Making a Start With the Art of Cross Stitch
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by: AdrainBrendown73
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Word Count: 559
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2012 Time: 7:40 PM
When you look at some of the beautiful pieces of artwork that you can produce with cross stitch, it’s little wonder that it’s so popular. The other great thing, is cross stitch is not very hard to do so it’s something that almost anyone can do – young and old.
So how can you get started with it? Go down to your local craft or fabric store and ask if they have any cross stitch patterns. Just start with a small one initially – you don’t want to take a couple of weeks to finish your first project. All good cross stitch patterns have complete instructions on the back on how to complete it. While you’re there, make sure you get all the thread, needles and cloth that you’ll need.
So you’ve just bought your first cross stitch pattern and are wondering where on earth you should start the thing? Don’t worry, it’s one of the questions most people ask when they’re first starting out so you’re not alone.
Many people will say you should always start in the middle, but this isn’t completely necessary. While it is essential that you know where the middle is, so you avoid running out of room on your fabric, you don’t actually have to start there. You can start anywhere you like – top, bottom, left or right.
To find the middle, simply fold the fabric in half one way, then fold it in half again the other way. You’ll then have two perpendicular creases in the fabric which will mark the centre where they cross. Some people also find it useful to mark the centre with a texta or highlighter so in weeks to come you still know where the middle is.
Another commonly asked question, is what’s the proper way to do cross stitch? In my opinion, there’s no one single ‘proper’ way to do cross stitch. As long as you end up with the same appearance when you’ve finished, then you’ve done it the right way. However, I’ll just go through a few different ways you can do things and give you a few pointers.
When it comes to doing the individual cross stitch, you can do things two different ways. You can go through, and do each cross completely before moving onto the next. Another option is to do a full row of one half of the cross – so for example, you might do the lines from the bottom left to the top right – then come back the other way and do the other half, so the lines from the top right to the bottom left to complete the cross. You can also complete the rows vertically or horizontally with either method being correct.
Once you’ve completed your work it’s time to choose how you’re going to use it. The most common thing people do with their work, is to put them in an attractive frame and hang them on the wall, though there are many other things you can do too including decorating towels, tea towels and making doilies.
About the Author
To find yourself some great cross stitch Australia supplies for your next project, make sure you check out http://www.AustralianCraft.com.au for great cross stitch products and ideas.
