FAQs Baby!
What is cross stitching?
We see cross stitch as embroideries easier younger brother! Cross stitch (or x-stitch) is a form of embroidery that involves stitching tiny little ‘x’ shapes into fabric that has pre-made holes! Each ‘x’ comes together to make a picture, kind of like pixel art!
Your Aida fabric is kind of like a grid, and each ‘x’ has it’s spot on the grid according to your pattern. Starting from the middle (where the red lines are) you will count spaces on your grid and stitch an ‘x’ where the coloured squares are on your pattern.
The trick with cross stitch is to always count twice and stitch once! Double checking your counting means you won’t need to backtrack later. Cross stitching is super simple and once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself lost in the stitching your handmade art work!
Our kits come with everything you need to create a masterpiece in your home!
- Easy Pattern & Instructions
- 8” Embroidery Hoop
- 14ct Aida Fabric
- Full Packs of Thread
- 2x Embroidery Needles
- Ribbon
All of our kits are 100% beginner friendly! But some require a little more mental energy than others to get started.
Easy Beginner Kits
- Peachy Keen
- Bloom
- Lover
Intermediate/Beginner Kits
- Hands Hold
- Goddess Gang
Intermediate Kits
- Moth
Each kit varies in time, depending on how many individual crosses you will be stitching and the number of colours to change.
In general it will take between 5hrs - 10hrs for a piece. Remember, it's all about enjoying the journey! Once it’s finished you’ll be rearing to keep stitching.
If you’ve made a mess on your fabric (we all need a snack while hard at work) you can easily give your design a wash after you’ve finished!
When you’ve finished your design, take your fabric out of the hoop and give it a soak in some lukewarm water with a dash of clothes washing liquid in it. If your stain is a little stubborn, give it a light scrub with fingers. You can be more aggressive with the fabric, however it’s important to be super careful with your stitches as you don’t want to pull them out!
After, give your artwork a gentle squeeze to get rid of any excess water. Then lie it on a towel to air dry. Once it’s all dry feel free to give your fabric a bit of an iron (on low heat) if it’s crinkled and pop it straight back into it’s hoop for hanging!
Hooray for finishing your design! You must be feeling pretty chuffed right about now.
Your last step before hanging your piece is to ‘back your hoop’. This just means that you’re going to give your fabric a trip, and ‘stitch’ all the excess fabric behind your hoop so that it doesn’t show from the front when you hang it up!
It sounds kind of complicated but I promise it’s super easy. Check out our ‘How To’ guide on the menu bar to follow our step by step instructions on how to back your hoop!