How to Cross Stitch on Linen

March 27, 2024 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

I consider myself a barely intermediate cross-stitcher, so there are a lot of things you can do with cross stitch that I haven’t done (yet! I’m working on it!).

One of the gaps in my knowledge or skills or whatever you want to call it is cross stitching on linen. It looks beautiful but I’ve always been a little intimidated by it so I haven’t tried it yet.

The good news is, there are plenty of smart and experienced cross stitchers out there to show us the way when we don’t know how to do things.

Catkin and Lille wrote all about their experience working with linen, the pros and cons and how you actually go about stitching on linen. It turns out it’s not all that different from using regular cross stitch fabric, except you are stitching over two threads at a time instead of one.

Also it’s easier to work projects with fractional stitches on linen because the squares have a hole in the middle, which makes it easier to make half or quarter stitches that are consistently sized.

There can be a learning curve when it comes to cross stitching on linen because the weave is not as even as standard cross stitch fabric, and the softness of the fabric can make it a little trickier to get your tension consistent. But as with everything else in cross stitch and in life, a little practice will make it easier.

You can get all the tips, pros and cons and other information about cross stitching on linen fabric at the post over on Catkin and Lille. But I’d love to know if you have ever worked with linen for cross stitch and how it worked out for you. Especially if you have any tips to share because this might be something that I finally try this year and I will probably need all the help I can get!

[Photo: Catkin and Lille]

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Designer Spotlight: Cross Stitch Foxy

Cross Stitch Foxy has a huge selection of cross stitch patterns perfect for gifts or using in your own home decor. As of this writing there are more than 900 patterns listed, so there’s no way I can cover them all, but let’s take a quick peek at some of the options.

As with many cross stitch designers, Cross Stitch Foxy has a lot of holiday themed patterns, including Christmas, Halloween and Easter and St. Patrick’s Day. There are patriotic American patterns, feminist patterns and so much more.

Since we’re heading into the Christmas season as I write this, I thought I’d highlight one of the more than 100 Christmas listings in the shop. These Christmas mugs would be cute to have hanging in your kitchen or anywhere else all winter long.

The full pattern is 86 by 101 stitches, which comes out to 6.1 by 7.2 inches, or 5.5 by 18 cm, when stitched on 14 count fabric. It calls for 19 colors. Of course you could also stitch a single mug if you’d rather, or put them into individual frames.

One thing that is fun about Cross Stitch Foxy’s projects is that the intention is that to some extent you can use what you have to make the projects. None of the projects include single stitches of a color, and colors can be replaced with the colors you have or use blends made up of colors you already have, making the projects more cost effective and environmentally friendly. Of course for holiday patterns you’ll want some holiday colors, but there’s wiggle room to use the threads you already own, which is nice.

In addition to the categories I already mentioned, there are many other patterns, including a wide selection of seasonal gnomes, patterns with cats and dogs, food and drink patterns and a nice collection of flowers and plants, just to name a few. There’s probably something for everyone in this store, so go check it out at Cross Stitch Foxy on Etsy.

[Photo: Cross Stitch Foxy]

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