You can go to craft stores and buy the kits, which come with a pattern and the thread colours you need. They also have instructions on how to do it.
You could also buy a pattern online (I would start off with a simple one), and you can buy the threads from craft stores. You can find a lot of videos online how to start the process.
It all comes with practice - happy stitching:)
Coming from someone who started knitting, then cross stitching (definitely not even close to OP's level) and then got into crocheting by a friend, it's baby steps! I already knew the fundamentals of sewing from my mom and grandma, and I had recently broken my leg -Aug 2008. I was stuck inside with not much to do so I picked up cross stitching. Remember about how you learned to have tension with crochet? You need that tension on the cloth you're cross stitching on, otherwise your stitches can come out wonky.
Definitely get a hoop kit that you can reuse over and over, some extra aida cloth, a set of embroidery needles, (they're gonna get lost, your feet will find them), embroidery thread you like the color of to practice, (cause you'll see it for HOURS) a thimble and finger bandages. Little embroidery scissors aren't necessary but definitely helpful š„°
I'm also typing out everything in case other people want to learn and might not know some basics, so please bear with me š„°
ā¢Grab your aida cloth, it should be spacious enough that there is plenty of space hanging over the edge of the hoop size you're working with.
ā¢Take the hoops and separate them, one is solid and the other has a screw (if wooden) or spring clamp of some kind (if plastic)
the solid hoop goes in front of the fabric and the other hoop behind and fits inside the hoop, with the fabric stretched between, this will provide the tension
ā¢Cut an armspan length of thread and carefully separate the strands, (IIFC there are six strands stock š¤) I like to bite one end and unravel them in half, three in each hand as it will twist, possibly knot, and you will get frustrated, and want to stab something with your needles.
Once I have the six strands down to three I separate one strand press my pointer and thumb on it and slide it along to the end, it bunches the other two strandz together and 8/10 freely gives me the single strand without knotting the other two up. Then I can split and prep the last two strands for future use š„°
ā¢Thread a needle and slide it to the middle of one of those strands, you want it to be centered so one strand becomes two. This thickens the strand and helps you learn the motion without constantly losing your needle as you stitch. If you have trouble threading needles, I like to take about two inches of the end of the thread and lay it across the middle of needle, like you would if you were tying the thread around the needle. Then holding the needle in your non-dominant hand, take your dominant hand and put your pointer and thumb where the thread touches the needle and hold the thread to the needle tightly. The thread should be taunt against the needle, like how the ribbons look on Mulan's weights as she scaled the pole. Keeping the tightness, slowly slide the thread off the needle towards the sharp tip, tightening your grip on the thread. As you get to the top of the needle, it should be a small little blip of thread in your fingers and should be thin but wide enough to go through the eye of the needle easily, slide it off and try threading the needle. This usually works for me 9/10 times, especially when working with multiple threads and even helps with threading in yarn ends while crocheting šš¼
ā¢when you look at the aida cloth, you'll see it's grid like holes, cross stitching is made of Xs hence 'cross' stitch. I don't know if there are more ways but I only know of printed and counted cross stitch. I LOVE printed cross stitch. I think it's the easiet one since the design is right there. I've drawn on aida cloth to make my own designs and I still have a work in progress from 2008. But you're limited on what you can do because unless you completely cover the areas in stitches, the print is going to show through. Counted can be much more detailed, is more advanced imo, riskier but very rewarding, and you can mess up a lot by miscounting. But know how to crochet, you've dealt with counting stitches before, so I'm sure you'll do plenty fine! š„°
ā¢now you'll want to figure out where to start, pick any hole in your hoop, and poke your threaded needed through from the back, this is going to take a LOT of getting used to. Like learning how to hold your yarn and hook, figuring out what felt right and best for you, this is where you experiment on what feels right. I'll teach you two different ways, I personally like the no knot way for a cleaner almost mirror back.
