How to start cross stitch
Cross stitch is a picture made of small crosses on fabric with an even grid. Each square of the chart is one cross on the fabric, and each symbol is a thread colour. You don't need to be able to draw, and you don't need an expensive kit.
What you need
- Fabric. Cloth with an even grid of holes. Aida is the easiest for a first piece: the squares are easy to see. How to choose its density is in "Fabric and count".
- Embroidery thread. The colour codes are in the chart's key — usually for one of the big brands (DMC, Anchor and others).
- A blunt needle with a large eye. The blunt tip slips through the holes without splitting the fabric.
- A hoop or frame. It keeps the fabric taut so stitches lie evenly. A small piece can be stitched without one.
- Scissors and the chart — printed or open on a tablet.
A kit is handy because it already has the fabric, the right colours and the chart. But a small first piece is easy to put together yourself.
Your first chart
Pick a small chart with a few colours and large areas of one colour. You'll see progress sooner and get used to counting squares. Full crosses without fractional stitches or backstitch are a good start; how to read everything else is in "How to read a chart".
Preparing the fabric
- Leave a margin: you need spare fabric around the design for framing. You can work out how much — see "How to work out the size".
- Find the centre of the fabric: fold it in half lengthwise and widthwise.
- Find the centre of the chart: most charts mark it with arrows along the edges of the grid.
- Start from the centre — the design will then sit right in the middle.
The first stitches
A cross is two stitches: the bottom one and the top one. The main rule: all top stitches lie in the same direction. Then the work looks even and neat.
- Separate the thread into strands: how many to use is usually written in the chart's key.
- Avoid knots on the back: they make lumps. You can secure the first stitches by holding the tail against the back and covering it with the next stitches.
- You can stitch one cross at a time or in rows: first a row of bottom stitches, then back along it with the top ones.
- To finish, run the thread under a few stitches on the back and cut it.
Keeping your place
It helps to mark stitched squares on the chart: with a pencil on a printout, or with marks in an app. That way you don't skip a cross and always know how much is left.
Crossette is a cross stitch tracker for iPhone and iPad where marks go right on the chart. The app is in development; what already works is on the home page.