Five Popular Counted Cross Stitch Techniques

Counted cross stitch is easy, as well as enjoyable to do. Once you've done a few counted cross stitch projects, you'll discover why it's become the most popular form of embroidery in our country today. Although counted cross stitching is simple, it's the special advanced techniques you learn that make your cross stitch projects stand out among the rest.

There are about five counted cross stitch techniques that stitchers habitually use in their stitching to enhance their projects.

Backstitching---Although some stitchers hate to backstitch, it's my favorite stitch. It's really not hard once you get used to it. Used for outling, the backstitch makes an object "pop", giving it more focus. To practice, draw a line on a scrap piece of fabric, labeling consecutive segments on your line, "D", "C", "A", and "B". After securing your thread on the back of your fabric, bring your needle up through the fabric at "A". Then, taking the needle to the back (to the right of "A", bring it down at "B". Next, bring your needle out at "C", making sure the distance between "C" to "A" and "A" to "B" is the same. This completes your first stitch. Then reinsert your needle at A (into the hole you previously made.) Then bring your needle out and D, keeping the spaces equal. However, when you're backstitching around tiny rounded spots, make smaller stitches.

Railroading---Railroading is a popular technique stitchers often use to make their stitching look neater. Simply put, railroading is separating your threads as your stitch so they lay nice and flat on your fabric---just as like tin soldiers as some stitchers describe it. To railroad you'll need to work with two strands of floss (or another even number) to make your division between your strands even. Just bring your needle up through your fabric as you usually do. However, before you reinsert your needle (creating the leg of your stitch), insert the needle between your two strands of thread.

Variegated threads---Just as an artist mixes colors of paint, a stitcher can blend her stands of floss. Using variegated threads just means you mix different colors of strands to create a new color. I've seen many commercial cross stitch patterns that use variegated threads for a rich blend of tones. Or, if you make your own patterns with cross stitch software you can also experiment with combing your floss strands.

Reversible cross stitching---This is technique where stitchers make their back side of stitching almost identical to their front side. To be honest, I haven't mastered this myself. Here's a link where you can study it. http://members.aol.com/hblossomxs/reverx2.html

Fractional stitching---Fractional stitching is simply working stitches other than the traditional full cross stitch (which forms an "X".) In other words, a half stitch is half of an "X". It can either be a "/" (forward cross-stitch) or a "\" backward cross stitch. For example, when creating my own cross stitch designs, I usually use the "forward half stitch " (/") when filling in my sky as a background. Other uses for half stitches, used for background objects, are landscaped objects such as distant green trees, etc.

When you use these different cross stitch techniques you spice up your work, adding character to it. These are just a few of my favorites, as there are many more techniques to master, making your projects exceptional, rather than just average.