In this episode I share part one of a little glossary of cross stitch terms and share my new pattern of the week.
It was very windy when I was recording this (the joys of the autumn/winter in Lincolnshire) but luckily, I don’t think you can hear it in the recording.
And, my 4-year-old was in the room with me during this episode as he was off school. But he was so quiet bless him and almost managed to stay quiet throughout the whole recording (minus one bout of the giggles). I let him have a little go at recording himself after I had finished.
The stitch along started this week and we are stitching the very middle which is the “Deck The Halls” part. Lots of people have started and has already finished the first part! If you want to join in there is still time, just come and join my Facebook group here or sign up to my newsletter which you can do by scrolling to the bottom of this page or using the pop up box (and you get the stitch along patter for free!)
Cross Stitch Glossary Part 1
Aida
The most commonly used fabric for cross stitch, weaved evenly with holes in to make your “X”.
Aida band
A strip of aida which has a pretty border on; used for bookmarks/towel edging etc.
Fabric Count
This refers to the amount of holes per inch (HPI) there is on the fabric. For example, on 14 count aida there are 14 holes per inch.
Evenweave/linen
Another common fabric used in cross stitch, but much softer and more flexible.
Waste canvas
A type of fabric you can use to stitch onto clothes etc. which dissolves in water.
Tapestry needle
A blunt needle made specifically for cross stitch that comes in different sizes. For example, a size 24 can be used for 14 count aida or 28 count linen.
Beading Needle
A needle used to stitch seed beads onto your design.
Embroidery hoop
These are used to help keep your fabric taught and you can use them to frame your finished work too. They come in sizes from 2-12 inches and can be round or oval. They also come in a few materials; wooden, rubber (which are called flexi) and plastic (which are usually coloured). DMC have also recently released some cute animal shaped ones.
Q-snaps
These seem very popular in America, but I don’t see them being used much in the UK. They are plastic tubes that link together to hold your work while you are stitching.
If you would like to read a bit more about the top 6 things needed for cross stitch, pop over to this blog post here.
Cross stitch pattern of the week
The pattern of the week this week is a lovely Autumn sampler from Cross Stitch Obsession that you can buy here. It has a fox, leaves, rain, an umbrella, birds, a wreath and some words; “Hello Autumn” and “I love Autumn”. And of course, it has the best Autumn colours; yellows, oranges, browns and reds.
If you have any feedback about this episode, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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Music by:
Carefree Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
