper
looking. All fabrics also come in a variety of colors,
too. |
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Fabric Samples - shows different sizes and colors of
fabric
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| Linen
is another fabric available. This fabric is woven
with single vertical and horizontal threads, with the
most popular thread count sizes ranging from 18 to 36
per inch. The stitches on linen are made over two
threads. |
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Needles
also come in various
sizes. For cross stitch, use a blunt tapestry
needle. Usually a size 24 or 26 needle is best.
| Embroidery
Floss any
six-strand cotton embroidery floss can be used for cross
stitch. The six strands can be divided to work
with one, two, or three as required by the fabric.
Most fabrics use two strands. The Floss is sold in
different brands, the most popular being DMC,
Anchor, and J. P. Coates. Each brand
specifies colors by number, and each one uses a
different color range and therefore different numbers,
so it's usually best to stick with one brand if you can.
Generally though, a pattern will list the color numbers
for at least two different brands of floss |
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| To
work with the floss, it is cut into workable lengths
(about 18 inches). Generic names are listed for
each color. For example, there is only one green
in a design, then it will just be listed as green.
If there are three or more greens in a design, they
would be listed as very light, light, medium, dark, very
dark, etcetera, respectively. |
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Charts
are how a cross stitch designs are worked. Each square
on a chart represents one cross stitch. The symbol inside
the square represents the floss color to be used. Straight
lines over or between symbols indicate backstitches.
| Hoops
are used to keep the
fabric tight as you sew. Slip your fabric between the
hoops, snap the top loop down and tighten the screw to
keep fabric securely in place. No slipping means no
mistakes. Hoops come in various sizes, oval and round
shapes, and in wooden or plastic styles. |
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