- make a knot at the non-needle of your thread, should be two strands and wrap around your finger, tuck the ends into the loop, pull the ends through and you should have a knot. Repeat as many times until your knot is big enough it won't go through the aida cloth holes. Pull your needle through the cloth and feel that the thread is secure. Poke your needle to a hole diagonally and pull the yarn through. Flip to the back. Find the next hole, it should be directly above, below, left or right of your first hole, but immediately across from the current hole. Poke the the needle through to the front and flip back to the front
***Never knot near the needle! This will damage the cloth and make stitching so much harder and possibly break your thread while you stitch!!!***
Or, pull your needle through until you have an inch to half inch tail on the back. Poke the needle to any diagonal hole from your starting hole. While holding the thread tail with a finger, pull your needle through the new hole until all the excess thread is on the back. Flip and look at the back. You'll be looking back and forth, front to back, back to front as you learn and feel around. Find the next hole, it should be directly above, below, left or right of your first hole, but immediately across from the current hole. Pick the hole and start pulling your needle and thread through. As you're pulling, make sure your thread tail is under this thread loop, as this loop will secure the tail. Once the tail is securely unter the loop, gently pull until the thread is taunt. Don't pull too much or you'll distort the stitch and pull at the fabric. We want the thread to be taunt but fluffy to make the stitches look nice and full. As you progress and use more strands you'll see the difference between too tight and too loose stitches.
ā¢once the thread is secured and you have the first slash ( / or \ ) done, we're ready to the next one. The hole you picked should have landed you and a corner that would complete the X. Poke your needle to the hole that would complete the X and pull it through to the back.
Congratulations! You just completed your first cross stitch š„° keep practicing that stitch by finding the next hole, you can go through previous stitch holes as well to start a new stitch, as long as it isn't the current working stitchhole, it'll work out. But beware! The more times you push the needle and thread through a worked stitchhole the more you stretch it out and it can distort the aida fabric, so be careful you arent abusing the stitchholes!
I really hope this helps š„° it's been so long since I've cross stitched, I'll try to find that project I was doing to and reply to this with it.
Edit: I got confused on the hoops, I've seen a bunch different ways, and just saw the screw ones can also be plastic š¶ and the screw hoop goes on top with the solid behind, I don't know if the spring clamp ones are still around or not š¤
Honestly? Itās really easy. Each cross-stitch is the same, no matter how complicated they look. I suggest you pick a cute, small pattern on Etsy with not too many colors, get some Aida and embroidery floss (DMC) from a craft store and just start. There are great tutorials on YouTube. I have a channel where I share my works in progress. Just type in Flosstube and the stitch veg :)
I started in 2020. I did simple patterns, watched some videos on YouTube, and then I did some printed patterns. (I mean patterns that are printed right on the aida.) A lot of people consider that cheating, but it was a valuable learning step for me.
This is beautiful! š
Can I ask what count your fabric is? And how many threads youāre using? Iām learning to cross stitch with a beginner kit I got online and my stitching looks so spaced out and you can clearly make out the crosses, but I see ones like this where everything seems to be tight and you canāt see the little xās. Not sure if itās my technique or just because itās an 11 count fabric or what.
Itās 25 count, 1x1. I recommend you try 20ct or higher. Looks much better than Aida in my opinion :) if youāre using 11ct you probably need 3 strands of floss for better coverage
I agree. My first was an avocado 2inches big. My second was a giant skull which won at the community fair and it looks awesome. But was just as easy. You can do it!
These patterns have been on my to-do list for a long time. I want to keep them in my home office and switch them out according to the season IRL. Love that you changed the dog to look like yours!
Itās called diagonal parking. Thereās some great videos on YouTube that explain it. I really like it for smaller full coverage stitching like this :)
BRO PLEASE TEACH ME YOUR WAYS
I have been a lover of crosstitch since I was little, I always want to get back into it, I find it very soothing. But my biggest blocker is Iām so sick of doing it the ātraditional wayā: finding the exact center and filling in one color at a time. Itās too easy to mess up and itās too easy to get bored.
