Monday, May 26, 2008

1...2...3... Of The Cross Stitch

Prepare the tool
There are some tools and a pattern you need to prepare to do the cross stitch. The important tools is fabric, needle, thread or floss, the other such as scissor and hoop is for complement. You must provide the size of the fabric that fit into or more wide than your image or graphic size.

1... Start the cross stitch
You can start from the center of the graph or from anypart you like. But by doing from the center it is more right, to keep some space at the outside of the graph at fabric. To find the center you can see the arrows or a bold line. After that, find the center of your fabric. To find it, you can fold the fabric in half vertically and horizontally. Then pinch with your finger to make a small crease that will mark the center. Open the fold, and you can start the stitch from that crease point.

Which color of the thread you must take is by looking the sign at the pattern. Each sign describe the color of thread. You can use two strands or one strands. Ussually the pattern that you download or buy give you instruction how much strands you take.

2... Stitching
After get the color bring the threaded needle up from the back of the fabric, leaving short tail thread behind the fabric. You can keep the short tail from loose by hold the tail in back and clip or skid it behind with the first few stitches.

When the thread is almost end, clip the rest thread at the several stitches at the back of the fabric to end off. If you have a problem to end the thread, such as untidy and may show the thread through the fabric at the front, it is better to cut and fasten off your thread at the back of the needle work as normal, and start again at the new area of the design. This way can keep you from run out of the thread supplied in the cross stitch kit

You can continue from the start to end again using the same color or different. The number of stitches is same with the count of the square with the certain sign/code at the pattern

Sometimes a color will have only a few stitches and then "jump" to another area. Most of the time you should end off and start again, other times you can carry the thread along the back. Just jumping from area to area is easier than starting and stopping, but sometimes the thread will show through. This can be a problem if you jump a dark thread over an unstitched area of light fabric. In general, you can carry the thread to another area if the jump is short, the thread color is light, and you are jumping over a previously stitched area.

3... Finishing
When your stitching is complete, wash in cool water using a mild liquid detergent. Rinse well. Do not wring, but roll in a clean towel to absorb most of the water. While still damp, place face down on a terry towel. Place another cloth on top of the needlework and press lightly with a warm iron. Let dry. Then frame or finish as desired.

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