The difference between counted and stamped cross stitch

  • Home
    • Tag
  • cross stitch

The difference between counted and stamped cross stitch

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , Needlework , Selling Online , Thrifting

When you are out searching for kits to resale at yard sales or thrift stores there are two types that might just say “cross stitch”. They are stamped and counted. Counted is more common today. Both make x shaped stitches on the fabric. To make the stitches in both counted and stamped you have two opposing diagonal stitches to form an X. Step One of a single stitch: /. Step 2 of the same stitch: \. End result: X. Always make sure that your bottom / is always going the same direction. Then your top \ will go in the opposite direction. It doesn’t matter which way you start but just make sure that each stitch has all the bottom threads laying one way and the top threads lay the other way.

This is a huge hint in buying completed Cross Stitch whether it be stamped or counted. If all the top threads are laying in one direction not including half stitches and quarter stitches that you see in faces and hands then this is possibly a consideration to buy but if you see the top stitches going in every direction walk away and don’t buy.

Stamped cross stitch kits have the pattern printed onto the fabric. You stitch with embroidery thread the colors shown on a chart. Counted cross-stitch has the pattern printed on a separate sheet of paper. You will have a blank piece of fabric in front of you. This means that you have to count the squares yourself to see where each stitch goes. This the term counted. Many stitcher’s start stitching in the center of the pattern to make sure there’s equal room on both sides to frame the design. I like to have three inches on each side and tip and bottom and I always start at the top and never the center so that all my new stitches come up in an empty hole and go down in a hole with stitching in it. It makes for a more even stitch in my opinion.

Stamped cross stitch is easier and easier and in my opinion (my opinion only) not as easy to make look consistent with stitching. It is also more popular for beginners. You can start anywhere you want because you don’t have to count squares. Stamped cross stitch does not have as much detail as counted cross stitch. Squares have to be bigger for the x’s to be visible on the printed fabric so you don’t get as many half or 1/4 stitches or color variations usually. Counted cross stitch kits come in many higher count fabrics (more stitches per square inch) so you can work small details and use more colors. Counted cross stitch has become more popular due to many reasons. 1. Overall appearance with consistency of stitches 2. More patterns and kits are made in counted.

A finished counted cross stitch project can have enough detail to look like a painting and they can be framed to be a focal point in a home or office. Stamped cross stitch are usually seen tablecloth and tablecloth borders, pillow cases, and place mats.

Stamped cross stitch is usually done on a tight fabric such as broadcloth or muslin. Counted cross stitch can be done on a fabric called aida (little squares), linen or other specialty type fabrics with different names. Aida cloth comes in several different counts, or stitches per inch. For example, 11-count aida cloth will measure eleven stitches to each inch. Other common counts are 14 and 18 – the higher the number, the finer the weave.

Most people start of with stamped cross stitch and then move up to counted patterns as they get more experience. I started out on counted cross stitch when I was in college and never did stamped Cross Stitch because I never liked embroidery as a child and it reminded me too much of embroidery. If you are listing kits on eBay stamped Cross Stitch will go under hand embroidery kits and counted cross stitch will go under Cross stitch.

I will add photos tomorrow.

What is a Counted Cross Stitch sampler?

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , Entertainment , Etsy , Genealogy , Needlework , Selling Online

In my Facebook group “Cindy’s online selling tips” (CO$T) I get it asked quite often “what is a Cross Stitch sampler and how do you define one or recognize one?”

Many believe that the samplers were made in the home when in reality they were made in schools.
Samplers are often inscribed with the name of their maker the date and many times the age of the child. Many times you will also see the school in which they were embroidered.
Many believe that these embroideries were the only exposure to formal education received by young women in the early 1700s in America.
The format of the sampler was entirely up to the teacher. She developed a pattern for these creations and then supervised the stitchers.
As education for girls in America became more widespread samplers increased in popularity.
Teachers were inclined to pick recognizable motifs and regional patterns began to emerge.

Samplers are oblong pieces of linen embellished with patterns of embroidery stitches or crosses worked in silk threads.
Samplers were first brought from England and northern Europe where they had been a form of schoolgirl Art for centuries.