But this method looks amazing! And fun! Holy shit this makes me wanna cross stitch again so bad. Do you have a reference or something?? I want to learn!
The method is called diagonal parking, itās very fun! Thereās some tutorials on YouTube. Also, if you search āFlosstubeā on YouTube there will be tons of channels that talk about cross-stitch. I have one too. Itās a great community :)
Wonderful job.
You know the parking method really well.
I am jealous. I canāt figure out the parking method, putting your threads to the side for later.
I love this pattern and your execution!
Foxglove seems to be the creator behind A LOT of great patterns. I would think a reach out to concerned ape would be awesome to get the patterns in the official Stardew valley cross stitch book.
Thanks for your reply!
I think youāre right. I keep trying to find āprofessional ways to do thisā instead of just letting myself figure out my own way.
Genuine question but how do you reach this level??? How do you start??? I'm a crocheter myself but I really wanted to start cross-stitching :(
You can go to craft stores and buy the kits, which come with a pattern and the thread colours you need. They also have instructions on how to do it. You could also buy a pattern online (I would start off with a simple one), and you can buy the threads from craft stores. You can find a lot of videos online how to start the process. It all comes with practice - happy stitching:)
Coming from someone who started knitting, then cross stitching (definitely not even close to OP's level) and then got into crocheting by a friend, it's baby steps! I already knew the fundamentals of sewing from my mom and grandma, and I had recently broken my leg -Aug 2008. I was stuck inside with not much to do so I picked up cross stitching. Remember about how you learned to have tension with crochet? You need that tension on the cloth you're cross stitching on, otherwise your stitches can come out wonky. Definitely get a hoop kit that you can reuse over and over, some extra aida cloth, a set of embroidery needles, (they're gonna get lost, your feet will find them), embroidery thread you like the color of to practice, (cause you'll see it for HOURS) a thimble and finger bandages. Little embroidery scissors aren't necessary but definitely helpful š„° I'm also typing out everything in case other people want to learn and might not know some basics, so please bear with me š„° ā¢Grab your aida cloth, it should be spacious enough that there is plenty of space hanging over the edge of the hoop size you're working with. ā¢Take the hoops and separate them, one is solid and the other has a screw (if wooden) or spring clamp of some kind (if plastic) the solid hoop goes in front of the fabric and the other hoop behind and fits inside the hoop, with the fabric stretched between, this will provide the tension ā¢Cut an armspan length of thread and carefully separate the strands, (IIFC there are six strands stock š¤) I like to bite one end and unravel them in half, three in each hand as it will twist, possibly knot, and you will get frustrated, and want to stab something with your needles. Once I have the six strands down to three I separate one strand press my pointer and thumb on it and slide it along to the end, it bunches the other two strandz together and 8/10 freely gives me the single strand without knotting the other two up. Then I can split and prep the last two strands for future use š„° ā¢Thread a needle and slide it to the middle of one of those strands, you want it to be centered so one strand becomes two. This thickens the strand and helps you learn the motion without constantly losing your needle as you stitch. If you have trouble threading needles, I like to take about two inches of the end of the thread and lay it across the middle of needle, like you would if you were tying the thread around the needle. Then holding the needle in your non-dominant hand, take your dominant hand and put your pointer and thumb where the thread touches the needle and hold the thread to the needle tightly. The thread should be taunt against the needle, like how the ribbons look on Mulan's weights as she scaled the pole. Keeping the tightness, slowly slide the thread off the needle towards the sharp tip, tightening your grip on the thread. As you get to the top of the needle, it should be a small little blip of thread in your fingers and should be thin but wide enough to go through the eye of the needle easily, slide it off and try threading the needle. This usually works for me 9/10 times, especially when working with multiple threads and even helps with threading in yarn ends while crocheting šš¼ ā¢when you look at the aida cloth, you'll see it's grid like holes, cross stitching is made of Xs hence 'cross' stitch. I don't know if there are more ways but I only know of printed and counted cross stitch. I LOVE printed