Cross-stitch guides
Straightforward help with the parts of counted cross-stitch people most often ask about, from your first project onwards.
How to cross-stitch: a beginner’s guide for left and right hands
Learn to cross-stitch step by step, with illustrated diagrams you can switch between left and right-handed: preparing fabric, your first stitch, rows and backstitch.
2 October 2026 · 8 min read
What you need to start cross-stitching
A beginner’s checklist for counted cross-stitch: the fabric, thread, needle and hoop you need for a first project, plus the extras that can wait.
2 October 2026 · 3 min read
How to read a cross-stitch chart
A plain-English guide to cross-stitch charts: what each square means, how to use the key, find the centre, count the grid and keep your place.
2 October 2026 · 4 min read
14, 16 or 18 count Aida: which should you choose?
What Aida fabric count means, how it changes the size of your finished cross-stitch, and which needle and number of strands to use on each count.
2 October 2026 · 4 min read
How to work out the finished size of a cross-stitch
The simple sum for working out how big a cross-stitch pattern will be on any fabric count, with a worked example and how much fabric to buy.
2 October 2026 · 3 min read
How to start and finish cross-stitch threads without knots
Three neat ways to start a cross-stitch thread without a knot (the loop start, the waste knot and tucking in the tail) and how to finish off securely.
2 October 2026 · 4 min read