HOW TO CROSS STITCH
Here's a little quick-start guide to get you going with your first project!
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HOW-to videos
A series of videos, originally posted on the TikTok account, detailing how to cross stitch from start to finish. Click '[Captions]' link just above each video for text transcripts. I haven't been able to add captions to the videos themselves, so please feel free to drop me a line if you know a way; my skills do not lie in tech-y areas, I'm afraid.
French Knots video coming soon!
Part 1: Downloading Free Patterns
Part 3: Decoding the Pattern
Part 5: Stitching
Part 7: Fractional Stitches
Part 9: Stitching Between Holes
Part 2: Supplies & Setup
Part 4: Loop Start
Part 6: Finishing off a Thread
Part 8: Backstitch
Part 10: Framing
Additional: String-Back Framing
Supplies list
Never stitched before? Here's a list of things you'll need:
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Cloth: the fancy cross-stitch cloth called 'Aida' is your best bet as it has nice big holes, evenly spaced for perfect little crosses. There are different sizes, called 'counts' - the bigger the number, the more squares per inch, the smaller the gap between holes, and the more fiddly it is to work with. For most of my patterns I recommend 14ct, but children might find 11ct easier to work with. It also comes in a load of funky colours, if plain white isn't your bag. It looks like this, check out those holes:
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Needle: you don't want a sharp pointy one! Tapestry / cross stitch needles have nice blunt ends. For 14 ct aida you'll want a size 24, for 11ct a size 22, although it doesn't make much of a difference
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Thread: you can, of course, use any thread you like, but embroidery thread (or 'floss') is best suited for this sort of project. There are many brands to choose from; the colour codes I use in my patterns are from the brand 'DMC', but you don't have to stick with them. It usually comes in little skeins like this:
Each of those threads is made up of 6 strands. You usually only use 1, 2, or 3 of those strands to actually stitch with; your pattern will tell you how many.
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Optional SUPPLIES
1. Scissors. You'll also need something to cut with (you can get embroidery scissors if you're feeling fancy), but any scissors will do.
2. A hoop. Something you don't need, but might find useful, is an embroidery hoop to help hold your fabric taut while you work. They look like this: