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How to Cross-Stitch on Aida Cloth

Cross-stitch is an embroidery technique that uses a pattern of small Xs to create a picture. While several types of fabric lend themselves to cross-stitch, Aida cloth is the most popular option, especially for beginners. Aida cloth is a woven fabric with a small space between each clump of thread, creating a material covered with evenly sized squares. Use these squares to place the Xs that make up a cross-stitch pattern. By bringing your embroidery needle up and down through the holes in the corners of the squares, you guarantee yourself effortlessly regular, accurate stitches.

Things You'll Need

Embroidery hoop
Embroidery floss
Embroidery needle
Pattern

Instructions

- 1
  Fold a piece of Aida cloth in half both ways to locate the center of the material. Crease the folds so you can see the center lines as you work.
- 2
  Spread and tighten the center of the fabric with an embroidery hoop. Thread an embroidery needle with two strands of embroidery floss in your desired color.
- 3
  Sew your pattern. Each X is composed of a / stitch and a \ stitch. If you have a row of stitches in the same color, go straight across the row making / stitches -- bring the needle up through the hole at the bottom left corner of a square, then bring it down through the top right corner of the same square. Bring it up through the bottom left corner of the next square, and so forth. The row should look like / / / / / /.
- 4
  Return across the same row making \ stitches to complete the Xs. Bring the needle up through the hole at the bottom right corner of a stitch, then bring it down through the top left corner of the same stitch. Bring it up through the bottom right corner of the next stitch, and so forth. The row should look like X X X X X X.
- 5
  Make individual X stitches when you do not have a whole row to do in a single color. Bring the needle up through the hole at the bottom left corner of a stitch, then bring it down through the top right corner of the same stitch, making a /. Bring the needle up through the bottom right corner of the stitch, then bring it down through the top left corner of the stitch, completing the X.
- 6
  Follow the pattern to create your cross-stitch picture. Count carefully to avoid making errors and having to undo your work.

Sewing