Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Choose material
• Method 2 of 4: Design your own pattern
• Method 3 of 4: Create a simple embroidery
• Method 4 of 4: Practice more difficult stitch techniques
• Tips
• Warnings

Learn to embroider? If you want to learn how to embroider, you should at least learn the cross stitch. This ancient global embroidery technique is also known as cross stitch on countable fabric. The pictures below show how the method is applied with yarn on plastic grid so that you can easily recognize the technique.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Choose material

1. Choose a surface. Although the term cross stitch refers to the way you make a stitch pattern and not a particular material, it usually uses a type of fabric called Aida. This material is loosely woven in a grid pattern, making it easy to align all your stitches. Aida fabric comes in different versions that refer to the number of stitches that can be made per centimeter. Common options are 4.5; 5.5; 6.3; 7 or 8 stitches per centimeter.
   • It is easiest to start with a fabric of 4.5 gussets per centimeter, this will have the most space for your gusset. The higher the number of stitches, the smaller your cross will be.
   • If you don't want to use Aida for your embroidery, linen or cheesecloth are other popular options. However, neither of these have the large spaces in front of you that Aida does.
2. Choose yarn. Cross stitch work is fun, because it offers the maker many different possibilities, especially in the choice of color of the yarn. Embroidery floss is mostly used and can be found in hundreds of different colors.
   • Each skein of embroidery thread consists of six threads, but use 1-3 at a time to embroider your cross stitches.
   • Embroidery thread is available in matte colors as well as in shiny and metallic colors. The latter two are a bit more difficult to work with and also cost considerably more.
   • If you find it difficult to cross stitch with your embroidery thread, try buying wax thread or apply a little beeswax to your thread before embroidering. This will make it easier to put your thread through the needle and to tie off.
3. Choose a pattern. Cross stitch embroidery is nothing more than transferring the grid on your chosen pattern to the grid on your embroidery fabric. Choose a pattern from a booklet or the internet and collect embroidery floss in the matching colors.
   • As a beginner it is best to start with a simple pattern. Find a small pattern that is not too detailed and that requires no more than 3-7 colors.
   • If you don't like the existing patterns enough, you can design your own by using your own pictures and a computer program or a piece of graph paper.
4. Buy an embroidery hoop. This is a double ring of plastic, metal or wood that will keep your embroidery taut while you are doing it. Although you can also embroider without an embroidery hoop, an embroidery hoop is extremely handy and relatively cheap. Small hoops are easier to hold but need to be repositioned often, while large hoops require a firmer hold but don't need to be repositioned as often.

Method 2 of 4: Design your own pattern

1. Choose an image. Any picture can be converted into a cross stitch pattern, but simple pictures with easy to define shapes are best. Choose a photo or drawing that has only a few colors and not too many details.
2. Adjust the picture. You may want to crop or enlarge your image and focus on just a small portion of the original photo. If you have a photo editing program, use the "posterize" option ("limit values") to convert your photo into easily defined shapes. Convert your image to grayscale before printing; this makes it easier to choose colors that match the values.
3. Trace the picture. Print a paper copy of your picture and include a piece of graph paper. Place the graph paper on top of your printed copy and trace the outline of the basic shapes. Try to keep the number of details you trace as limited as possible.
4. Choose your colors. Now that you have traced your picture and shapes, choose 3–7 colors to use for your embroidery. Take crayons of the chosen colors and color the shapes, sticking to the grid lines and avoiding curved lines.
5. Use a computer program. If drawing your own pattern by hand isn't your thing, try converting your favorite picture into an embroidery pattern with a simple computer program. In a program like "Pic 2 Pat" you can set all kinds of things, such as the size of the pattern, the number of colors and how detailed your final pattern should be.

