Tips & Tricks

Having spent so much time perfecting kits, I’ve learnt some things along the way. If you’d like to stay in the loop with tips, tricks and new products to help your stitching journey then please subscribe to our mailing list. 

Here are some useful links to things I use when I cross stitch. To make these as ‘global’ as possible I have linked them on amazon 

DMC Stranded Thread - Easiest to find the colour you want using the 3 or 4 digit code

Frame - I personally hate embroidery hoops as I find my thread gets tangled in the clamp but have loved this frame

Aida - I find this brand holds very well in the frame

Evenweave - If you’re looking for a more normal looking fabric than Aida but still very easy to stitch

Pattern Stickers - This is the water soluble adhesive embroidery paper I used, I printed it on my at home printer

Here are some cross stitch basics to get your started, happy stitching :)

 

Description

1

The

Pattern
  • Each square on the pattern represents one stitch on the fabric
  • Symbols represent the different colour thread
  • There is no wrong or right way to follow a pattern, but generally it is easiest to pick an item or side and start with one colour

2

The

Floss
  • Cut the floss into 15-20cm lengths to avoid tangling
  • The embroidery floss has 6 strands, use 2 strands for your design
  • Separate the strands gently before threading your needle

3

Starting
  • On Aida, you can be flexible with how you start and can even just leave a tail of floss behind the Aida and start stitching
  • If you are stitching on a ready to use item (napkin, tea towel), I reccomend a loop start to keep the back as tidy as possible:
    • Take one strand of floss and fold in half
    • Thread the needle with the two ends
    • Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric and make your first diagonal half stitch
    • Go back through the fabric and thread the needle through the loop of floss you have created
    • Pull tight

4 Stitching
  • Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric at the bottom right corner of a square
  • Go back through the fabric at the top left to make a diagonal stitch ( \ )
  • Come up from the back of the fabric at the bottom left of the square
  • Go back through the fabric at the top right to create an X
  • For multiple stitches of one colour, stitch all of the row in one direction first ( \\\\ ) then return with the top half ( ////) - this keeps the stitches tidy

5 Finishing
  • Once you have made your final stitch, turn the fabric over and thread the needle under a few stitches at the back and trim the tail