Probably the most memorable thing I learned in school was cross stitch. I remember having to choose a hobby class and I was torn between badminton and cross stitch. My good friend Jesse pulled me into the cross-stitching class. I hadn’t realized until I tried it that cross stitch was so interesting.
You may not know what cross stitch is, so let me tell you: cross stitch is an embroidery method that uses a special type of embroidery thread and is made up of X-shaped stitches sewn into fabric that has an even and open weave. Cross stitching uses “the warp and weft cross method.”
In Friday’s hobby class, I started my first cross-stitch lesson using the cross-stitch kit I had bought. I saw the teacher take out two brand-new cross-stitch patterns, along with a box of sewing supplies. The pattern showed an alien with a big head and a small body. He was wearing a green hat and blue clothes, and he carried a light-green bag. We decided to start embroidering with the alien’s hat, so, with our teacher we chose a shade of green thread. We each picked up a silver needle and carefully threaded the thread through the hole at one end of the needle. Then we took out our embroidery cloth, counted four squares from the middle to the sides, and lightly drew marks on the cloth with a pencil.
After these preparations, we started to embroider. First, you pick up the needle with your right hand and start at the top right of the first grid on the right, working from the back to the front, and gently pressing the end of the thread with your left hand. Next, you pull the thread from the top right of the grid down to the bottom left of the grid to make a diagonal “/”. Then, you press the end of the line with your thread and pull it from the top left of the grid from back to front. Finally, you go down the lattice face to the bottom right so that an “X” shape is formed on the front of the cloth. Looking at this simple pattern, my heart burst with joy. I had actually embroidered a cross stitch! I picked up my needle and embroidered more “X” shapes in the same way. In this manner, the front side of the cloth was decorated with countless “X” shapes to form a beautiful pattern.
Cross stitching is complicated. But, if you have patience, you will find it easy and very rewarding. A “Winnie the Pooh” cross stitch that I embroidered is still on display in my house!
You may not know what cross stitch is, so let me tell you: cross stitch is an embroidery method that uses a special type of embroidery thread and is made up of X-shaped stitches sewn into fabric that has an even and open weave. Cross stitching uses “the warp and weft cross method.”
In Friday’s hobby class, I started my first cross-stitch lesson using the cross-stitch kit I had bought. I saw the teacher take out two brand-new cross-stitch patterns, along with a box of sewing supplies. The pattern showed an alien with a big head and a small body. He was wearing a green hat and blue clothes, and he carried a light-green bag. We decided to start embroidering with the alien’s hat, so, with our teacher we chose a shade of green thread. We each picked up a silver needle and carefully threaded the thread through the hole at one end of the needle. Then we took out our embroidery cloth, counted four squares from the middle to the sides, and lightly drew marks on the cloth with a pencil.
After these preparations, we started to embroider. First, you pick up the needle with your right hand and start at the top right of the first grid on the right, working from the back to the front, and gently pressing the end of the thread with your left hand. Next, you pull the thread from the top right of the grid down to the bottom left of the grid to make a diagonal “/”. Then, you press the end of the line with your thread and pull it from the top left of the grid from back to front. Finally, you go down the lattice face to the bottom right so that an “X” shape is formed on the front of the cloth. Looking at this simple pattern, my heart burst with joy. I had actually embroidered a cross stitch! I picked up my needle and embroidered more “X” shapes in the same way. In this manner, the front side of the cloth was decorated with countless “X” shapes to form a beautiful pattern.
Cross stitching is complicated. But, if you have patience, you will find it easy and very rewarding. A “Winnie the Pooh” cross stitch that I embroidered is still on display in my house!