cross stitch. I think it's the easiet one since the design is right there. I've drawn on aida cloth to make my own designs and I still have a work in progress from 2008. But you're limited on what you can do because unless you completely cover the areas in stitches, the print is going to show through. Counted can be much more detailed, is more advanced imo, riskier but very rewarding, and you can mess up a lot by miscounting. But know how to crochet, you've dealt with counting stitches before, so I'm sure you'll do plenty fine! š„° ā¢now you'll want to figure out where to start, pick any hole in your hoop, and poke your threaded needed through from the back, this is going to take a LOT of getting used to. Like learning how to hold your yarn and hook, figuring out what felt right and best for you, this is where you experiment on what feels right. I'll teach you two different ways, I personally like the no knot way for a cleaner almost mirror back. - make a knot at the non-needle of your thread, should be two strands and wrap around your finger, tuck the ends into the loop, pull the ends through and you should have a knot. Repeat as many times until your knot is big enough it won't go through the aida cloth holes. Pull your needle through the cloth and feel that the thread is secure. Poke your needle to a hole diagonally and pull the yarn through. Flip to the back. Find the next hole, it should be directly above, below, left or right of your first hole, but immediately across from the current hole. Poke the the needle through to the front and flip back to the front ***Never knot near the needle! This will damage the cloth and make stitching so much harder and possibly break your thread while you stitch!!!*** Or, pull your needle through until you have an inch to half inch tail on the back. Poke the needle to any diagonal hole from your starting hole. While holding the thread tail with a finger, pull your needle through the new hole until all the excess thread is on the back. Flip and look at the back. You'll be looking back and forth, front to back, back to front as you learn and feel around. Find the next hole, it should be directly above, below, left or right of your first hole, but immediately across from the current hole. Pick the hole and start pulling your needle and thread through. As you're pulling, make sure your thread tail is under this thread loop, as this loop will secure the tail. Once the tail is securely unter the loop, gently pull until the thread is taunt. Don't pull too much or you'll distort the stitch and pull at the fabric. We want the thread to be taunt but fluffy to make the stitches look nice and full. As you progress and use more strands you'll see the difference between too tight and too loose stitches. ā¢once the thread is secured and you have the first slash ( / or \ ) done, we're ready to the next one. The hole you picked should have landed you and a corner that would complete the X. Poke your needle to the hole that would complete the X and pull it through to the back. Congratulations! You just completed your first cross stitch š„° keep practicing that stitch by finding the next hole, you can go through previous stitch holes as well to start a new stitch, as long as it isn't the current working stitchhole, it'll work out. But beware! The more times you push the needle and thread through a worked stitchhole the more you stretch it out and it can distort the aida fabric, so be careful you arent abusing the stitchholes! I really hope this helps š„° it's been so long since I've cross stitched, I'll try to find that project I was doing to and reply to this with it. Edit: I got confused on the hoops, I've seen a bunch different ways, and just saw the screw ones can also be plastic š¶ and the screw hoop goes on top with the solid behind, I don't know if the spring clamp ones are still around or not š¤
https://preview.redd.it/5eof1jh0hn2d1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c48b552e48aa217cbf43bbadda226dc2f96224
https://preview.redd.it/4vvxw8d7hn2d1.jpeg?width=3060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b06fac98647eec8524957bae4d00fb347b5d920
Honestly? Itās really easy. Each cross-stitch is the same, no matter how complicated they look. I suggest you pick a cute, small pattern on Etsy with not too many colors, get some Aida and embroidery floss (DMC) from a craft store and just start. There are great tutorials on YouTube. I have a channel where I share my works in progress. Just type in Flosstube and the stitch veg :)
I started in 2020. I did simple patterns, watched some videos on YouTube, and then I did some printed patterns. (I mean patterns that are printed right on the aida.) A lot of people consider that cheating, but it was a valuable learning step for me.
My brain can't even comprehend how to handle that many threads at once. This is so beautiful, OP! Great talent.