Many scholars believe that the first samplers were made by young women during the middle ages as a way of recording patterns for future reference.
Through the years the definition of a sampler changed from that of a learning exercise and embroidery technique signed and dated to the finished work intended for framing and display.
Many samplers made today are not signed or dated but they are still considered samplers.
English samplers from the 16th and 17th centuries were long and narrow and always worked on linen that was cut in a thin strip across the width of the woven fabric from selvage to selvage.
The earliest settlers brought this technique with them to the new land.
Most colonial samplers that you will find will have the alphabet, numbers, the stitchers name and date and like I said before sometimes the school.
I had the opportunity a number of years ago to view a sampler stitched by my husband’s great great great great grandmother. His aunt was the owner of it at the time and it now has been passed down to her granddaughter in Texas. Someday I would love to be able to look at it and copy it and make one of my own and maybe even publish the pattern.
If you look in my eBay store at Bubbacandance.com you will find a number of samplers in our store category.
Many times samplers will have a poem or a saying along with motifs and not necessarily the alphabet or numbers but they are usually Long and narrow or just long and rectangular.

I will post a few photos below to show you ideas of different samplers.
You can see the family tree which was done and in many ways it still considered a sampler because it has names and dates.

IMG_2387IMG_2386IMG_2385IMG_2384IMG_2383

 

 

 

 

 

Counted cross stitch has the design either on a piece of paper and you count to the fabric or you do it freehand like these young girls did in schools where their teacher taught them how to design. She may have written it on a form of board or designed herself one on linen and then they copied it.

I will continue this series about needlework in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy

Needlework Supplies on eBay & Pinterest

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , Earning Online , eBay , Etsy , Needlework , Pinterest , Selling Online , Shipping Internationally , Shipping Packages

Today I sell on eBay mostly because I can get worldwide sales.  I also have a few things on etsy but the traffic is just not there. 

You can find me on eBay at www.bubbacandance.com

I can also be found on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/stitcheryxpress/

We carry a full line of counted cross stitch items from current to long out of print patterns and kits.  We also carry linens, aidas and other specialty fabric items.  We have a warehouse full of four closed needlework stores.  We carry hand dyed threads, Needles from John James and very unique stitching accessories including unique scissors.   

We are also the the automatic mailings from designers such as Mirabilia, Lizzie Kate, Needle’s Notions, Ink Circles, Barbara Ana. etc.   

Join us at Stitchery X-Press on eBay 

Cleaning & Washing Needlework and removing Stains from Fabrics

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , Needlework

Cleaning Needlework including washing Cross Stitch 

The method you use to clean needlework depends on the type of dirt or stain to be removed, and on the fabrics and threads used.

Before you clean any type of needlework, be sure that it really does need cleaning. If you were careful when you stitched, it might be fine as it is.

CAUTION: Needlepoint should NOT be washed in soap and water. Much of this page is for cross stitch, not needlepoint. If you have a needlepoint that needs to be cleaned, commercial dry cleaning may be your best choice. Needlepoint canvas has a water soluble sizing that gives it body; washing in soap and water will remove the sizing. A needlework store in your area can probably recommend a good dry cleaner to take your piece to. I would suggest asking the dry cleaner to clean the piece, but not press it. The needlepoint will come back wrinkled, but this will come out when the piece is finished. Again, be sure you really need to have it cleaned.

Cross stitch can usually be hand washed in soap and water.  I highly recommend Dawn dish washing soap and it has to be Dawn, not an off brand.  Others recommend Orvus, a Procter and gamble product.  I find the dawn works well for me so I have not needed Orvus. 

Before you use water to clean your cross stitch, make sure that 100% of the materials you used are water safe. The fabric and cotton floss are probably fine, although bright red floss can sometimes bleed (see below). Be sure to check things like embellishments, unusual threads, and so on.

Color bleeding when washing. Color ‘bleeding’ or ‘running’ is when the dye moves off of where it should be, and attaches itself onto another area. It is usually red dye bleeding onto light colored fabric. Fortunately, it does not happen often, but you have to watch for it. The cause is usually excess dye that was not completely washed out of the threads in the dying process. This is why it is recommended that you prewash red threads before you stitch, but in practice very few people do this. What you do want to do is watch carefully for any signs of bleeding when you are hand washing. If you see any signs of bleeding, stop washing, and start rinsing under running cold water right away. Rinse for several minutes and then let it soak in cold water while you decide how to proceed. Do not let the stain dry.

Before you do anything, make sure that what you see is really color bleeding. Often it is not bleeding, it is just the thread on the back of the fabric. When the fabric is wet, it becomes more transparent and any loose threads on the back can make it look like the colors have run.

