This is for everyone who is just getting started on cross stitch and want to learn the very basics. I’ve been there and I know if it hadn’t had been for my mother helping me along the way, I would have never been as into cross stitch as I am currently. So this is part one of a two-part tutorial that I’m posting that should make starting cross stitch simple and clear.

Part one is going to be more focused on setting up the materials and picking them out, while part two is going to be about actually starting the project. Keep an eye out for that one, it should be up by the end of the week.

Now, there are different types of cross stitch. The first is counted cross stitch, which is where you count the number of stitches and is generally done on Aida fabric. The second is stamped cross stitch, where a pattern is usually pressed onto the fabric, such as linen, and you follow the outline printed.

I personally don’t like the stamped cross stitch. It feels too ridged for me. Also, I like to keep checking my counting abilities because it feels like that’s just completely gone some days.

So, without further ado, let’s jump right into how to start a counted cross stitch project.

---

Materials

• One embroidery hoop
• One piece of Aida Cloth
• Floss of all the colors you would like to use for the project
• Needle

Putting it all together

Let’s start with the hoop. First, the hoop is there to help keep the fabric tight and stationary so that way you don’t lose your count or struggle so hard with the stitches. It usually comes in one unit but can be loosened into two units.

In order to start, you have to loosen the outer ring by unscrewing the screw at the top of the hoop. Once the top ring is loose enough, the inner ring should be able to fall right out. Once you have the two hoops separated, you’re ready to add in the fabric.

The fabric is usually either linen or Aida fabric. I personally use the Aida fabric because it has the holes and cross sections that you can see in the picture. All of the patterns on this blog will be following the counted cross stitch method.

When you’re dealing with Aida fabric, there are different types, usually denoted with a number. This is a thorough explanation of what that number means and how the Aida type can affect the project you’re working on.

To really start setting up the hoop, you should unfold the Aida and find the center of the fabric. Mark it when you find it because that will be going in the center of your hoop. Place the inner ring of the hoop on the table and then place the Aida over the inner hoop, making sure that the center of the Aida is at the center of the hoop.

Once that is all situated, make sure that the outer ring is loose but still threaded into the other mechanism. Push the outer hoop over the top of the fabric while pulling the fabric tight. Start to screw the outer ring to make it tighter. This is kind of a lot to do at one time, so it may take a couple of times to get it right.

After you have the outer ring on tight your hoop should look like the two pictures shown below. There should be the inner ring on the bottom of the fabric and the outer ring on the top of the fabric.

The last thing on the agenda for today is floss. Floss is basically just a fancy term for embroidery thread. There are many different companies that make a thread, but the most popular are DMC and Anchor. All of the patterns on this blog will use DMC floss because it’s what I have access to.

One thing that confused me when I first started was the issue of how many pieces of thread to use for each part of the project. So let me say this right now, you do not have to try and fit all nine pieces of floss into a needle and use that. You take pieces from the bigger floss and use that.

For this project, we’re going to be using two pieces of floss for the main stitches. For more of the details, like outlines or word embroidery, usually only one piece of floss. You can also use more for French knots and to fill more of the white spaces between stitches.

To start, pull out a length of floss that you think is appropriate for the area that you are doing. Cut that and then separate out two of the floss pieces to use as your first stitches. Try and keep these floss pieces together so that way it’s easier to thread through the needle.

That’s really all I have for you guys today. Sorry, it was longer, but there’s a lot of details that go into starting a cross stitch project that has to be explained. The second part of this tutorial should be posted by the end of this week but it may be closer to Sunday by the time I get to it.