How to Work Quarter Stitches in Cross Stitch

I have done a fair bit of smaller cross stitch pieces in my time (and I definitely have working something bigger as a goal for 2024!) but for the most part I’ve only worked projects with full cross stitches, backstitch and French knots. Of course I know other stitches aren’t necessarily harder, they just involve skills I haven’t actually tried yet.

Last year I wrote a piece sharing information about partial stitches in cross stitch, what they look like in a chart, and how to work them.

Then I found this post all about quarter stitch from Sirious Stitches, which is worth a read as a deep dive into how quarter stitches work and how to make them.

As you might guess from the name, a quarter stitch looks like you have stitched one quarter of a full cross stitch. So instead of working the full x, you’re only working half of one side of the x.

To do this you have to make your own hole in the center of the square and then work from there to whatever hole you need to finish the stitch.

The post linked above shows how to work a single quarter stitch, as well as a three-quarter stitch (one leg is normal and one is made like the quarter stitch), as well as the double quarter stitch and double three-quarter stitch. There’s also an option to combine a three-quarter stitch and a quarter stitch where the quarter is worked in a different color from the three-quarter part.

It’s all a little mind-boggling, but the post has good examples of what these different options look like in a chart and in your stitching, and why different methods might be preferred in different situations. This is pretty high-level stuff, but if you ever need to know how to do it you’ll be glad these terms are familiar to you.

Do you work projects with partial stitches or do you stick to whole stitches? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]

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How to Make French Knots

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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