Graffiti X-Stitch

Have you ever heard someone say that they don’t have a creative bone in their body? Maybe you yourself have said or felt this way and wished you could do something creative. Cross stitch is the answer. Cross stitch is a very simple, relaxing type of needlework. All you need to know is what the letter X looks like and you or anyone else can create stunning works of art.

There are four main things that you need to do cross stitch. There are other useful tools and accessories that you can also use but the very basic cross stitch supplies to start stitching are fabric, thread, needle and a pattern. That’s it. Basically, you can cross stitch on any type of fabric but the easiest type for a beginner is called aida cloth. Aida cloth consists of intersecting thread groups so that when you look at it you can easily see even, little squares. Aida cloth comes in many different thread counts but the most common and easily used for a beginner is eleven or fourteen count. This means, for example, if you are using fourteen count aida cloth there will be fourteen squares to every inch.

The type of thread that is used for cross stitch is called embroidery floss. Embroidery floss is a loosely twisted six strand thread. Cotton is the most common type and it comes in hundreds of colors. The colors each have a special code, depending on the brand, that will correspond with your pattern so that you know what colors to use when stitching. Embroidery floss in cross stitch is rarely used with all six strands at one time. Cross stitch is most commonly done using only two strands of floss at a time and only one for the backstitching, which is similar to outline to give the piece more definition.

The needles that are used for cross stitch are called tapestry needles. They come in a range of sizes that have a number. The larger the number the needle is, the shorter and finer the needle. Tapestry needles are more blunt than sharp so that they slide easily through the holes in the aida cloth. If they are too sharp they will catch on too many things.

The most important cross stitch supplies you need to begin cross stitching is a pattern. For your first couple of pieces it is best to choose small, simple projects that you can finish fairly quickly. The fewer color changes the better at first so that you don’t become discouraged as you are learning. Of course, it is always important to choose a pattern that you truly like so that you will remain motivated to finish it and see what you create. With practice can move up to more complicated pieces.

Once you learn the basics of cross stitching you may want to move on to more complicated pieces. There are a couple of techniques that can help make this easier for you.

One of these techniques is called gridding your fabric. Gridding your fabric may seem unnecessary and tedious in the beginning but once you get used to it, it can save you’re a great deal of frustration and ripping out stitches on a larger piece.

Normally a cross stitch pattern is a grid of ten by ten squares with a bold line at every tenth square. Basically, if you quickly baste the same ten by ten squares on your fabric, this makes counting and keeping track of where you are in your pattern a breeze.

To create this grid, locate the center point of your pattern and of your fabric. Find the closest darker line horizontally and vertically and baste these two lines first. You can just use regular sewing thread for this but use a color that is easy to see on your fabric and will stand out. Then either count out to the edges of your design and baste the outside edges all the way around or you can simply count over ten and baste and count over ten and baste until it is complete. It is best to remove these basting stitches as you come to them while you are stitching because you don’t want to stitch over them. You will want to remove all the basting stitches from the finished piece.

Railroading is another technique that will help make the surface of your work nicer and improves your floss coverage. At first this technique may seem to be too time consuming but once you are used to doing it, it becomes second nature and you will see it is worth it in the improved appearance of your work. If you want to participate in a competition with your cross stitch, this is a technique you will want to learn well.

Basically, what railroading does is helps to eliminate the twist in your thread. You will still need to allow your needle to dangle and untwist often but railroading will eliminate the twist in the thread of each actual stitch.

Railroading is very simple. You bring your needle up in the top right corner of the square you are stitching in like normal. Now, before you put your needle back down through the bottom left hole of your square, lay your thread across the square like it will lay when it is stitched and hold it in place. When you actually put the needle through the hole to the backside, make sure that the needle goes through between the two strands of floss. By doing this, the two strands will lay completely parallel to each other and nice and flat. This may seem really time consuming at first but very quickly it will become automatic and you can basically just do the process with the tip of your needle rather than holding the floss down every time. The difference in the appearance of your work is very worth it. If you are in a hurry to finish a piece, you could just railroad the top leg of your stitch but your stitches will lay nicer if you do the whole stitch.

The Angel Quilt Project (formerly known as the Angel Afghan Project) is a cross stitch charity that was founded especially for premature babies and their families. They are dedicated to comforting the families of premature babies and other sick children by offering special cross stitched gifts. It is not surprising that people who cross stitch worldwide are donating their valuable time to this cause.

The Angel Quilt Project was founded by a man named James Farmer in November of 1999. He conceived of the idea for an online cross stitch group called The Cross Wits. James decided to post messages to various cross stitch bulletin boards on the Web to see what kind of interest he would have for the idea. Needless to say, he received a positive response and the group continues to grow. Members of the group work from charts that have been donated to the Angel Quilt Project from various designers.

