History of Cross-Stitch
Cross stitch wasn't always a hobby. In the 18th century and as part of her preparation for the responsibility of sewing clothes for her future family, girls and young women in education would complete at least two stitching samplers.
Many people believe blackwork to be the origin of cross stitch. Still a very popular craft, blackwork is a Spanish form of embroidery that uses black thread or silk and is worked on white or off-white linen or cotton fabric. This craft is believed to have been brought to England in the 16th century by Catherine of Aragon when she married Henry VII in 1509. Catherine was a keen stitcher and continued to make clothes for the king until her death in 1536.
Before the Industrial Revolution it was still the woman's role to make clothes for her family, and so the ability to sew was a necessity. Linen was very expensive and every square inch would be used up, thus the sampler was invented. Samplers were intended to teach young women to sew, as well as used to help young girls to memorise numbers and the alphabet. Since linen was so expensive, poorer families would use perforated paper to create their designs.
Cross-Stitch Techniques
Cross stitching is one of the easiest forms of embroidery there is. Cross stitch is comprised of X-shaped stitches done on fabric with an even and open weave like Aida or linen. Designs can be traditional or modern or anywhere in between.
There are plenty of designs to choose from, and you can buy kits that have all the materials included - some come with coloured design on the fabric for easy tp follow cross-stitching method, and some have a plain aida fabric with a separate design book.
Likewise, there are many methods of how to cross-stitch, and eventually you will be able to determine what is most comfortable for yourself. Watch the video or follow the below steps to get you started on your first cross-stitch project!
Five Cross-Stitch Steps
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- Step One:
- Edge your fabric with masking tape to avoid fraying.
- Step Two:
- Next, fold the fabric in half and half again to find the middle. Then correspond this with the middle of the pattern. Follow the design from the centre point using the correct colour thread from the key.
- Step Three:
- The threads come in strands of 6. Separate 2 strands. Thread the needle provided these. There is no need to tie a knot in your thread, just darn this in under your stitches.
- Step Four:
- To start, push the needle from the back to the front in the bottom left corner of a square and come down through the top right corner. Come up again this time through the top left corner and down through the bottom right corner. It doesn't really matter which way round you complete your cross, just make sure all of your stitches are in the same direction.
- Step Five:
- Run the needle underneath three or four completed stitches on the back of the fabric to secure it, and then neatly trim off the loose end.