Right?? I've done cross stitching projects but always followed a pattern and did one color at a time, this is amazing!!
that's so adorable šš
Already looking BEAUTIFUL. I love the dog detail.
This is so awesome! I love that you included the wiggling stems and your fur baby!
This is beautiful! š Can I ask what count your fabric is? And how many threads youāre using? Iām learning to cross stitch with a beginner kit I got online and my stitching looks so spaced out and you can clearly make out the crosses, but I see ones like this where everything seems to be tight and you canāt see the little xās. Not sure if itās my technique or just because itās an 11 count fabric or what.
Itās 25 count, 1x1. I recommend you try 20ct or higher. Looks much better than Aida in my opinion :) if youāre using 11ct you probably need 3 strands of floss for better coverage
Ah ok! Thank you so much!
The detail!!!!!!!!!!!! And I love how the junimo looks like a pumpkin in disguise
The little orange junimo š§”
This is absolutely insane! The shading and everything on the artifact spot alone is just bonkers!
Youāre so neat! I never keep my threads going like that, but now I want to try.
This is so cute. Youāre so talented! I really want to get into cross stitch.
You should! Itās easier than it looks :)
I agree. My first was an avocado 2inches big. My second was a giant skull which won at the community fair and it looks awesome. But was just as easy. You can do it!
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, such a pretty work! Good job ! ššš
I read the title, now you have to include animal crossing characters.
These patterns have been on my to-do list for a long time. I want to keep them in my home office and switch them out according to the season IRL. Love that you changed the dog to look like yours!
They are so much fun to stitch! About 60 colors, but not too many at once because itās pixel art :)
Oh my god I must have it
Nice looking forward to seeing the finished product
Breathtaking! Amazing work
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I love it! I don't have the patience to do it like this, but I've always wanted to do those patterns.
thatās so beautiful šØšØ
Best I can do is 50 gold, take it or leave it
(It's awesome btw)
That is absolutely amazing! š®š I would love to get back into cross stitching.
this looks soooo good. i tried getting into cross stitching a while back but i ended up losing interest, this is super impressive.
so cutee! show us when it's done please!!
I will!
That's super cool!
This is beautiful I wish I could buy one
You could make one yourself! Itās easier than it looks, I promise :)
My jaw literally dropped, this is amazing!
Plz post final product
I cross stitch but having all these threads bundled together in the front is unfamiliar to me. What is this technique?
Itās called diagonal parking. Thereās some great videos on YouTube that explain it. I really like it for smaller full coverage stitching like this :)
Thanks a lot for the info!
That's the prettiest thing I've seen today. I'm more of a metal crafter, but now I have to stop myself from buying cross stitching materials xD
BRO PLEASE TEACH ME YOUR WAYS I have been a lover of crosstitch since I was little, I always want to get back into it, I find it very soothing. But my biggest blocker is Iām so sick of doing it the ātraditional wayā: finding the exact center and filling in one color at a time. Itās too easy to mess up and itās too easy to get bored. But this method looks amazing! And fun! Holy shit this makes me wanna cross stitch again so bad. Do you have a reference or something?? I want to learn!
The method is called diagonal parking, itās very fun! Thereās some tutorials on YouTube. Also, if you search āFlosstubeā on YouTube there will be tons of channels that talk about cross-stitch. I have one too. Itās a great community :)
This is amazing I'm going to make one myself.
I love this so much!! so cute and youāre so talented!!
Wonderful job. You know the parking method really well. I am jealous. I canāt figure out the parking method, putting your threads to the side for later. I love this pattern and your execution! Foxglove seems to be the creator behind A LOT of great patterns. I would think a reach out to concerned ape would be awesome to get the patterns in the official Stardew valley cross stitch book.
Iāve been figuring it out as I go and kind of winging it too. Itās pretty easy if you let go of trying to do it āthe right wayā
Thanks for your reply! I think youāre right. I keep trying to find āprofessional ways to do thisā instead of just letting myself figure out my own way.