Cross Stitch

Written By Worlds Between Bindery .

DISCLAIMER: This post covers only my experience with cross stitching on aida. Other fabric options are evenweave and linen; however, I have not tried either one. Perhaps in the future when I have expanded my horizons, I will make a Part 2!

🧵 Personal History

Cross stitch may have been one of my first hobbies, coming into my life before I was even 10 years old. My aunt who used to live in the Camotes Islands would visit Cebu often, and during one visit she brought a cross stitch kit with her. She then taught me how to follow the pattern, pick out the correct floss color that corresponds to the symbol on the pattern, and how to lay out my stitches so the arms go in the same direction.

Back in the 90s, we had no Etsy or Internet to source patterns. But there was a craft store at the mall that sold kits that included the aida, pattern, and floss. I don’t remember the name of the store, but I remember that it had a framed finished achromatic piece of Leonardo DiCaprio on the window. Titanic had just come out, so he was the hottest thing at the time.

My first few finished pieces were a vase of sunflowers, Tweety, and a bookmark-sized something that my aunt laminated for me. It was all very high-effort for a child. Patterns then had a certain vibe, like old timey jigsaw puzzles. Almost pastoral. These days, you can find patterns of all kinds online—from grandma-approved florals to modern (often NSFW) designs.

🧵 Materials

Unlike knitting that can pull you into the rabbit hole of expensive yarns, cross stitch does not have premium floss that break the bank. The most popular brand, DMC, sells their 6-strand floss for as low as $0.79 at Michaels. All this to say: cross stitch is a relatively inexpensive hobby.

Essentials

  • aida fabric - The go-to gridded fabric, especially for beginners. Picture graph paper, but make it textile. You don’t have to strictly use aida, but it sure makes cross stitching easier. Each little square is a home for one perfect “X.” It comes in different “counts,” which just means how many squares fit into an inch—the lower the count, the bigger the holes (and the easier the stitching). Loops & Threads sells stretched 14-ct aida on a 6”x6” wood frame, which is perfect for small patterns. For larger patterns, I prefer to use higher-count aida in order to fit more of the image in a smaller space.

  • embroidery floss - I always thought this was synonymous with thread, but according to Practical Embroidery, there is a difference. However, no one is going to throw you in jail if you call it thread. My favorite brand is DMC; they have a wide range of solid colors, and it is the standard floss system used in patterns. Lord Libidan has a popular, handy spreadsheet that inventories DMC floss colors.

  • needles - Get the tapestry needles with the blunt tips that glide through the aida’s holes without splitting the fabric or the floss. They also usually come with larger eyes, so they are easier to thread.

  • scissors or snips - Like I said in my knitting post, I prefer snips, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand that’s small and sharp.

Optional, but nice to have:

  • embroidery hoop or frame - For majority of my cross stitching, I rawdogged the aida (aka “stitching in hand”). It was only in the past year that I started using wooden hoops, and it was after I tried embroidery. Using a hoop keeps your fabric taut and your stitches even. The only downside is a hoop does slow you down, since you can’t make multiple stitches with one push of the needle.

  • needle minder - I don’t have one, but there are so many cute options on Etsy. You can either pin one to your aida or secure with a magnet, and when you need to pause your work, you can park your needle on the minder.

  • thread organizer or bobbins - I am so in love with my double-sided bobbin organizer. This fit all the DMC floss colors that I wound around plastic bobbins, so all my colors are in one place and organized by number.

  • fabric pen or highlighter for pattern marking - If you’re not scared, you can grid your fabric with a water soluble fabric pen. This helps you stay on the right spot according to the pattern. Sirious Stitches expounds on this topic.

🧵 Patterns

Unfortunately, there isn’t a Ravelry-type site for cross stitch patterns. Your options are to either scour the Internet for free or paid patterns, or draft your own. The following are the methods I’ve employed to obtain patterns:

Worlds Between Bindery .
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