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Cross Stitch
Cross Stitch
Cross Stitch is a counted thread embroidery technique. It is done on evenly woven fabric, this means where the warp and weft take up the same amount of space. The stitches are all crosses, or partial crosses. These are usually done by doing a diagonal stitch crossed over another in the opposite direction. The position of the stitch is determined by counting the fabric thread. Each stitch is of a uniform size and appearance. Although, there is a wide range of variations to this embroidery form, such as long-armed, Greek, double cross and star stitch.
It is thought that cross stitch is the oldest form of needlework. One of the earliest cross stitch design books is thought to have been published in 1728. It is also the most spread out geographically, appearing all over the world. The style varies slightly depending where in the world you are looking. In Britain in the nineteenth Century cross stitch had another name of sampler stitch because it was used mainly to produce samplers. Samplers were originally done both for practise of different stitches and also as a reference sheet before there were patterns to follow. It was normal practise for a girl to produce a sampler to show their ability in embroidery. They always showed the name of the maker, the date, sometimes the alphabet, a proverb or scripture and perhaps even a verse from a poem. There would then be a conventional border stitched around the edge. By the mid-eighteenth century the most popular subject for cross stitch samplers was Adam and Eve. This changed in later years to family trees and sometimes the embroiderers’ house.
Traditionally cross stitch was used to embellish household linens, where only a small piece of embroidery would be done along an edge. It has also been used in the world of fashion appearing on items of clothing, mainly in Europe. The main use for cross stitch in todays' society is for producing a piece of art work to hang on a wall.
There is a huge selection of both cross stitch patterns and kits available both online and in Embroidery shops. The pattern is a chart on a grid. Each square represents one cross stitch. The squares are marked with a symbol that relates to the colour thread that you need to use for that particular stitch. The majority of patterns will have the centre marked; this is always the best place to begin stitching. To find the centre of your fabric you can just fold it in half both ways and the intersection of these folds is the centre of your fabric. On large designs you can always mark these lines with a tacking stitch that can removed later. The main thing to bear in mind is that all the stitches need to be going in the same direction; this will give a smooth, flowing look to your embroidery.
What you will need
Fabric
Counted Cross Stitch has to be embroidered on evenweave or Aida fabric. It is labelled by the number of holes to the inch, for example 14-count Aida has 14 holes in every inch of fabric. The higher the count the finer the work will be. If you are using evenweave you would normally work over two threads. On Aida you would normally work over one block.
Needles
It is best to use tapestry needles for cross stitch, these have a blunter point which means there is less chance of you piercing the fabric threads. Obviously the size of the needle will depend on the count of fabric that you have chosen. For example it would be usual to use a size 26 tapestry needle on 14-count Aida or 28 count evenweave.
Thread
Cross stitch is usually done in cotton floss. This is made from six strands of mercerized cotton that are very loosely twisted together and therefore easily separated so that you can use the number of strands that gives you the correct thickness for the fabric you have chosen. Usually it would be two strands to give the best coverage. But if you were doing very fine work on a higher count fabric you may only need one strand.
There is an enormous selection of colours available in embroidery floss. There are even hand-dyed threads, variegated threads and metallic threads. So the possibilities are limitless.
Hoop
It is important to keep the tension even so it is recommended that you use a hoop or tapestry frame when doing cross stitch. This will help you to keep your stitches even and neat.
Stitches
As mentioned previously this type of embroidery as its name implies is made up entirely of crosses. But there are some variations. Depending on the shape of the design you are wishing to stitch there are also quarter, half and three quarter cross stitches – where the entire cross is not stitched. Back stitch is also used a lot for outlines.
Cross Stitch is also sometimes used in conjunction with other types of embroidery for example hardanger, black work, canvas work and drawn thread work. It is also quite often embellished with beads or charms.
Cross stitch is a very popular form of embroidery that is used to decorate many different things. The most popular use is to create beautiful and intricate pictures used to display all around the home. It is also one of the oldest forms of embroidery. It has been used all over the world, with examples shown at folk museums celebrating many eras. Geometric patterns were very popular throughout Europe, with delicate patterns created in a few strong colours. These were used to decorating clothing, headdresses and everyday items such as table cloths. In the United States, cross stitch was used in much more detail to depict moments in history. Three dimensional designs were created to give lifelike representations within cross stitch, many of which were used to decorate the home. Cross stitch is still immensely popular in the United States and is now growing in popularity here.
Cross stitch can be enjoyed by all ages thanks t the simple formation of the stitches. With a few simple tools, all of which are found in your local arts and crafts store, you can create beautiful works of art and decorate your favourite room or even clothing. Cross stitch needs only a needle and thread and then either the item to decorate of a piece of fabric similar to aida cloth. This is available from most arts and crafts stores and is characterised by distinct, easy to see weaves, allowing the correct spacing of the cross stitch as you create your piece of art.
As well as materials, your local arts and crafts store will be able to supply you with an extensive range of patterns. In addition, the internet is a wonderful source of information, along with hundreds of books that are available on cross stitch. There are also cross stitch courses and workshops that will allow you to learn new techniques and tackle more challenging projects with support from the experts. There are also several groups around the UK that help each other with projects and share supplies and patterns. Keep checking back to see updated suppliers of cross stitch materials.
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