I must say that of all the craft hobbies I have this is my favorite. It is the most relaxing and most fulfilling to me because I feel like in my own little way I'm making art. I have no artistic abilities. I can't paint or sculpt, but the cross stitch pieces I have finished have the same effect on me that a painting or sculpture does. And the fact that I brought that creation to life makes me happy.
I will be trying on this page to introduce you to this craft and show you some of the pieces I have done. I would love to think I could win a convert or two by letting people know that it's really not that hard and the rewards greatly outweigh the efforts.
I will take this opportunity to mention that my first experience with Counted Cross Stitch was in the form of a kit. My mom brought one home and gave it to me saying: "See what you can do with this." I looked at it uneasily for a bit, intimidated by the memory of the fiasco that resulted from my Grandma Phillips trying to teach me to embroider. When I opened the package and looked at the cloth and instructions I was most pleased to realize that this wasn't in any way similar to embroidery and yet it still looked looked very nice. I decided to give it a try and from the day I finished it and gave it to my Grandma, I was hooked. I went right out and bought a book of patterns and have been stitching ever since.
Counted Cross Stitch is very aptly described by its name. It is the craft of copying a picture onto fabric by making a series of x's in different colors. The copying itself is done by working from the center point on the cloth corresponding with the center point on the chart, counting the number of stitches and reproducing them. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is. I have copied a small chart to give you an example of what they look like. Follow the link below.
I recommend that if you are going to take up this hobby, you start with a kit. There are plenty of them out there and they are very reasonably priced at places like Wal-Mart. They supply you with the chart and directions and all the colors you need as well as the cloth and needle. They come in a wide variety of designs from cartoon characters to landscapes. Everyone will be able to find something they like.
The following items are the basic supplies you will need for a cross stitch project along with a brief description of what varieties they come in and what I feel are the pros and cons of each of them.
Aida Cloth - This is the preferred material used in cross stitch. It comes in increasing count sizes depending on what size you want the finished project to be. The term "count" refers to the number of stitches per inch. Eight count means eight stitches per inch which will make the resulting finished project relatively large. 18 count refers to 18 stitches per inch which will make the resulting finished project relatively small. In my opinion, the more detailed the design you are doing, the smaller you want the count to be. It enhances the smooth finish and decreases the size. It is a little wearing on the eyes, however, (at least mine) so that must be kept in mind. Aida cloth is sold in pre-cut sections packaged in many different colors. It is also sold by the yard in the most common color which is ecru. If you are very good and very daring you can cross stitch on linen. That means stitching across 2 threads, or the cross point of one verticle and one horizontal thread. I haven't been brave enough to do this yet but I have all the material to do one in my project case. Someday. :o)
Floss - This refers to the thread used to stitch. It differs from regular thread in that it is stranded and meant to be separated before use. The most popular brand of floss is DMC, but JP Coates and Anchor are also used in charts occasionally. There are 6 strands to a skein of floss. The number of strands used in a chart will be stated in the instructions. You should also bear in mind that the count of the aida cloth is a deciding factor for how many strands of floss used. If you feel that the number recommended is too many or few, feel free to change it. The smaller the count (meaning the larger the number) the fewer strands used. For example, on eight count aida, I would use 3-6 strands of floss, depending on the design. On 18 count aida I would use 2-3 depending on the design. On linen you would almost always use 1 strand.
Needles - There are specially designed needles for cross stitching. They have a wider, longer eye to accommodate floss and the tips are blunted with a small tip to work more easily with the peculiarities of Aida cloth. I highly recommend using these needles. Stitching with an ordinary sewing or embroidery needle will make it difficult in the extreme to work with Aida cloth. At a later date on this page I will go into more detail on this relationship.
Hoop - A hoop is what is used to hold the Aida cloth taut thereby allowing easier access for stitching. They are most often a two piece wooden circular structure between which the cloth is sandwiched and stretched. There is another method and one which I prefer and that is the Scroll frame. It is basically just what it sounds like. The cloth is wrapped around two rods on each side and the rods are inserted into two stabilizing bars on each end. The positive aspect of a hoop is it is very easy to maneuver. In my opinion, that is where the positive ends. Unless you get a very large and very unwieldy hoop you will have to keep taking the cloth out and move it to the next open section to continue stitching. It also leaves a great deal of the cloth loose and it is easier at that point to secure it close to the hoop. With a frame, the entire work surface is available or just a turn of the rod away. They do take a bit of getting used to but once you get the hang of it they are much more convenient than hoops. I always use a frame.
That is basically it. There really isn't much to it. That is what makes it such a relaxing hobby in my opinion. There really isn't a lot of thinking involved. It allows your brain to take a vacation while keeping your hands busy. I love it.
With every kit and a lot of your more basic charts and magazines they give you very good instructions which illustrate how to perform the basic stitches required to complete 99% of the cross stitch patterns on the market. I have put together a brief, illustrated instruction sheet to show just how easy the stitches are.
As I stated, I learned how to do this by just jumping right in and doing it. I have included some photos of projects I have completed to show you that no matter what your skill level, your projects can turn out looking very nice because there is so little room for error.
I don't keep a lot of the work I do. I like to give it away to friends and relatives because it's a way that I can give them something that comes from my heart and my hands that they can display without embarrassment.
I have finally managed to get my first Chart of the Month up. Please feel free to take it and use it because it was given freely at the stitch shop I go to and it is replicated in its entirety here.
