Jan Eaton - The Cross Stitch Motif Bible: Over 1000 Motifs with Easy to Follow Color Charts

Many cross stitchers choose white, cream, or ecru fabric as the background for their stitching, and pale, neutral shades show off the thread colors well, but dont forget that there is a wide variety of other color choices that you can explore. Bright, hot colors can make a simple design look very up-to-the-minute, and dark colors show off an intricately stitched pattern to great effect. You can also be adventurous when turning your pieces of cross stitch into finished items. Traditional framed samplers are undoubtedly beautiful, as are cross-stitch decorated pillowcases, but perhaps you would prefer to use your embroidery in a whole new way. You could try: stitching a selection of brightly colored fruit motifs (see 63) on coarse evenweave linen and mounting it in a sleek modern frame to display in a dining area; repeating rows of tiny motifs, such as the smaller butterflies on pages 7375, on lengths of Aida or linen band and sewing them onto table and bed linen; or mounting your stitching in a box lid or on the front of a simple fabric bag. Even tiny pieces of cross stitch can look lovely made into a pincushion, scissors keeper, or perfumed lavender bag.

Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy choosing and stitching the designs in the book and that you are ultimately delighted with the finished results.

READING A CHART

A cross stitch design is worked from a chart onto evenweave fabric by counting the blocks or threads in the fabric to position the stitches accurately. Each cross stitch is represented in this book by a colored cross occupying one block of fabric. Unfilled fabric blocks on a motif, letter, or border show the number of unworked blocks that separate groups of stitches.

As a general rule, start stitching at the center of a cross stitch design, working outward from the center of the chart by working one complete cross stitch for every colored cross shown on the chart.

FORMING THE STITCHES Each cross can be formed exactly as shown above left, or the top and bottom diagonal stitches can be worked to slant in the opposite direction as shown above right. Whichever way you prefer to stitch, remember to be consistent, making sure the top diagonals of each cross slant in the same direction.