Page 18 - MidWeek - August 3, 2022

18 MIDWEEK AUGUST 3, 2022
Stitching You Can Definitely Count On
Once upon a time, I
O
much so that I had a small store that sold needlework supplies and country gifts. Our store was called Buck- wheat’s and was named after my first cat. Sweet memories.
2 The center of the chart correlates to the center of the cloth. On this chart it is marked with the
red star.
You can start your stitching from the center
point row by going to the first square on the left at the start of the row. Count how many squares it is away from the center and that is how many squares from the center of the cloth. You can start your stitching from this point.
You can also start from the top most left square of the chart. Count squares and find the correlating point on the cloth.
use designs meant for Perler Beads or other similar crafts. If you do cross stitch, send
was really into count-
number of squares or holes per inch. The most common counts are 14 ct., 18 ct., 22 ct. and 11 ct. for Aida cloth. For fabrics like linen, the most common are 28 ct. and 32 ct.
with the squares on the cloth. You will count squares on both to find where you want to start stitching. After the first row, you can add rows by just looking at the difference of each row rather than counting each square. You can do this relational stitching if you start with the correct number and stay the course.
you will separate the floss and use a certain number of strands to stitch. For exam- ple, 14 ct. usually uses two strands. Since the cloth has holes in the weave, tapestry needles, which are slightly blunt, are used.
ed cross stitch — so
me a photo of what you made to share here. Email joyof- crafting@gmail.com.
But do you know what is counted cross stitch? It’s a type of embroidery that is stitched on even weave cloth like Aida cloth and linen. The cloths are referenced by their
The designs are done on graph charts and by chang- ing the size of the cloth you use; you will get a different finished size of the design. Counted cross stitch does involves some counting, at least when you first start. The squares on the chart correlate
I wanted to share this handcraft because it has been making a big comeback these past few years. There are lots of designs available, a lot of free ones online. You can make your own designs, or
To stitch this candy corn, the design chart is available at benfranklinhawaii.com along with many other proj- ect sheets.
Embroidery floss consists of six thin strands slightly twisted together. Depending on the size of cloth you use,
Hope you’ll give it a try! One thing is for sure: You can “count” on a great week if you’re happy crafting!
1 The embroi- dery floss
has six strands
twisted together.
For the 14 ct.
cloth, you will use only two strands for the stitching.
Cut a manageable length of floss, pull out two strands and thread the tapestry needle. Don’t knot the end.
After preparing the Aida cloth, fold it into fourths to find the center point. Stick the needle in the center point as a placeholder. Place cloth onto the hoop.
3To stitch,
begin
from the first
square of the
row you will
start with;,
and bring the needle up from the bottom left hole of the cloth. Pull the floss through but leave a 1-inch tail on the back of the cloth.
Cross diagonally over to the top right hole of the square and go down. This is a half stitch.
4 To begin the second stitch, bring the needle up from
the hole directly
below the hole
you just went into. Go diagonally across to the top right hole of the sec- ond square. Bring the needle down.
Continue these diagonal stitches until the end of the row if the design calls for the same color. Make sure to catch the tail as you stitch to hold it in place.
5 When you get to the end of the row,
come up at the bottom right hole of the square.
Cross over diagonally and have the needle go down the top left hole of the square. This creates the “X”.
Bring the needle up at the hole directly below and repeat steps to finish crossing the “X”s in the row.
6 Start on the next row
below. Bring
the needle up
through the bot-
tom left of the next square that needs to be stitched in the row below.
Repeat steps 4-6 to complete the rows.
If you started stitching from the middle, count up squares on the chart and cloth to find the top row and com- plete the stitching all the way down to finish the design.
SUPPLIES AND TOOLS:
• 14 ct. Aida cloth white No. 30200414
• Tapestry needle – size 24 No. 77649665
• DMC embroidery floss – blanc (white) No. 77636563
• DMC embroidery floss – 740 tangerine (orange) No. 77637827
• DMC embroider floss – 444 lemon (yellow) No. 77637116
• DMC embroidery floss – 310 black No. 77636712
• Counted cross stitch pattern/ chart
• Embroidery hoop 6-inch - No. 77614115 or any comfortable size • Sharp scissors
• Calculator
NOTE: Figure out what size cloth you need first.
The Aida cloth has a thread count, meaning how many stiches per inch. The most common are 14 count, 18 ct., 22 ct., 11 ct. You can also use a smaller thread count cloth and stitch over 2 (meaning
using 4 squares) this would give
it the same size finished design as half the thread count. Example 28 ct. linen will be the same as 14 ct. if you stitched over two.
The design chart will tell you the finished size of the design by stitches in height and width, for example, 36 x 60. You can also count squares. Take the design count and divide it by the thread count of the cloth you want to get the approximate finished design in inches.
Add approximately 3 inches on each side of the design to get the minimal size Aida cloth. Keep in mind how you will use the finished piece so that you have more than enough fabric for the design. You also need to take into account the size of the hoop you are using. Example: The candy corn design
is 25-by-27. The finished design on the 14 ct. cloth is 1.79-by-1.93 inches. So the cloth should be at least 8-by-8 inches.
7 Change floss colors as needed and start the stitching the same way, catching the tail
behind.
If the design has shorter stitches, like a 1/4 stitch,
then just go down the middle of the square instead of the corner hole of the square. Sometimes, you will not complete the “X” and leave it as a half stitch.
8 Use a backstitch to outline the design or add details like the candy corn’s
mouth.
For backstitch, use 1-2 strands of floss. You can frame your finished piece or sew
it onto a little pouch or make it into a small pillow decoration.
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