How to Cross Stitch Pointers

Cross stitching can make for a great craft for kids. Having children work on art crafts can
improve their creativity and show them how patience can pay off once the craft is completed. There are many different kids
of children's art crafts, some of the more popular being clay or painting. To find more information on arts and crafts topics,
check out LearningHaven.com!

Cross Stitching of a Photo or art work is a new way of becoming an artist. To do
a cross stitch of a photo or art work you have to follow a few rules that in regular
cross stitch may not matter. It's very important to make sure all the stitches lay the
same direction, This means that the second leg of the cross stitch must all be the
same direction. If you don't make them all the same you will not have a smooth
pattern. The single cross stitch as seen below is most common.

You can also do a block stitch if you have a lot of stitches of the same color as seen below.

 

either can and will work fine for photo cross stitch. Sometimes you will ask for lettering to
be added to you photo Cross Stitch. For instance, you may have us add a name of a dog or
a date. To stitch the lettering you can use a back stitch as seen below.

It is sewn by taking the needle back one hole and forward two, to produce a solid line of straight
evenly-sized stitches.

To get started you can do two things. You can start in the center or make sure you have enough Aida
Cloth and start at the top left corner of the pattern. Everyone will do it different but we feel the way our
patterns are made its easier to start at the top left and do a ten block all the way across the pattern.
Our Patterns are in book form and laid out this way. Another reason to start at the top left is that
you're not resting your hands and arm on the completed stitch and getting it soiled

If you decide to start at the center, find the center of the fabric by folding it in half and then in half again.
The corner where the folds meet is the center and corresponds to the center of your chart, usually indicated
by arrows at the sides of the page in our book. Most will say it's always best, if possible, to start
your stitching at the center.
However, if you decide to start elsewhere on the design always make sure you have counted your
starting position accurately from the center before making your first stitch.

We find people jumping all around the pattern and them calling us to say the colors are not correct.
This is a photo cross stitch and uses many colors to make a building or wall or faces look correct and are
not made up of one color. You may find ten colors in what you think should be a red wall. Once you do
the pattern and stand back you will see that its like the original. Give it a chance and you will see.

You must choose the fabric to use. The completed pattern will give the stitch count and the size needed
to complete the pattern. Remember to give your self extra fabric to be able to fasten your cloth to a
holder to stitch. 

We use white Aida Cloth for all of our patterns. Also use the right needle. You need blunt tapestry
needles, regular sewing needles don't work. You can buy them in the stitch count your using.

Use our shopping list to shop for your floss. We Recommend DMC floss.

If you can follow the instructions and take your time and lay the stitches all the same direction then
you should be able to do a Photo Cross Stitch. Start with a simple photo first if your unsure of yourself,
maybe a small 4 X 6 photo at say 14 count.

In our patterns we use two strands of floss about 28 inches long. You can use shorter or longer if
you desire. Each floss color comes with six strands of thread. Try to keep the threaded needle
fron twisting. If it does become twisted just let the needle dangle and it will un-twist.

We use symbols to represent each floss color. Each symbol represents one cross-stitch over one
square of your Aida cloth that you are stitching on. Your Pattern will have a pages to tell you what
floss number the symbol represents.

Try to start your stitching with out a knot but instead leave a tail and stitch over the tail to keep it tight
and from pulling thru the aida cloth. When done stitching weave the needle through the stitcher on the
back to hold it firm. This way you wont need a knot.

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