Stitching Blog
How do you explain cross stitch to non-cross stitching people? Do they get it or do they say “Oh, right.. you do knitting then (or sewing, or needlepoint)"?
Many people confuse cross stitch with needlepoint and other needlework. I usually explain that it's somewhat similar to needlepoint but that it uses little x's and point out that if you look closely you can see that the pictures are made up of tiny x's of various colors. My friend's husband thinks this is the coolest thing. I made Mirabilia's The Kiss for my friend for her 30th birthday and he loves getting close up and focusing on all the little x's and really seeing what the thing is made of. Most people are interested in what I'm doing if they see me working on it during my lunch break at my desk. I also have Christmas Elegance hanging at work because it's one of my favorites and one of Tim's least favorites, so I figure I'd have it there where I can see it up close a lot. People like looking at the detail in it and it's framed in glass so I don't have to worry about people actually touching the stitching. I find it very complimentary that people are so fascinated by it.
So, I think the easiest way to explain it to people is to say they are pictures made of of lots of little x's in different colors. If they want more of an explanation I can always give one, but that's usually enough for them to get a basic idea. What really throws most people seems to be how we get the x's from a chart to the fabric. Many think we somehow transfer the chart to the fabric, kinda like stamped stitching, but they are amazed when I tell them we count and just use plain fabric -- hence the term "counted" cross stitch. That usually boggles their minds :-)
Many people confuse cross stitch with needlepoint and other needlework. I usually explain that it's somewhat similar to needlepoint but that it uses little x's and point out that if you look closely you can see that the pictures are made up of tiny x's of various colors. My friend's husband thinks this is the coolest thing. I made Mirabilia's The Kiss for my friend for her 30th birthday and he loves getting close up and focusing on all the little x's and really seeing what the thing is made of. Most people are interested in what I'm doing if they see me working on it during my lunch break at my desk. I also have Christmas Elegance hanging at work because it's one of my favorites and one of Tim's least favorites, so I figure I'd have it there where I can see it up close a lot. People like looking at the detail in it and it's framed in glass so I don't have to worry about people actually touching the stitching. I find it very complimentary that people are so fascinated by it.
So, I think the easiest way to explain it to people is to say they are pictures made of of lots of little x's in different colors. If they want more of an explanation I can always give one, but that's usually enough for them to get a basic idea. What really throws most people seems to be how we get the x's from a chart to the fabric. Many think we somehow transfer the chart to the fabric, kinda like stamped stitching, but they are amazed when I tell them we count and just use plain fabric -- hence the term "counted" cross stitch. That usually boggles their minds :-)
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