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!

Cross Stitching Part I - intro and materials

Sorry guys for being MIA! I sort of got addicted to melting beads and it consumed my life for the past week.

To me cross stitching is very closely related to melting beads just that the mediums, materials and method is different. However, the main idea of counting pixels is the same!

Cross stitch projects can be framed and displayed as a piece of art, sewn onto other things like pillows and clothing for that added POW POW or kept in the original stitching hoop as decoration.

There are many counted cross stitch kits that can be purchased in local craft stores and online.

However, I enjoy making what my little heart desires and you should too! So instead of purchasing kits I purchase the contents of the kits on their own.

Materials required for cross stitching.

Fabric - the fabric used for cross stitching have little holes in them and are not like regular clothing fabric. The main brand is called Aida, which can be purchased from Michaels (remember to print off their 40% off coupon!). There are different counts of Aida fabric. The higher the number the smaller the stitching the more detailed the project will be ... meaning time consuming.

Cross stitch hoop - these hoops are to help you keep the the fabric taught and in place while you stitch and can also act as a frame for the finished goods. The come in different sizes and can be made out of wood or plastic. The cheapest place around town for them is Dressew. Below are two examples of the ones I purchased from Dressew for 99 cents each.

Needle - a dull small one will do, using a sharp one just means pain and anguish for yourself.

 

Thread - the main brand of embroidery thread out there is DMC cotton embroidery thread. There are different brands of threads but in my opinion DMC is the best type of thread available on the market. Instead of calling them spools of thread they are called 'skeins'. These are also the same type of threads used to make friendship bracelets. The cheapest place to purchase DMC thread would be eBay, however you do have to purchase a ginormous amount compared to about 40 cents per skein from craft stores.

What to make now?!?!?!?!

Now that you have all the materials what the heck can you make? ANYTHING!!!! Counted cross stitch books can be purchased from craft stores or borrowed from your local public library. Trust me there are TONS of books on cross stitch patterns at libraries. If you are new school you can always type in Google image search "cross stitch __________" just like with the Perler beads search. Perler patterns can also be used as cross stitch patterns and vice versa!

Recently Dolce and Gabbanna used tons and tons of cross stitchness for their Fall/ Winter 2012 collection. SWOOOON!