FAQs about Cross Stitch, Answered

One of the great things about cross stitch as a craft is that it doesn’t take a lot of skill or supplies to get started. You can make your first cross stitch patterns with a single color of thread, using a single kind of stitch, with fabric that’s easy to find, with or without a hoop. The learning curve is pretty small, and you’re only out a few dollars and a little bit of time to learn the basics and see if you like it.

But if you’re new to cross stitch or thinking about starting cross stitch as a new craft in your life, you might have some questions that patterns just don’t answer, either because they assume you know these things or the answer isn’t long enough to fill out a blog post.

Hannah Hand Makes has collected 20 of these sorts of questions into an FAQ about cross stitch that would be handy for you to read.

It covers everything from the difference between Aida and evenweave to what size needle you should use for cross stitch. You’ll find information on where to buy kits and supplies, the difference between counted cross stitch, stamped cross stitch and embroidery, how to cross stitch a photo, cross stitching on clothes and more.

(She’s even got an opinion on how much you should care about how messy the back of your work is. Spoiler: not much. I totally agree! It’s not worth it to try to make the back pretty unless its going to be visible in the finished product.)

Even if you’re pretty comfortable with cross stitch it’s worth it to skim through these FAQs, because you might just learn something or have your opinion about a cross stitch topic confirmed.

Check out the list at Hannah Hand Makes.

[Photo: Hannah Hand Makes]

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Printable Cross Stitch Graph Paper

Summer is the time for sweet treats, whether eating them or stitching them. This collection of patterns is full of designs that are good enough to eat. Almost.

This year of ice creams from Simone Balman Art is lots of fun, and you could also stitch up these treats individually if you’d rather. The full piece is 210 by 300 stitches, though it’s not full coverage. It uses 25 colors and comes out to 13.6 by 20.1 inches, or 34.5 by 51.2 cm, as shown on 14 count fabric.

These mini Popsicles from Mariana Gonclaves ART as super sweet and quick to stitch. These would also be a fun border to another summer project. The full design is 43 by 46 stitches, which is 3.1 by 3.3 inches, or 7.8 by 8.3 cm, on 14 count fabric.

Sam X Stitch has this fun sweet treat sampler, which again would be fun to stitch as individual pieces (maybe on napkins?). In all it calls for 18 colors and measures 153 by 153 stitches. That comes out to 10.93 inches or 27.75 cm on 14 count fabric.

Another great sampler is this one with ice cream and other sweet treats from Cute Patterns by Maria. At 119 by 132 stitches total, working the full pattern would be about 8.6 by 9.4 inches, or 22 by 24 cm on 14 count fabric, and it uses 33 colors. You can also stitch individual designs, which range in height from 35 to 45 stitches, and in width from 11 to 28.

This collection of four sundae patterns from Stichrovia would be fun to make for a kitchen or a teen’s room. Each pattern is around 40 by 50 stitches, so they should fit in a four or five inch hoop if worked on 14 count fabric.

Or stitch up one of the treats from Stitch Chart Studio‘s collection of seven ice cream cross stitch patterns. These range in size and in number of colors needed, but most would fit in a five or six in hoop (and one in a four inch hoop).

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