The Angel Quilt Project officially launched in January, 2000 with six people. They now have hundreds of stitchers, finishers and designers involved and are still growing. The group sends pieces to well over fifty hospitals here in the states alone and is moving into other countries as well.

James Farmer personally contacts each hospital and explains what the Angel Quilt Project is and lets them know how they can be included. He leaves it up to the head of each unit to distribute the pieces that are sent to them to whatever family they feel appropriate at the time. Each piece includes a letter to the parents explaining what the Angel Quilt Project is doing with a list of all the volunteers doing stitching. Of the parent would like to contact the person that stitched the piece they received, they can contact James to arrange that if possible. James is also the person that is contacted to request info regarding the group.

As the former head of the Stitchery Department at a Michael’s Arts & Crafts Store in Mississippi, James made a number of contacts with cross stitch distributors around the country. Many of these distributors are now donating materials for use with this project.

Once a volunteer has contacted James, they subscribe to an email list that has been set up for anyone involved with the project such as stitchers, designers, donators and stitchery shop owners that are handing out information regarding the Angel Quilt Project. Once a stitcher finishes stitching a piece, they send it on to one of the Angel Quilt Project finishers for the completion of the process which includes attaching borders to the front, flannel or fleece to the back and adding batting on the inside.

One of the best things about the Angel Quilt Project is that there is no deadline. Each stitcher works at their own pace. Copies of the charts are sent to each stitcher by one of the regional directors or they can buy some on the website. Fabric and floss is also available if it is needed. When you finish the piece, you just send it on to the finisher. You can do one piece or a hundred.

Learning how to cross stitch is quite simple. First you need to choose the pattern that you want to stitch and make sure that you have all the colors of embroidery floss that you need to complete the project. Once you have all the materials necessary to being your first piece, you are ready to go. Always wash your hands before working on your cross stitch. It is much easier to keep the piece clean while you are working on it than to try to get stains out when you are finished. Everything can leave stains on your fabric including oils from your skin.

You need to get to know your pattern a little. Each color of embroidery floss that you use has a code that will correspond with a symbol on the pattern. There will be a legend on the pattern that shows the symbol in the pattern and the corresponding number code for the brand and color of floss used. There will be tow arrows on the pattern, one horizontal and one vertical. Where they come together is the center point of your pattern. This is a good starting point for your cross stitch.

Your fabric should be large enough to complete the pattern with extra space around it to finish it however you want such as framing or making it into a pillow. You should use some protective measure to keep the fabric from fraying and reducing the amount of fabric you have for finishing. There is a product called Fray Chek that can be used for this or you can simply sew a zigzag stitch around all four edges of your material. Another simpler way to handle this is to use masking tape and fold it over the length of each side of fabric. If you choose this method, you must keep in mind that the tape will leave a residue on the fabric and you might want to use a slightly larger piece of fabric.

Find the center of your fabric by folding it in half and then in half again the other direction. The point in the middle is your center. Mark this point by squeezing tight enough to leave an impression or place your needle through the center holes until you are ready to begin. Now you can match up the center point on your fabric with the center point of your pattern. It may be easiest to start stitching right at your center point or you may want to count over to the beginning of that color in that row. Always count very carefully with cross stitch and then re-count it. It is no fun ripping out stitches because your counting was one or two stitches off.

To begin stitching, you need to anchor your floss. There are various ways to make your stitches. What is most important is that you make the stitches the same throughout the whole piece. For neatness on the back of your piece and not wasting your floss, the most common way to make your stitches is as follows. Beginning on the far right of your row of one color, pull your needle up from the back into the top right corner of the square. Do not tie a knot in your thread as this will leave bumps on the front of the work when mounted and framed. Instead, leave a small trail of floss on the back that you hold in place. Then make sure that your next few stitches go over this trail and effectively bury it. Continue making only half the stitch in each square from the top right and going down into the bottom left of the square. Repeat this pattern across the row for as many stitches in that color as you need according to the pattern. When you come to the last stitch, you need to go back across the row and do the second leg of the stitch. To do this, you come up in the top left hole of the square and go back down in the bottom right hole of the square. As you will see, your thread will then form an X in the square. Continue this pattern back to the beginning of the row and move up or down a row to begin the next row of color based on your pattern. When your thread becomes short or you need to change colors, you again bury the thread by running it under existing stitches that are close by and cutting it off.

When the stitching is all finished, remove any masking tape if necessary and carefully wash it in slightly soapy COLD water made with a mild detergent like dish soap. Rinse well with cold water. This not only removes any dirt residue but seals in the color of the floss to prevent the dyes from running. After rinsing, place the piece on a towel and roll them together to get out excess water. Unroll and place another towel on top. Iron with medium heat until dry. Now, your piece is ready to be framed or finished however you like.