All House of Needelier patterns are worked in full cross stitches only – no fractional stitches and no backstitch – so they're relaxing to stitch and easy to follow. Here are the stitches you'll meet in cross stitch in general.
Full cross stitch
A full cross is two diagonal stitches over one square of Aida. You can work them one at a time or in rows:
- Danish (row) method: stitch a row of half stitches “/” from left to right, then come back right to left crossing each one with “\”. Fast and economical with floss – great for big areas of one color.
- English (one-at-a-time) method: finish each cross before moving to the next. Best for scattered stitches and for confetti areas.
The golden rule: all top stitches lean the same way. It's what makes finished cross stitch look smooth and professional.
Half stitch
Only the first leg of the cross (“/”). It's used for shading or soft backgrounds in some patterns.
Backstitch
A straight line of single stitches along the holes, used for outlines and lettering in many patterns. Come up one hole ahead, go down one hole back, and repeat. It's usually done last, on top of the crosses, with one strand.
Tension and neatness
- Pull each stitch just enough to lie flat on the fabric – not tight enough to pull the holes.
- Let the needle hang every so often to untwist the floss.
- Work in good light; a daylight lamp helps with dark colors on dark fabric.
Next: using our 4-language PDFs.