Whimsical Cross-Stitch: More Than 130 Designs from Trendy to Traditional

by Cari Buziak

Overview

A Book of the Month Club's Crafter's Choice!

Cross-stitch is a traditional hobby — but your designs don't have to be! These more than 130 patterns reflect a modern sensibility, with motifs ranging from trendy to vintage to kitschy, so there's something here for everyone. All are designed to fit into a 6-inch or smaller embroidery hoop, making them quick projects that can be finished in an evening or weekend. If you're feeling ambitious, the small designs can be assembled to form a larger piece.
Patterns are organized according to theme: animals; designs, including flowers and snowflakes; home and hearth, consisting of more than 40 patterns that range from a patchwork heart and an antique sewing machine to teapots, a watering can, and variations on "home sweet home"; nature; and charming patterns for special occasions. A brief introductory section offers advice on getting started, tools and supplies, and stitching.

"A treat! Cross-stitchers will love this book." — Christian Fiction and More

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486837833
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	02/13/2019
Series:	Dover Crafts: Embroidery & Needlepoint
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	180 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Cari Buziak mixes old techniques (handmade gesso, egg tempera, gold leaf) and new (several Mac computers) to re-create ancient manuscripts in painted and digital form for a wide variety of merchandising and fine art needs. Her illustrations have been published by Interweave Press, Penguin/Pearson Books, Llewellyn Publications, and Chronicle Books. She has also designed Irish dance dresses, jewelry, and other commissioned works.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Supplies

Cloth Types

"Aida cloth" is the easiest cloth to begin your cross-stitch adventures with, because the small X's in the fabric make it easy to see where your stitches will go. "Evenweave cloth" and "Luganda cloth" have a very even weave but without the square appearance, so they are nice for intermediate to advanced projects, as they have a more polished final look. Any of these fabrics can be found in an array of colors.

Note: All pattern sizes in this book are based on 14 count Aida cloth.

Needles

A tapestry needle is used for cross-stitching because it has a larger eye for easy threading as well as a blunt tip, which finds its way between the threads of your fabric easily. Regular sewing or embroidery needles with sharp points will catch and split the threads as you stitch, making your project frustrating and time-consuming.

Embroidery Floss and Backstitching

All charts in this book use the brand DMC for color floss and use two strands of thread. If you are stitching on a darker fabric, consider using three strands so the design stands out more.

Not all the charts in this book have backstitching; however those that do will have a colored bar added by the thread color that should be used for the backstitching. Backstitching is always done last, after the rest of the chart has been stitched. It is used to define color areas and edges and can be done in one or two strands of thread. For backstitched lettering, two strands or even three are recommended for readability. Backstitches look like a bunch of sewing stitches that are joined together so they make a continuous line.

Step 1: Come up through hole 1. Go down through hole 2.

Step 2: Come up through hole 3. Go down through hole 1.

Setting Up

What Is Thread Count?

Thread count refers to the number of stitches per inch for a project. Aida fabric, being made up of tiny squares (one square is a stitch) comes in some common thread counts: 11 count, 14 count, and 16 count. So comparing 16 count and 11 count, for example, in 16 count each stitch will be tinier than 11 count, because you're packing more stitches within that inch.

The projects in this book are 14 count (and therefore will give you the finished design sizes estimated for each project), but you can easily stitch them on 11 or 16 count fabric if you choose. 11 count will be easier to stitch (because the squares are bigger to see), but the finished project will be larger than estimated in the book. 16 count will be finer and give a more detailed look to your design, but the finished design will be smaller than what's estimated.

When selecting or cutting your fabric to begin stitching, make sure to add a few extra inches around it for framing and hooping, 4" at least. An extra 4" to the height and width listed for your chart design will give you 2" around your design on all sides. Remember you can always trim any extra off after, but you can't add any back on! So if you're not sure, err on the side of caution, especially if you haven't decided how you'll be displaying or framing your design when it's finished.

All charts have darker grid lines every 10 squares, to help you find your way in the pattern. The horizontal and vertical center lines have also been marked for you. A good rule of thumb is to photocopy a chart before you begin, and then you can color in the squares as you stitch and keep track of where you are as you go. When photocopying, use the opportunity to enlarge the chart so that the symbols are easily readable. It's not uncommon to use a magnifying bar or glass to read crossstitching charts; visit your local retail store for different options.

Finding the Center

To make sure that your image is positioned correctly on your cloth, you'll need to find both the center of the fabric and the center of your chart. Use the horizontal and vertical arrows to find where they intersect — this is the chart center.

Fold your fabric into quarters (top to bottom and then side to side). The folded corner is the center of your fabric. You may wish to stitch a small X there in bright thread or mark it with a pin. To begin stitching, count from the center of your chart to where you want to begin (e.g., "four squares up and ten to the left") and find the corresponding place by counting squares on your fabric.

Starting and Finishing Stitching

Cross-stitch does not use knots to fasten the ends of the threads. To fasten the ends of thread, leave about a one-inch tail of thread when you pull your needle through for your first stitch. Come up from the bottom, leaving your 1-inch tail behind, and then go back down through the front of the fabric in the appropriate hole (see page ix for making the stitches). When you come back up to start the other half of that first stitch, make sure that the loop in the back catches the tail, so that when pulled tight the tail is secured. After a few stitches like this, the tail should be snugly held in place and any excess tail can be trimmed neatly.

When your thread gets down to about 3 inches or so, you'll want to fasten it off and begin a new piece of thread. So at the end of your last stitch, turn the work over and use your needle to weave the remaining thread through the backs of six or seven stitches, until it looks secure. Trim the end.

Stitching

Single Stitch

To cross-stitch on either Aida or Evenweave cloth, you will need to create an X by going through the holes of the fabric in a particular order. The diagrams below show how this will look on both types of fabric. When stitching on Evenweave cloth, it's common to stitch over two strands of thread. Using your threaded needle, stitch your first stitch like this:

Step 1: Come up through hole 1. Go down through hole 2.

Step 2: Come back up through hole 3. Go down through hole 4.

Multiple Stitches

A series of multiple stitches in the same color can be completed quickly by using the system shown (making it as many stitches long as you need). Always make sure that your top stitch lies in the same direction!

Step 1: Come up through hole 1. Go down through hole 2.

Come back up through hole 3. Go down through hole 4.

Step 2: Come up through hole 5. Go down through hole 2.

Come back up through hole 3. Go down through hole 6.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Whimsical Cross-Stitch"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Cari Buziak.
Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Animals: Real & Fantasy
Dashing Designs
Home & Hearth
Nature in Bloom
Special Occasions