Cross stitch
Counted embroidery is a craft built like text: you work from a chart, square by square, and you can always check yourself by counting. We learn to read charts and lay even crosses, and finish with a sampler that goes on the wall.
What you will be able to do
8 modules, one project
01 The first crosses3 lessons · 1 h 44 minOpen
We sort out the fabric, the floss and the needle — and in the same module embroider a first motif from a chart printed in full in the lesson.
02 The chart is the language of embroidery2 lessons · 59 min
A chart is a grid where each square means one cross in its colour. We learn to count from the centre and to mark the fabric so you do not get lost in a large piece.
03 Even crosses3 lessons · 1 h 42 min
Why some embroidery looks smooth and other work looks speckled. The direction of the top stitch, the tension of the thread and two ways of stitching: in rows and one at a time.
04 Outline and detail2 lessons · 1 h 10 min
Backstitch over the crosses turns a patch of colour into a drawing. Thin lines, letters and small details that cross stitch cannot carry.
05 Colour2 lessons · 53 min
How to swap the chart's colours for the threads your shop actually has without ruining the motif. Blending threads in the needle, and half stitch for a light background.
06 Counting mistakes2 lessons · 51 min
Losing the count happens to everyone. We learn to find the point of divergence by checking against the chart and to unpick so that the fabric stays clean.
07 Project: the sampler3 lessons · 2 h 01 min
The piece that runs through the course: a sampler with a house, an ornament and a signature. The chart is split into sections, with a count check after each one.
08 Finishing2 lessons · 48 min
A finished piece is creased and still shows the gridding — that is normal. We wash it, press it from the back and mount it: a hoop frame for the wall or a card as a gift.
What you get
White or ivory, a 30 × 40 cm piece for the sampler and a couple of 15 × 15 cm pieces for the practice. The squares of Aida 14 are easy to see, so counting does not tire you. Roughly €4–6.
Cotton floss: DMC or the cheaper equivalents any craft shop carries. Exact numbers and substitutions are covered in the lessons. About €5–8.
A size 24 tapestry needle with a blunt tip — it pushes the fabric threads aside instead of piercing them — and a 15–18 cm hoop. €5–7 for both.
Small sharp scissors and a water-soluble marker or an ordinary pencil for gridding. The whole kit for the course is about €15–20.
The whole first module is open
Watch the lessons of the first module and the first task. If the format does not suit you, you have lost nothing.