Cross Stitching Part II - doing it!

Now that you have the basic materials, chosen the image you want to make and got the color of threads for your image it is time to start stitching!

But do keep in mind the hoop regulates how large your image can be so if you are going to be one crazy cat and making a huge project then get a huge frame. The Aida fabric count I usually use is 16 any number higher sort of kills me with details and any number lower is too pixelated for my liking.  

I am going to make R2D2 from Star Wars. As you can tell this specific R2D2 was a melting bead pattern.

Step one: get your hoop and frame the fabric ensure the little squares in the fabric are upright in the hoop then cut it out of the giant piece of Aida cloth.

Step two: find the center of your image and find the center of your fabric within the hoop to create a reference point in transferring the image.

Step three: time to start stitching !!! The DMC skeins consists of 6 threads. You will need 2 threads for cross stitching. So separate them and thread the needle with 2 threads at a time.Tie a knot at the end of the thread. Once you start stitching and you run out of thread just leave the tail hanging in the back of the hoop and thread the needle again to stitch. 

I tend to like doing the outline of the object first to create a guide for myself. And just remember this saying "up from bottom left and down into top right" this is the motion of the stitching will go in trying to keep things as consistent as possible. The blue is the thread. So start from under the loop and poke your needle upwards. Up from bottom left 1 then poke the needle down into top right 2. Up from bottom left 3 then down into top right 4, up from bottom left 5 and down into top right 6. 

Don't worry if your design is all over the place and you have no idea what is going on. Just try to keep your stitching consistent, don't worry if the underside is a mess ... no one will see it! I have been cross stitching for about 13 years and most of my things are still all over the place, as long as it looks nice on the top, I WIN!

This is the bottom ... it looks all nice and stuff now ... not for long.

So far mine looks like this.

Of course this is not called CROSS stitching for no reason. Now you have all these slanted stitches it is time to go over them with stitches in the OTHER direction to create a CROSS! As you can see I have started CROSS stitching some of the slanted single stitches below.

Continue with your project. Once you are done, trim the left over Aida fabric from the edges of your loop.  Cross stitching is time consuming no doubt! Once you finish a project you will feel like an old person but one proud old person indeed!

Like I have mentioned before, do not care how the bottom looks like because it WILL look like a giant mess. 

I have left the whites of my R2D2 un-stitched because I like the 3-D sort of look but you can also just say I am straight up lazy because I could have stitched it with white thread.

TA DA!!!!! Now you have learned the basics of cross stitching and it is time to take on larger, more detailed and extravagant projects! Challenge your self because that is the only way to improve and grow!