All You Need to Know to Learn to Cross Stitch

Over on my blog, Our Daily Craft, I’ve been working on some pages that bring together a lot of information I’ve shared about different crafts over the course of the 15 (!) or so years I’ve been writing over there to make it easier for people to find what they need to get started.

I recently published a post all about how to cross stitch, and while it might not be totally “done,” I think it’s a good start for anyone wanting to learn or who might need a refresher on the basics.

The post covers everything from the basic supplies you need to get started to questions like, does cross stitch fabric have a front side? or do you need to use a hoop?

It covers how big to make your fabric, how to find the center of the fabric and the pattern, how to use a hoop and get your embroidery floss ready, where and how to start stitching, full and partial stitches and more.

I feel like a lot of the stuff I share over here assumes basic knowledge of cross stitch, but I know that’s not always the case and we want to be welcoming to stitchers of all skill levels. If we’re being honest I’m not all that advanced myself, but I am (very slowly) working on a big and super colorful cross stitch pattern for the first time in a long time, which will probably boost my skills pretty quickly.

If you are a beginner and you have a question I haven’t answered, drop a comment here. Or if you’re a more seasoned stitcher and you have a tip or notice something that I didn’t cover, let me know that, too! We’re all learning here together and sharing the joy of stitching.

You can check out my learn to cross stitch post here. Happy stitching!

Learn to Cross Stitch in Minutes

How to Cross Stitch on Linen

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35+ Sunflower Cross Stitch Patterns

Cute spooky and fantasy cross stitch patterns is how the designer behind Haunted Frames describes their shop, and I have to agree with them. These designs are cute and Gothic and a little bit spooky all at once. There’s a heavy focus on book themes, which you know I am a fan of, so let’s get into it.

Stopping first in the books section, there are lots of designs that are literally on book shapes, but if you know my love of both books and cats, you’ll know I had to share the Midnight Book Cart cross stitch pattern. As the name suggests it’s a design with a witchy book cart, complete with a spiderweb, bats flying out of a book and what it describes as a ghost cat (though I would have to make a black cat instead of a white one since I have a black cat, and that fits with the vibe).

The design is 65 by 97 stitches and is worked in 17 colors. It’s shown on 16 count fabric, which makes it 4.1 by 6.1 inches, or 10.3 by 15.4 cm.

I also love the winter themed little free library design, which would be perfect to stitch up for the little librarian in your life (or to drop at a neighborhood book space).

Projects with a book theme make up the majority of the patterns that are categorized in this shop, but you’ll want to scroll through all their patterns to see what else is available, since it doesn’t look like everything is in a category. You’ll find castles and dragons, more cats of course, some more obviously Halloween and Christmas themed projects and those that would suit for spooky season or any other time of year.

If cute and dark is your aesthetic, you’ll want to check out all the patterns at www.etsy.com/shop/HauntedFrames, which you can find on Etsy.

[Photo: Haunted Frames]

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