How to start embroidering with a cross? 5 tips for correct embroidery.

"What was the beginning of your embroidery cross?" is the question often asked when you meet the tailor. Although cross embroidery is not a difficult activity, a rare embroidery can boast of a successful start in this hobby. 

Most often, this is due to a lack of knowledge or the interception of bad experiences from other tailors. In order to make mistakes in embroidery for you uncompleted for years we share 5 basic tips that will help you avoid the most common mistakes in embroidery, and the finished work will be fine.

1.      Make sure the embroidery tools are compatible with each other

Before you start embroidering, check the density of the fabric, the needle number and the suggested thread content in the scheme to match each other. 

ï If you use through a small needle for the specified fabric, it will easily penetrate the fabric, but greater friction will fall on the embroidery thread. In this case, the thread may lose its original beauty, pluck.

ï If you use too large a needle for the specified tissue, it can stretch the holes in the tissue that can be seen even after all the work has been embroidered.

ï If you use too many threads for the specified fabric, the crosses will be compressed, ugly, and the thread will lose its original beauty. 

ï If you use too few threads, the embroidered work will look defective, dimmed, and the fabric will shine through embroidered threads.

If you have any questions about how to reconcile everything properly – read our article "How to properly choose tools for embroidery “.

2. Embroider without knots

Embroidery with a cross is unique in that it does not use knots for starting and finishing the thread. It is for this reason that the works are beautiful, and when framed the painting is smooth, without bumps.  

ï Starting, at the beginning of the thread can be used offers a loop, sew the tip of the offer or make micro-knots. 

ï At the end of the thread - it can be fastened by plugging behind already embroidered threads or by making micro-knitting.

3. Embroider uniform crosses

One of the most common mistakes is uneven embroidery of crosses. No matter how you embroider – in rows or colors – the most important thing is that all crosses must be the same and "lie" to one side. If you started embroidering the cross from the top of the right side to the bottom of the left side and finished from the top left to the bottom of the right, then in such a sequence you need to embroider all the crosses. Below we give an example of what uniform and uneven crosses look like.

4. Choose the direction of the half-crosses according to the goal

Common questions include "To which side to embroider a half-cross if not indicated in the diagram?" Follow the picture/cover of the scheme or think about the purpose of embroidering the half-cross. 

ï If the half-crosses shown in the picture soften the offer of color and transition from full crosses, then embroider in the direction where you embroider the top stitch of the cross. 

ï If the half-cross used in the scheme creates a contrast between the embroidered object and the background, then embroider the half-cross as you embroider the bottom stitch of the full cross.

5. Stitch edging only in places where the stitch changes direction

When embroidering edging (back stitch), two things are important: firstly, the edging must not be loose, and secondly, the straight line must not be "broken". Pay attention to where the stitch changes direction and avoid unnecessary stitches that can "break" the silhouette of the embroidered object. We share a few tricks that will make it easier for you to embroider edging (we will call the edging the symbol specified in the scheme, and the stitch – the object in the fabric).

ï If you have a wall of the house, the edging of which is a straight stitch through 10 threads of fabric - make a stitch of this length. For its reinforcement, use offers sheathing every 2-3 threads of fabric, i.e. the needle is pulled from the wrong side to the good in the place where the stitch thread passes, and returns back to the same pricking place. This does not see knots, and the stitch thread fits fully into the fabric.

ï If you have a edging that repeats 3 times, for example, "2 to the right, 3 to the top", finish the stitch at the end of this repetition and return to the beginning of the stitch with additional wrap of the stitch thread, at the beginning or end of each recurrence.

And to make it easier to assimilate the information provided, watch a video clip showing how to start and finish embroidery and how to embroider edging.