How to Cross Stitch Letters and Alphabet

Steps

1. 1. Gather Your Materials

   You need three things to get started: aida cloth (14-count works well for beginners - that means 14 squares per inch), DMC embroidery floss wound on small bobbins, and a printed alphabet pattern. The pattern shows you exactly where each X goes for every letter.

   Tip: Wind your floss onto bobbins before you start so it doesn't tangle. Bobbins keep each color organized and make it easy to pull the right amount.

   

2. 2. Cut and Separate Your Thread

   Cut your floss to about 20 inches. Too long and it will knot constantly; too short and you'll be rethreading every few minutes.

   Tip: Pull the strands apart slowly from top to bottom. Rushing causes the whole length to twist and curl, which leads to knots mid-stitch.

   

3. 3. Thread the Needle

   Your kit includes a tapestry needle - it has a blunt tip and a large eye designed for cross stitch. Fold the two strands together and push the folded end through the eye first.

   Tip: Tapestry needles have blunt tips - they slip between the weave of the cloth rather than piercing it.

   

4. 4. Plan Your Letter Placement

   Before you make a single stitch, figure out where your letters will land. Each uppercase letter in this pattern takes up about 14 squares tall and 8-12 squares wide.

   Tip: Count from the center of the cloth outward. It's easier to center your name or initials this way than to count from an edge and hope it works out.

   

5. 5. Anchor the Thread Without a Knot

   Come up through the back at your starting square and pull the thread through, leaving a 2-inch tail on the back side. Hold that tail flat with your finger.

   Tip: Always start in a full square, not between squares.

   

6. 6. Make Your First X Stitch

   A cross stitch X is made in two moves. Push the needle up through the bottom-left hole, then down through the top-right hole - that's your first diagonal.

   Tip: Consistent stitch direction is what makes cross stitch look polished.

   

7. 7. Build the Column of Stitches

   Most letters are made by stacking X stitches in a column or grid pattern. For a straight vertical stroke in a letter like D or I, you'll make X stitches one on top of the other - 14 stitches tall for a full uppercase letter.

   Tip: Keep your tension even as you pull the thread through. Too loose and the stitches look sloppy; too tight and the cloth puckers.

   

8. 8. Finish Off the Thread Without a Knot

   When you run out of thread or finish a letter, flip the cloth to the back. Slide the needle under several of the horizontal thread segments that cross the back of your stitches - weave through 4 or 5 of them.

   Tip: Always weave through at least 4 back stitches before trimming. Fewer than that and the thread can pull out with normal handling.

   

9. 9. Finish the Bookmark

   Once all the letters are stitched, sew a piece of backing fabric to the reverse so the back stitches are hidden and the piece lies flat. Cori machine-sews a scrap of fabric onto the back, but hand sewing works too.

   Tip: Be careful with the iron temperature on the ribbon - some ribbons melt quickly. Use a low setting and test on a small piece first if you're not sure of the material.