Author Archives: Dana Batho

Satin stitch is a lovely embroidery stitch, but many people find it intimidating. We’re so used to seeing “perfect” satin stitch as done with machine embroidery on badges, labels, baseball hats, etc, so it’s easy to forget the beauty that … Read More

One of the prettiest embroidery stitches is the chain stitch. There are a lot of variations to it (like a square chain, twisted chain, cable chain, etc), but in essence the chain stitch is a very simple graphic stitch. Obviously … Read More

Embroidering letters and text are a great way to make a personalized gift, and the stem stitch and split stitch are two embroidery stitches that are perfect for this. The stem stitch (as its name indicates) is perfect for flower … Read More

I was lucky enough to be contacted by the publisher of the newest cross stitch guide to hit the market, The Mr X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch, and asked to give my honest feedback. I was thrilled to be … Read More

If you’ve ever wondered how to stitch beautiful embroidered roses, they’re not as tricky as you might think! One really simple stitch that can add a lot of beauty and dimension to your embroidery is called the woven wheel stitch. … Read More

If you’ve ever wanted to start learning embroidery but weren’t sure where to start, this tutorial hopefully will help! This embroidery tutorial includes the straight stitch, backstitch, and running stitch. These stitches are perfect to learn for embroidery beginners, and … Read More

Transferring embroidery patterns to fabric doesn’t have to be difficult at all, but there are a variety of methods to choose from. The texture and thickness (and colour) of your fabric will often dictate which transfer method you use, as … Read More

This is a guest post by the very talented UK cross stitch designer, Lord Libidan. I hope you enjoy his tutorial on needle sizes!    The cross stitch needle guide is a pretty well-known table by now, with clear instructions … Read More

The word “biscornu” is derived from a French adjective meaning odd or bizarre. They are lovely projects, and can be used as pincushions, or smaller ones as scissor fobs or even needle minders if you put a small magnet inside. … Read More

If you’ve ever been to a needlework or craft shop, it can be overwhelming (in a good way) to see all the cross stitch fabrics that are available these days. Cross stitch fabrics come in a wide variety of types, … Read More

Sometimes you look at a pattern that has a lot of backstitch and you’re like “ohhh noooo, what did I sign myself up for?” Particularly if the backstitch doesn’t follow the exact colours or outlines of shapes, it can seem … Read More

Sometimes it can be confusing when shopping for cross stitch needles, to know which brands to get and which sizes or types. Tapestry needles are the most commonly used in cross stitch, but there are other specialty needles available as … Read More

If you’ve ever struggled to thread needles and wondered if there’s a better way, the good news is there are many options. Whether you use a needle threader, or whether you do it by hand, you don’t have to lose … Read More

If you’ve been in any online forum or group for long enough, at some point the dreaded “c” word will come up — copyright. It’s an issue that affects both designers and stitchers, as well as the stitching industry at … Read More

If you’ve ever been wooed by the various color variations threads like DMC’s new Coloris line on your shopping sprees, you’re not alone. These gorgeous variegated threads can be subtle or striking, and add a lot of beautiful tonality and … Read More