Counted Cross Stitch is a form of embroidery
that is very simple, versatile, and popular. It is stitched
on an even-weave, counted thread fabric - Aida cloth (cotton)
or even-weave linen. Both of these fabrics are almost always
available in crafts stores. They also sell ready-to-stitch
items such as towels and bibs, that have Aida cloth inserts
for cross-stitching. If you want to sew a counted cross-stitch
design on a different kind of fabric, then baste a piece of
waste canvas on the fabric before stitching. Use the waste
canvas as a guide for placing the stitches, and when you're
done, pull out the waste canvas threads, leaving the embroidery.
There are thousands of commercial cross-stitch patterns as
well as many magazines that publish new patterns periodically.
This is an easy way of painting a picture with thread.
The basic idea of a counted cross-stitch design is that of
a figure rendered on a grid, with each grid square a separate
color, representing a single Cross Stitch. |
