Too much of this will leave you Cross Eyed (Cross Stitching in general)

Member Name: helencb

Product:	Cross Stitching in general
Date:	20/09/02 (281 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxing Hobby

Disadvantages: Can be Expensive, Easy to end up with loads of projects on the go

I have recently gained interest in a brand new hobby, which has even took me away from the many an hour I used to while away on here ? I have taken up cross stitching.

This was a spur of the moment thing. I went for a day out at Pollok Country Park in Glasgow, and I was doing the obligatory browse through the gift shop, when I spotted a ?kit?, to be completed in half cross stitch, and showing a view of the city of Glasgow.

My kit cost £34.99, and completed, it measures about 15? by 12? so it is a decent sized piece of artwork. It took me three weeks to finish, working on it most evenings, and it looks rather good, if I say so myself, despite a few errors I made along the way, which I was able to recover from.

If you are new to cross stitch, I advise you start with a kit. Kits contain the fabric on which you will create your design, an ample supply of wool or cotton, a chart of the design (this is called counted cross stitch), and usually a needle. My advice would be to start with a design which you complete in wool, as it is less fiddly to work with; and to find a design that uses a half cross stitch (as this is twice as quick to make as a whole cross stitch design!).

Thankfully, my purchase met these criteria, although this was purely by luck, as it was a spur of the moment purchase.

You can also buy pre printed pieces of Evenweave with a design printed on them. This eliminates the need for a chart as you follow the colours on the fabric. Logic would dictate that this should be easier as following a complex design in counted cross stitch can be a strain on the eyesight. However, with this alternate type, it requires more judgement on exactly what colour to stitch each fabric block as a tiny area may have two colours merging together. I am half way through a large scale project of this type at present.

Fabrics
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There are two main types of fabric used in cross stitch embroidery, Aida and Evenweav
e. Aida tends to be the more common, and this is a block weave fabric, where the stitch goes over each little block. The fabric has a count value, which is the number of stitches per inch. This can range from 7 to 18, and if you imagine 18 stitches in every inch then you can see why large designs using cotton thread can take a long time to make up. Evenweave fabric, is, as its name suggests, evenly weaved and the count is higher as the stitches go over two threads of fabric. You can get different colours of fabrics, and this is useful for the background, meaning you don?t have to stitch the whole area a particular colour, such as sky for instance.

Threads
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The main thread is stranded cotton, although my two large projects are in wool, which I think is easier to use. You can get hundreds and hundreds of shades of colours in both fabric types. The main manufacturers of this thread are Anchor and DMC. Threads cost approximately 50p per skein. You can also purchase special threads such as metallic or variated coloured threads.

Needles
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Tapestry needs are blunt and come in different sizes. The low the number, the larger the needle. You can also purchase crewel needles when working on different fabrics such as satin or fine linen.

Hoops
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Hoops are available from embroidery stores from a few pounds upwards. They are available in different sizes, depending on the size of your work. The hoop consists of two circles, and the fabric is trapped between the two to create a taut surface for stitching. It is not recommended to leave your incomplete work in the hoop when you are not stitching as this can stretch the fabric.

Rotating frames can also be used for larger designs, and depending on the size, these can cost from about £5 to over £100 (for the serious stitchers!).

You will also need a pair of small sharp embroidery scissors for cutting your threads.

You need to keep y
our threads organised with this hobby, and, after managing with a plastic bag when completing my first project, I invested in a fairly large embroidery case, with ample storage for threads and needles, and space for smaller stitching projects.

What can you make?
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The most common item is a design which can then be framed, and these can range in size from an inch or two across, to large pieces of artwork. Stitching designs for cards is also very popular, although you need to start early to make enough for Christmas. I find I can stitch one to two cards per night, depending on the size. You can buy pre cut card mounts and sized envelopes for cards. Packs of these cards are available from about £5.

Using a fabric called waste canvas, you can also stitch designs on to table cloths or table runners, napkins and similar items. The waste canvas is used to align the stitches, and is carefully removed once the design is completed.

Samplers, containing lots of little images, can be created for baby births, weddings, and anniversaries, and in the case of babies, there are hundreds of designs available. It is recommended you stitch most of the design, and then you simply wait for the birth date to complete the project with the name and weight!

Cushion kits are also popular, containing everything you need to complete the cushion after the design has been stitched.

Many designs on Aida are outlined in black stitching, although my favourite designs do not require this outlining, as the design is good enough in itself. It is ultimately a matter of personal preference.

This is not a particularly cheap hobby though. Some kits can cost as much as £50 or more and there is a large time commitment required to complete a project. It is very easy to get engrossed in this hobby and then find you have too many projects on the go.
It is also important not to ensure you are comfortable at work, with ad
equate lighting so that you can clearly see the different shades of thread, and adequate support for your back and neck. Intense stitching can cause your hand to ache too, and you should rest it often.

Further Information
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There are a handful of monthly magazines on the market dedicated to cross stitching. These are available in the larger newsagents and supermarkets. Cover prices are usually around £3 and include a free gift such as a small card kit or a little design book. The books are all stuffed full with designs to sew, and suppliers of kits, blank cards, threads, hoops etc.

There are also lots of good sites on the internet, who display the types of kits they have available. If you are interested, a search under ?cross stitching? will have you browsing for hours.

So go on and be Creative!

Helen Bradshaw
September 2002

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