How To Start Creating Your Own Cross Stitch Designs (Part I)
30096
Home & Family > Hobbies
Jun 20, 2007
Geordiejohnny
How To Start Creating Your Own Cross Stitch Designs (Part I)
Have you ever searched for ages and not found that particular pattern you've been dreaming about doing? Instead of getting frustrated and giving up, why not try creating your own cross stitch designs? There are a number of ways you can create your own patterns so that you can get the perfect design any time. Where to Find Ideas Ideas for your cross-stitch project can come from anywhere. You may have a favorite photo or a concept in your head. You may just be looking for something that includes a certain design element from your decor. Sometimes those ideas are pretty detailed and there is no way a store-bought pattern will duplicate the effect you want. Yet, where your idea comes from will help determine the method you use to create your own cross-stitch pattern. Pencil and Paper Method Do you have a drawing that you think would be perfect for a design? Are you a little artistic? Then it may be easiest to use the old-fashioned pencil and paper method for designing your own cross stitch pattern. You will need some basic supplies to use this method. You will need graph paper or blank cross stitch paper, which is harder to find. If you use graph paper, make sure it has at least eight squares per inch. If you prefer, you can design your own graph paper through the Microsoft Excel software program or find printable graph paper on the Internet. Besides graph paper you will also need a good pencil and excellent eraser. Your eraser should be able to erase without smearing the pencil lines. You may also want to use colored pencils to shade your chart so you can see the different colors you will need. Also, a floss color chart is helpful to match the right color to the right places on your chart. These are available on the websites of the leading thread manufacturers. When you have your supplies, then you can start drawing your design on the graph paper. Be conscious of the size of your drawing. If you stitch a picture drawn on 16 count fabric that was drawn on an eight squares per inch graph paper, you will find that the final design is only half the size of your drawing. After you have your drawing on the graph paper, then you need to square off the edges. You need to go along the curved elements of your drawing to create those three-quarter and quarter fractional stitches along the curves so that it is easier for you to stitch. You will also need to create your backstitch lines so that they are on the sides of the squares for easy stitching. This process can be time consuming and will require you to erase a lot, which is why you need a good eraser. After you square off your picture you will then need to shade it. This helps the design to have a three-dimensional look. A little art know-how is good here. In shading, you first determine a light source. For instance, if you are drawing a flower the light source may be coming from the top left of your picture. This creates shadows as you move down toward the bottom right. Things that are closer to the top left will be lighter, and they will create shadows on the other items. Also, items in the background will be darker. When you have the shading done, you can then take your colored pencils and color in your design. If you do not want to use colored pencils, then you can use symbols to demonstrate the different colors you will use in your project. However, when you first begin creating your own cross-stitch designs with the pencil and paper method, colored pencils may be easier to use. Good luck with your cross stitch creations and we hope you enjoy many happy hours polishing your design skills.
John Wigham has been a professional author and editor for 20 years and is a co-founder of Patterns Patch an online cross stitch club dedicated to counted cross stitch. The website has a small team of writers who are devoted to our cross stitch club and enjoy writing about their hobby.
send email to Geordiejohnny
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
Looking through some stitching catalogues recently, I came across a wealth of fantasy dragon designs. There was a great deal of choice of creatures and designs, and they all looked attractive and impressive...
Category:
The idea of basket weaving as a form of therapy, traditionally used for patients with mental illness is often laughed at. But in a way, there is wisdom in the use of crafts for having a calming effect...
Category:
For more than a year British ships had blockaded Boston and British troops had occupied the hungry city. British armies were coming down the Hudson and a British war fleet with troopships was nearing New York harbor. Who could stop the invader...
Category:
If you haven't tried cross stitching on plastic canvas, you should. With plastic canvas, you can create unique cross stitch projects that you can't create with fabric. For instance, because the plastic is firm, you can even create stunning three-dimension
Category:
Have you ever searched for ages and not found that particular pattern you've been dreaming about doing? Instead of getting frustrated and giving up, why not try creating your own cross stitch designs?
Category:
I can read. I can count. I can thread a needle... so why did everything suddenly go wrong with a counted cross stitch project I started last year? I began enthusiastically enough. I had planned to stitch...
Category:
Going away on holiday can be a great opportunity to indulge yourself in your favourite pastime... cross stitching, of course! But which cross stitch projects should you consider taking?
Category:
Other links at Home & Family > Hobbies
If you have ever wondered how to make belly dancing costumes, look no further than right here. Tribal belly dancing is the art of emphasizing a woman's curves, torso along with providing a soothing sensual sound
Category:
Contemporary models of old-time ships are nowadays very scarce and precious things; most of them have found permanent homes in the great museums of the world, others in the collections of wealthy connoisseurs.
Category:
The substance to scrapbooking is the pictures and items that you have collected from a moment in time that you want to capture forever.
Category:
Gift baskets are always popular and a great idea to give as a gift whether for Mother's Day or any other time of the year. Moms love to receive gift baskets.
Category:
A work of art can be a photograph, illustration, painting, cartoons, sketches, graphic design or digital art. With the advancement of technology, more and more artists are able to sell art through online art galleries.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68228
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
