Cross Stitching Instructions

Cross Stitching Instructions are easily found Online or in books.

When you think of cross stitching, you probably think of samplers done by little girls in the old days, maybe something with the alphabet stitched in big block letters or a bible verse in script. Cross stitching has come a long way since those days, and though some people still make samplers most cross stitch designs today are much more artistic, looking almost like painting with thread.

Cross stitch is easy to learn and you can create many amazing pieces with only a few instructions under your belt.

Choosing Patterns

If you’re a needlework beginner, you will probably want to start with a cross stitch kit. Kits can be found in all sorts of sizes and with a wide range of motifs, from holiday scenes to flowers, cartoons, tapestry patterns and more. A good project for a beginner will not involve a lot of colors or a very large design.

Kits are a great place to start because they include everything you will need: the pattern, fabric, thread and a needle. Usually the thread allowances in these kits are generous enough for you to make a few beginner’s mistakes and still have enough thread to finish the project. Kits also come with explicit Cross Stitching Instructions.

As you become more skilled at reading charts (and having the patience to complete large projects) you might want to try a larger kit or go for a chart that is not part of a kit. Charts are sold individually or in books, or you can even find some free charts online at places like Chart Shop.

Cross Stitching Instructions for Reading a Pattern

To those without experience, charts look like a mess of lines, dots, dashes, triangles, stars, hearts and all sorts of other symbols, sometimes in color, sometimes in black and white. These symbols show you what color thread to use.

Somewhere on the chart there will be a key that will explain which symbol corresponds to which color of thread. The key will indicate the color by name and number. So you might see something like x 3708 (pink) or | 519 Sky Blue. The number usually indicates the color of DMC floss that was used in the pattern.

DMC is a 250-year-old company that is the traditional choice for cross stitch. DMC thread is available at every craft store in the country. It is high quality and comes in a dizzying array of colors. DMC does not use color words to describe its own thread, but you’ll often find descriptions along with the numbers in patterns, and there’s pretty wide concensus on what the colors are called. You can see a list of colors and numbers here.

If you want to use a different brand of thread (Anchor is another common brand), you can use the list to determine the color name (if a color wasn’t listed on the pattern) and then look for a similar color in another brand. Or go for a different color entirely. Who says you can’t make something purple when the pattern says it’s supposed to be green?

Fabric selection

Cross stitch is stitched on fabric that has holes in it at even intervals. Basic fabric is designated by count: 28 count, 32 count, 14 count, etc. The number has to do with how many threads there are per inch. More thread means more squares, and a bigger number of stitches you can fit in a small area.

Your pattern will probably recommend a fabric count, color and type (Aida, evenweave or canvas, with Aida being the most common and easiest for beginners because it has really well defined “squares”). But you can experiment with different kinds of fabric (and different colors) to see how the same pattern looks different on different types of cloth.

Basic stitches

Cross stitching begins with the X. If you use Aida fabric, it will be easy to see where the X’s go. Try to work the pattern in the same direction, always going, for instance, from the bottom right to the top left hole, then back from top right to bottom left. This makes the piece more uniform and will make the back of the fabric less messy, if you care about that. Playing with direction can give your work a different texture. Try doing one color all the same and then changing direction for another color.

Some die-hard needleworkers will tell you that you’re not supposed to use knots in your work to keep the thread from falling off the fabric. Instead, you should slide the end of the thread underneath the thread on the back side of worked stitches. I think this superstition comes from when needlepoint was often used on linens that you could see both sides of, and knots make ugly bumps. But if you’re going to frame your work, or use it as the front of a pillow, or in some other way where no one will ever see the back, by all means use knots if you want.

There are also stitches called half cross stitch and quarter cross stitch. Half cross stitch involves just the first part of the X; it is never crossed over. Quarter cross stitch is used to shape edges or provide definition. To make one, start in the corner of the square and stitch just to the middle of the square, then make a cross over it.

Another common stitch is the backstitch, which is used to outline and is indicated on the pattern by a solid black line. The pattern will indicate which color of thread to use. The idea with backstitching is to have a solid line of stitching all the way around. You’ll sort of end up stitching backward, starting at one point and then stitching back to make the outline appear on the front side. It’s a lot harder to explain in words than it is to do.

There aren’t a lot of other stitches commonly used in basic cross stitch, though if you stitch flowers or things with cartooney eyes you’ll need to know how to make a French knot. Your needle should be on the front side of the fabric when you do this. Hold the thread tight, and wrap it twice around the needle. Reinsert the needle in the fabric close to where you last brought the needle up and pull through. Don’t pull too hard or the knot might come through, too.

These basics should be enough to get you going on a long love affair with embroidery. Cross stitch is fun because projects range from quick and easy to incredibly complex and stunningly beautiful. There can be frustration in that beauty, but it’s also a lot of fun.

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