How to embroider a cross-stitch: features kits for work, the choice of thread and canvass, schemes for beginners

For some, embroidery cross-stitch is not just a hobby, and some are just starting to dive into this area of needlework. As in any business, the success of this event depends on two components: knowledge and skills.

As for the skills - everything comes with experience, but here in the theoretical part is to understand in advance, so that the process of embroidery was easy and comfortable, and the end result justified all expectations of the embroiderer.

Materials and tools for work

If you are a beginner and do not yet have a sufficient set of tools and knowledge of them, it is better to study everything in advance and stock up with a minimal set for embroidery. You will need:

1. A set of needles;
2. Embroidery frame or embroidery frame;
3. Thread;
4. Canvas.

If you have already plunged into the world of embroidery to the full, then you can safely add to this list of thimbles, special scissors, a magnifying glass, water-soluble markers and organizers for storing thread.

Needles and their quality are very important in embroidery, their thickness will depend on the size of the holes in the fabric and the quality of the work in general. The thinner and more delicate the embroidery base, the thinner the needle should be.

Tapestry needles are good to use - they have a blunt end that will not damage the fabric, and a wide eye that will maintain the integrity and neat appearance of the thread.

Canvas is an embroidery material that is a cross-stitched thread that forms squares for future crosses. It comes in different sizes and textures - different types for different threads and needles used.

The hoop will help pull the fabric taut so that it won't overstretch during the process and the finished design won't lose its shape. The main thing in choosing a hoop is to pay attention to their surface - it should be as smooth as possible so as not to damage the fabric.

If you're a beginner, you can always try your hand at embroidery with ready-made kits, they have all the necessary tools and selected thread colors.

Choose a thread and canvass

The choice of threads depends on the desired effect and the skills of the embroiderer. Floss is considered the most common - it does not tangle, it is easy to mix into the desired colors and remains as bright for a long time.

Their peculiarity is that they are easily divided into separate threads, allowing you to mix several colors into one on your own. Most embroidery kits use these threads.

Other textures of thread can also be used if desired:

• Metallized - very beautiful threads that are created by blending a fiber with a metallic cast and an acrylic or cotton base. In the old days they were used to embroider the expensive clothes of the nobility and clergymen, today they are used to highlight the luster of jewelry or to create a snow effect on embroidery. This type of thread is very fragile, work with him to be careful: the thread is often frayed cloth and become shaggy, or even torn. When using metallic threads, use a needle with a wider eye and cut the thread shorter than when working with floss - so there will be less fiber wear and crosses will be neat.
• Wool threads are bulky, so they require a larger canvass. They are good for embroidering different patterns of carpets or tapestries. Do not embroider paintings with this thread - the pattern will be too complex and voluminous.
• Acrylic thread is similar to wool, but much thinner and easier to work with. Very bright and durable, similar in use to floss. They are similar to floss, but not all embroiderers choose them, preferring a more natural thread.

List the types of thread can be endless: from the king of embroidery floss to carpet and tapestry thread. The main thing before you start to define the purpose of the embroidery and the desired effect, then the choice of materials will be easy.

Of course, being determined with a yarn for embroidery, you need to choose a material that threads play with the maximum effect. Canvas for embroidery differs primarily in the size of the cells: from very large to small.

For beginners it is better to use large and medium square, for skilled masters it is possible to take a small for more subtle work. Tablecloths or pillows are also better to embroider on a large canvas, but the paintings are better obtained on a smaller cell.

How to embroider a cross for beginners: the scheme and description.

Those masters who have not yet had time to gain experience, can use special schemes. They are simple and ideal for beginners.

Canvas marking

To embroider was easy and the design was not spoiled by a cross that slid sideways, you need to perform a canvass marking before starting work.

This ensures that the design will be strictly marked on the fabric squares, which is easy to navigate and check your work.

To place the embroidery on the fabric correctly, it is recommended to start marking from the middle of the canvass:

• To do this, fold the material lengthwise in half and mark the middle fold, then also fold the fabric across and also mark the middle. The intersection of these lines will be the center of the embroidery.
• Then you need to mark on the canvas every 10 cells (crosses) starting from the found middle, according to the printed scheme.
• For example, if your embroidery scheme consists of 60 by 100 crosses, then from the center of the canvass to the left 3 times at 10 cells and right 3 times at 10 cells, respectively up 5 at 10 and down 5 at 10.
• Each square of 10 by 10 need to mark with a water-soluble marker, so that after washing the finished work on the embroidery is not left lines.
• Start with the center of the canvass to embroidered picture was in the middle of the fabric and later it was more convenient to use, for example, to stretch it in a frame or sew it into a pillowcase for a pillow.

