Blackwork is one of the oldest embroidery stitches in the world, and also one of the most beautiful. In this video tutorial, you’ll learn a few basic blackwork patterns and see how easy it can be! There’s even a free … Read More
Making a functional object out of a cross stitch project isn’t hard, you just need to know some simple finishing techniques. It always surprises me when I see cross stitch or embroidery patterns that don’t include finishing instructions (particularly when … Read More
Fractional stitches are something that can be quite intimidating if you’ve never done them before, but they don’t have to be. Fractional stitches (quarter, half, and three-quarter stitches) are used to create more detail in a specific area of a … Read More
Learning how to cross stitch linen or evenweave doesn’t need to be intimidating, and this tutorial will teach you how to start your threads with a pin stitch that’s perfect for linen. Recently I started learning how to cross stitch … Read More
Metallic thread can really add a lot of pizzazz and sparkle to a project (and if you’re a magpie like me you love anything sparkly and blingy). The pattern I’m working on in the video below is the first time … Read More
This video tutorial will explain how to do a double running stitch. This stitch is quite handy to know! One is that it is used quite often in blackwork. As I’ve discussed in a few previous posts, I’ve taken … Read More
In this video, I demonstrate how to do backstitch, which is such a handy stitch to know. This stitch is pretty common in many cross stitch patterns and can be used in many ways and different types of embroidery. … Read More
As a follow up to my last video about bobbin winding, this video goes through a few tips that might make starting a new stitching project easier. Of course this information is more geared towards those who are beginner stitchers, … Read More
I love it when my readers and viewers write to me and ask me questions. Maybe there’s something that they needed a little extra explanation on, or they’ve come across a situation that I didn’t address in a video. In … Read More
A few months ago I wrote a couple of blog articles about the techniques of parking and cross-country stitching. These articles generated a bit of feedback in some of the cross stitch groups I belong to online, so I thought … Read More
I’ve noticed recently that many people are talking about the amount of money that they’re spending on framing cross stitch pieces. I’ve always done my own framing – I learned how to do it in art school years ago – so … Read More
As a follow-up to this post and video, I’m going to be showing you how I use the MacStitch program. There’s also WinStitch which is the PC version, but I use a Mac so that’s the version I’ll be showing … Read More
This week I found out that more people than I realized were viewing and subscribing to my YouTube cross stitch instructional videos, which is great! As a result, I thought I’d make a video of how I started designing my … Read More
I was online this week participating in one of my cross stitch Facebook groups, and several people were asking how to anchor their thread. I mentioned that I use the loop method to start, and a pin stitch to finish. … Read More
Now I know most people are intelligent enough to be able to figure out how to follow cross stitch patterns on their own, but depending on the pattern it can sometimes look like a logo machine threw up all over … Read More