Expert: Angela - 7/8/2010

Question
heys, i wanna do a cross-stitch of a forest but i don't know how to. i am a complete beginner and don't know anything about cross-stitching. i tried websites and they said stuff about Aida cloth and counts or something and i have no idea what they were. can you please help me?

Answer
Hello, Peanne

Aida cloth is an evenweave fabric that you stitch on.  It comes in a variety of colors, and about 6 different counts.  The smaller the number (ie. 8 count), the larger the stitches will be.  The higher the number (ie. 14, 16, 18, and 20) the smaller the stitches will be.

The "count" means how many stitches to the inch.  For instance, if you stitch your pattern onto 14 count Aida, you'll have 14 stitches to the inch.

Here's an example of what Aida cloth looks like and the different counts that it comes in:

http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/fabric/aida_fabric.pl

Here are a couple of websites that will teach you how to cross stitch:

http://yarntree.com/007begin.htm

http://www.craftdesigns4you.com/learntostitch.htm

Normally, when stitching onto 14 count Aida, I use 2 strands of floss.  You can use 3 strands to provide more coverage over the fabric, however, I wouldn't recommend using more than that, otherwise your stitches will become too bulky which will make it hard to get the needle through the holes.

I hope that helps.  Good luck, and happy stitching! :)

Sincerely,

Angela :)