Embroidery designs and techniques

Choosing a method of embroidery can be confused by the variety of techniques. Let's focus on a few of the most common types, because to list all the techniques created over the centuries - it is impossible:

1. Cross embroidery - a very popular type of needlework. Embroidered on the fabric with stitches, usually double - crosses, but also use: semi-cross, petits (part of the cross) and outlines.
2. Satin embroidery - done without using patterns, stitches are applied to the fabric tightly adjacent to each other. This method is more complicated, but leaves no limited field for the imagination of the needlewoman, because except for the contours of the figure, there is no clear guidance in the choice of stitches and color transitions in the picture.
3. Chenille embroidery is a technique that was used in the olden days to decorate clothing and even upholster walls with fabric. In French chenille means "caterpillar", a silk velvet cord. Works in this style look very voluminous and beautiful.
4. Richelieu embroidery is a type of openwork art, where the pattern is done with smoothness and the space between the patterns is removed. It is used to create lace doilies or tablecloths.
5. Ribbon embroidery is a way to create three-dimensional paintings or panels. Different kinds of ribbons and stitches are used. Good for decorating for celebrations.

The process of cross embroidery

Having decided to master the technique of the cross, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the main features of the embroidery process. First of all, let's consider the types of stitches, as the basic element of all techniques:

• Full cross - two stitches overlapping diagonally. Cross stitch completely fills one cell on the canvas.
• Half cross - the first stitch of a full cross, helps to create a sense of perspective and different fullness in the picture. Used in conjunction with the technique of a simple cross.
• An elongated cross - similar to a normal cross, but fills vertically 2 or 3 cells of the canvass. It is also used in conjunction with other techniques to create different textures on the canvas.
• Bulgarian cross - a double cross, made by superimposing a simple diagonal cross and a second vertical cross on top of each other. Very dense and voluminous in texture.
• Asterisk - a combination of a large vertical cross and a second small diagonal cross. Can be carried out simultaneously in several colors, good for ornamental patterns.
• Algerian eye - a stitch in shape resembling two large crosses: diagonal and vertical. But in this case, each half-cross is divided into two separate stitches, each from the middle of the stitch - you get a kind of flower of 8 stitches.

Whichever way you choose to do the crosses, it's important to stick to the general rules of the job.

All half-cross stitches must be made in the same direction, that is, the stitches in the bottom row must be all from left to right and the top row from right to left - otherwise the embroidery will look sloppy.

Using an embroidery hoop will help not to overstretch the fabric and not distort the design. A clean hands before each embroidery session to preserve a single tone of material and thread color at the end of the work.

Features of kits for embroidery

Ready-made kits are used not only by beginners, but also by experienced embroiderers. Kits are, above all, convenience and practicality.

Regardless of the complexity of the work, many manufacturers of ready-made kits immediately solve a number of small issues for you, such as storing threads and needles, the selection of colors and storage schemes.

This approach saves time and effort for creativity, rather than wasting your resource on technical organization of the process.

When choosing a ready-made kit, it's a good idea to be aware of possible nuances in kits from different manufacturers. First of all, ready-made diagrams can be in color or black and white.

Color is good for simple drawings of small size, where it is easy to count the cells of the same color.

Large and complex schemes are used in black and white, so it is easier to count the number of cells using symbols or numbers of colors, otherwise it is very difficult to distinguish close, but still different shades of the same color.

Canvas and thread should be the right size for each other.

With experience comes the understanding that not the highest quality kits may include too large a canvas, or, conversely, it is better to use a single thread in the embroidery, rather than double thread, as recommended in the kit.

Of course, different kits include a different number of schemes. For beginner embroiderers, it is better to choose kits with a few small schemes on a simple subject, such as fruit or children's drawings.

For the more experienced, schemes depicting people's faces and icons will be of interest - such works are considered the most difficult, as they are painstakingly executed using a large number of colors that are close in shade.

By gaining experience, from simple to very complex and detailed works, needlewomen create beautiful things: paintings, clothing, festive tablecloths, furnishings and souvenirs.

Art helps not only to create an object, but also to learn to transfer to others a part of their creative energy and soul.

Embroidery in different ways, enjoy the process and the finished result, share your warmth with your loved ones - it is no accident people for centuries create with their hands from the emptiness of something beautiful.

Photo of products embroidered with cross stitch