cross-stitch1

WHICH NEEDLE SHOULD I USE TO CROSS STITCH?
IT IS BEST TO USE A BLUNT-ENDED CROSS-STITCH OR TAPESTRY NEEDLE. tHEY COME IN DIFFERENT SIZES, RANGING FROM SIZE 24 FOR 14-COUNT AIDA AND 28-COUNT EVENWEAVE AND SIZE 26 FOR 18-COUNT AIDA

WHAT'S THE BEST FABRIC FOR A BEGINNER?
NEW STITCHERS USUALLY START WITH 14-COUNT AIDA FABRIC. IT HAS A REGULAR WEAVE AND LARGE HOLES MAKING IT EASIER TO SEE WHERE TO PLACE YOUR STITCHES. THE 'COUNT' REFERSTO THE NUMBER OF HOLES PER INCH (YOU MAY SEE THIS WRITTEN AS HPI)

WHAT THREADS DO I NEED TO USE?
USE STRANDED COTTON. THIS COMES IN A SKEIN AND HAS SIX STRANDS WOUND TOGETHER. CUT A 45CM (18IN) LENGTH AND SEPARATE THE STRANDS CAREFULLY. USE TWO STRANDS FOR CROSS-STITCH WHEN USING 14-COUND AIDA

WHEN I START STITCHING, WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE ON THE FABRIC TO MAKE THE FIRST STITCH?
ALWAYS START STITCHING FROM THE CENTRE OF THE CHART - THAT IS WHERE THE TWO HEAVY BLACK LINES CROSS IN THE MIDDLE - THIS WILL ENSURE YOUR DESIGN IS CENTRED ON YOUR FABRIC

DO I NEED TO STITCH MY CROSS-STITCHES ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION?
ALWAYS STITCH THE TOP HALF OF YOUR CROSS IN THE SAME DIRECTION TO KEEP YOUR CROSS-STITCHES LOOKING NEAT AND TIDY

WHAT IS EVENWEAVE FABRIC AND HOW DO I STITCH ON IT?
ONCE YOU'VE MASTERED AIDA TRY STITCHING ON EVENWEAVE. IT HAS A MUCH SOFTER FEEL AND COMES IN FINER COUNTS (28-COUNT, 32-COUNT, 36-COUNT AND HIGHER). THE HOLES ARE LESS WELL DEFINED SO YOU'LL NEED TO COUNT CAREFULLY AND STITCH YOUR CROSS-STITCHES OVER TWO THREADS. IT'S MUCH BETTER FOR WORKING FRACTIONAL STITCHES

WHY ARE THERE SOMETIMES TWO SHADE NUMBERS LISTED BESIDE ONE SYMBOL IN A KEY?
MIXING TWO SHADES TOGETHER IS CALLED 'BLENDING'. SIMPLY TAKE A STRAND OF EACH SHADE, THREAD THE TWO TOGETHER IN YOUR NEEDLE AND STITCH AS USUAL

WHY ARE THERE THREE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER'S SHADE NUMBERS IN THE KEY ON SOME CHARTS?
ALL CHARTS WITH THREE SHADE NUMBERS ARE STITCHED IN THE THREADS IN THE FIRST COLUMN. THE OTHER TWO ARE A LIST OF COLOUR CONVERSIONS SO THAT YOU CAN STITCH IN A DIFFERENT BRAND OF THREAD ALTHOUGH THESE MAY NOT BE THE EXACT COLOUR MATCHES

HOW DO I STOP THE EDGES OF MY FABRIC FROM FRAYING?
TRY TAPING THE EDGES WITH MASKING TAPE, OVERSEW CAREFULLY BY HAND OR IF YOU HAVE A SEWING MACHINE ZIG-ZAG STITCH THE EDGES WITH A SEWING MACHINE

QUICK GLOSSARY

CROSS STITCH:
Bring your needle up at the bottom left corner of the square and down in the top right to make the first half of the cross. Now bring your needle up in the bottom right corner and down in the top left to complete your cross stitch. Where a chart has a row of cross stitches in one colour you can work a row of half cross stitches then work back to complete the stitch. Work single stitches individually.

BACKSTITCH:
Always work backstitch once you have completed all your cross stitch. It is worked over the top to add outlines and highlights and is usually stitched in just one strand. Bring the needle up and down in a backward movement.

FRENCH KNOTS:
In one or two strands. Bring the needle up through the fabric. Hold the thread taut in your left hand, twist the needle around the thread twice. Push the needle into the fabric close to where your thread emerged, keeping the thread taut. Push the needle all the way through, pulling the excess thread to the back until it secures the twists.

FRACTIONAL STITCHES:
If you seee a smaller version of a cross stitch symbol in the corner of a square on the chart, you will need to make a three-quarter stitch. This smaller symbol is often shown on its own in a square, particularly around the outside of the chart and it helps to make sure the design gives a clear shape.

OTHER FRACTIONAL STITCHES:
If there is another smaller symbol in the opposite corner, you will need to make a quarter stitch first in one colour, followed by three-quarter stitch in the other colour. You will have to pierce the centre of the fabric if you are working fractional stitches on aida.

FINDING THE CENTRE:
The centre is shown where the two heavy black lines cross on any chart.

YOUR KEY:
Your key is where every thread you need for your design is listed. It includes all the shades for DMC, Anchor and Madeira with their corresponding numbers and a colour name. Each thread colour has a symbol which is carefully designed for quick reference.