Method 3 of 4: Create a simple embroidery

1. Cut your fabric and embroidery floss. The size of your fabric depends on the size of the pattern you are using. Each square on the fabric corresponds to a single stitch (or cross) and by counting you can determine the exact size of the fabric. Your embroidery floss should be cut to a length of about three feet.
   • Embroidery thread consists of a bunch of six threads, but normally only one thread at a time is used for embroidery. Gently pull apart the groups of threads, using a single thread for each section of your embroidery.
   • Some patterns require you to use multiple threads at the same time, so check your pattern carefully before assuming you will need to use a single thread.
   • Is your thread finished and your pattern not finished yet? No worries! One of the advantages of cross stitch work is that you cannot see where you started and where you finished from the front. Just cut a new thread and start where you left off.
2. Thread the needle. Take your single strand of embroidery floss and make a loop at the end. Wet this end a bit (lick or a drop of water) to make it easier to put through the needle. Then pull the loop through, leaving the two loose ends (one of them very short, of course) dangling from the other side of the eye of the needle.
3. Start with your embroidery. On your pattern, count the number of grid holes to your first stitch (usually the middle stitch) and insert your needle through the hole from the bottom. Pull the thread all the way through, leaving a small piece of the loop at the bottom. Then cross diagonally and insert your needle through the loop at the bottom so that you have a solid anchor for your stitches.
   • It doesn't matter if you start with your crosses like: "/////" or like: "\", as long as you continue consistently throughout your project.
   • With every stitch you make, make sure to run your thread over the loose cast-on end in the back so that it is tucked away securely. This will also make it less likely to come off if it is tugged or pulled later.
4. Continue to embroider. Work with the same cross stitch from the center outwards until you have finished the pattern. If your thread is on something, tie off the thread at the back and cut a new piece of thread.
5. Finish the workpiece. When you have embroidered the entire pattern and possibly a lockstitch border around it, fasten your thread to the back of your embroidery. Tie a simple knot at the back of your work and cut any remaining thread.
6. Wash the embroidery. Hands are naturally dirty and greasy and will also soil the fabric of your embroidery. Washing your hands often can limit the amount of dirt that gets onto your fabric, but a dirty border around your hoop is almost inevitable. Wash your embroidery gently with soap and water and let it air dry gently when done.

Method 4 of 4: Practice more difficult stitch techniques

1. Make a quarter stitch. Quarter stitches are, as the word implies, ¼ of a full X in embroidery. You can use them to add curved lines or details to your work. To make a quarter stitch, bring your needle from the corner of one of the squares to the center of the square. This way you get a single leg of the X-shape.
2. Make a 3/4 stitch. This stitch is also often used to create details in your pattern. It is formed by making a half stitch (a whole diagonal stitch) plus a quarter stitch. It looks like an X with three legs instead of four.
3. Make a backstitch. To create a clear border around your embroidered figures, use a single strand of embroidery floss (usually black) and backstitch around the outline of your pattern. To make a lockstitch, work vertically and horizontally (instead of a / or a now make a - or a |) around your figure. Push the needle forward in a square at the top and then backwards at the bottom. Repeat this until your edge is finished.
4. Make a stud. Although this is not a traditional embroidery stitch, it can be used to create small dots in your embroidery. To make a stud, put your thread forward through the fabric. Wind the needle two or three times around the thread near the point where the thread comes out of the fabric. Reinsert the needle right next to it while holding the thread in place. Pull the needle all the way through to complete the stud.

Tips

• If you have a row of stitches in the same color, make one half of the stitches in that row first (/////), then go back and complete the crosses (XXXXX). This saves time and yarn and gives a neater result to your workpiece.
• To keep the stitches looking regular, always have the bottom of the gusset face the same way. For example, you start your stitch at the top left and re-stitch at the bottom right.
• Make sure you know where you are in your pattern to avoid mistakes. If you have a hard time keeping track of where you are, make an extra copy of your pattern and color in what you did with highlighters or color patterns.
• Free patterns are available in many places on the Internet. You can also find software to design your own patterns, such as PCStitch or EasyCross.
• You can keep your embroidery floss organized by winding it on cardboard or plastic spools that are available for purchase, on thread rings, in thread bags, or even in a resealable freezer bag to keep the colors apart. Choose a method that is useful for the project you are working on and if you are captivated by the embroidery you can always go shopping and find a system that suits you best.

Warnings

• Don't hurt yourself with the needle.