Cross stitches are made up of two stitches worked across intersections of fabric. The quantity of strands sometime varies, depending on the complexity of the stitch. Therefore, it is always worth having a spare piece of fabric on which to try out stitches with a variety of thickness of thread.

Cross Stitch

During the nineteenth century, cross stitch became the favourite stitch for the majority of samplers. It is an easy stitch to master and is also hard wearing. It can be worked in two ways as described below:

1. Each single cross stitch is completed before moving on to work the next stitch.

2. Work a row of half crosses and then return completing the cross stitch.

You should choose the one that best suits your purpose. For example, working a block of cross stitches in a dark colour can be hard on the eyes and you may find it easier to complete the cross before moving to the next stitch. However, if you are working lettering, it is easier to form the letter by stitching half of each cross, completing them on the return journey and ending back where you started.

Cross stitch is the best stitch to use for larger lettering. It makes a perfectly formed letter and in this instance, is superior to tent stitch which can make letters appear unbalanced.

When working a block of cross stitches, the main rule to remember is that while it does not matter which way you cross the stitches, you must be consistent or the texture will be uneven. For example, if your first row started in the bottom left hand corner and you made the half stitch finish in the top right hand corner, you would continue this way throughout the cross stitch pattern.

If you find two threads that are too thick when working the second method described above, use two threads one way and return with one thread. This trick can also be used to tone down a colour, using darker thread one way and a lighter one on the return.

Back Stitch

Back stitch can be used for outlining an area of cross stitching or to give greater definition to a cross stitch pattern. It is also extremely useful for small scale lettering, but do make sure that your thread colour choice is dark enough to show up at a distance. For outlining, is it usual to work over one or two threads but to achieve the smooth line required for lettering, fences, outlining door panels, indicating window bars and latticing, for example, lay the stitch over a greater number of cross stitch threads.