Cross-Stitch

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Tips for New Cross Stitchers

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beginner cross stitch tips

If you are new to the craft of cross stitching or just want to improve your skills and have better results and more enjoyment in your projects, check out this list of 7 things I wish I knew before I started cross stitching from Hannah Hand Makes.

Some of these are really solid, such as understanding that there are different sizes of Aida cloth and how to best work with colored cloth. I’m not sure about the one about cutting the skein of thread before you get started so you have pieces of uniform length to work with as you stitch. Have you ever tried that?

Do you have something you wish you knew when you were starting out? I’d love to hear your tips!

[Photo: Hannah Hand Makes.]

Comments

  1. Not so much a tip, but I find it helpful to always leave my needle threaded and ready so it is easy to pick up my project again.

  2. For as long as I’ve been stitching, since about 1976 or so, I have always cut my floss to about 12″-16″ inch lengths. That way I don’t need to stop and keep cutting it. With some of the newer flosses, like the metallic, light effects, etc. I cut my floss in shorter lengths to keep it from fraying. This also makes it much easier to keep on my floss card for each WIP.

Have you read?

Gourds to Stitch for Harvest Time

When fall comes around, pumpkins tend to steal the spotlight, but there are a lot of other fun gourds out there to stitch and decorate with. Let’s take a look at some gourd cross stitch patterns for fall. 

Stitch a little group of gourds with this design from Daily Cross Stitch. These don’t exactly look like pumpkins and squash you’d find in nature, but the polka dots, stripes and hearts do make them fun to stitch. The design is 73 by 60 stitches, and it uses 11 colors of floss. On 14 count fabric stitched as shown this one would be 5.21 by 4.29 inches, or 13.2 by almost 11 cm. 

This rustic gourds design from Rhondas Originals features seven gourds and a vineing leaf. The model shown is on 30 count linen worked over two threads, or you could use 15 count fabric to get the same size. This one come out to 6.75 by 5.5 inches, or about 17 by 14 cm. 

Pumpkin Harvest from Such A Stitch By Lena has a few pumpkins in it, but also other gourds and falling leaves. I love the colors in this one because it’s not just all orange and brown. As stitched it uses 31 colors and measures 150 by 150 stitches. On 14 count fabric that comes out to 10.7 inches or 27.2 cm square. 

Know the names of all the squash you might find in your kitchen with this squash cross stitch poster form The Compass Needle. You’ll find pumpkin, pattypan, turban and more on this fun project, which measures 85 by 118 stitches. That makes it 6 by 8.375 inches, or 15.2 by 21.3 cm on 14 count fabric. 

Get a little more artistic with your squashes and gourdes with this fun design from Happy Cross Stitchers. Another one with interesting colors, it uses 15 total and measures 110 by 143 stitches. Make it whatever size you like, but on 14 count fabric it will measure about 7.8 by 10.2 inches, or 19.96 by 25.94 cm.