The longer a stain remains, the harder it is to remove; so if you do have colors bleeding, it is better to decide how you want to proceed soon. Still, take a few minutes to think about what you want to do. You have two choices. First, is there any way to cover the area that the the red dye bled into? This sounds funny, but give it some thought. Maybe it was a red flower that ran; maybe all you need to do is stitch some more leaves and cover it up. Maybe add a charm or embellishment. If you can do it, covering up the stain is the best choice. If this isn’t an option, you need to try washing the red out. Usually this requires some pretty aggressive scrubbing and you need to balance removing the stain with damaging the fabric.

How to wash cross stitch

 Use only cold water for the wash and rinse. Tap water is fine unless you have very hard water, then you will want to use distilled water. Make sure the sink and any containers you will use are clean.

 Pre-rinse the piece under cold, running water.

 Place in a soapy cold water and gently wash. I only use DAWN Dishwashing Soap. Nothing else. Do not scrub.  Avoid soaps that have additives such as fragrances, softeners, etc. Use only a small amount of detergent.

 If needed, rinse and wash a second time. DO NOT WRING the water out; this is not necessary and can pull the stitches.

 Rinse three times in cold water.

 As you work, check carefully for any sign of color bleeding, ‘hoop marks’ or other stains.

 Remove the piece from the final rinse. Let the water drain out of the fabric, but DO NOT WRING.

 Place the cross stitch on a dry bath towel, and roll up the towel (with the cross stitch still on the towel).

 Unroll the towel and repeat on a dry section of the towel (or another towel). Gently pressing on the rolled up towel will remove all the water you need to remove. Repeat as necessary.

 Unroll the towel. Lay the cross stitch face up on a dry section of the towel. If necessary, let the piece air dry until it is just damp but not dripping wet.

 Once again, check for any stains or marks. Once you iron the piece, it will be even more difficult to remove any stains.

 Place the cross stitch FACE DOWN on a DRY BATH TOWEL. Use an iron set to a low or medium temperature and lightly press the BACK of the cross stitch. If you have beads, special threads, etc. you want to be extra careful with this step. Keep the iron constantly moving. If you have not used that iron in a while, practice on a scrap piece of cross stitch fabric. Make sure the steam setting is ‘off’, and the iron is not ‘spitting’ steam.  For the temperature setting, keep in mind the types of materials you used in the cross stitch; if there is any question, use a lower temperature.

 The cross stitch will still be slightly damp. Lay it face up on the towel and allow to air dry.

Stain Removal

Below is a reprint of an article from the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute. It has some very good information on removing tough stains from needlework and textiles. This information is for spot removal of stains, not general cleaning.

Stains disfigure clothes and home furnishings, and it is desirable to remove them, especially if the stains stiffen or corrode the fabric beneath them. However, the removal of stains can be hazardous to the fabric – and to the person attempting to get the stain off. To be successful, care and caution must be exercised.

Old Stains
There is often the effect of time upon a stain: the older the stain, the harder it is to remove. Drycleaners who are trained in stain removal prefer to work on fresh stains which have not had time to “set” or react with the fabric, dyes, finish, or atmosphere. Generally, a stain less than two months old can be treated; a stain one-day-old is easier than one that is two-weeks-old, etc.

Perhaps the most distressing example of ageing is the soda or cola beverage stain which does not appear to stain but left untreated turns brown because the sugar syrup caramelizes (oxidizes) with time or heat.

Type of Stain
There are two fundamental types of stains: those that are water-based and those that are oil-based. Coffee or tea exemplify water-based stains. Paint, lipstick, adhesive stains are classified as solvent-based stains, so are latex type paints or Elmer’s glue, which contain water initially, and harden to a different, non-aqueous compound. Water-based stains, including most food stains, are acidic and will require an acid mixture to remove them. Oil type stains will need non-aqueous or “dry” chemicals (hence the term “dry-cleaning”) in most instances. Many stains, like sebum (“ring around the collar”), and smoke damage, are complex mixtures of oily-type components with water-based salts, acids or bases and particulate matter (carbon, dirt). Inks, especially ball-point and felt-tip pens, contain complex mixtures, along with pigments (colored particles) and dyes (water soluble, fiber absorbed colorants). Perspiration may be acidic or basic depending on the person. The residue is complicated by the composition of the deodorant or perfume used. Pet stains are also variable and complex. Vomit mixes bile from the digestive process with the foodstuffs themselves. Cat urine is not comparable to human urea, as it contains a sulfur molecule. Each is broken down and removed by enzymatic actions specific to the molecular structures. Other types of stains that require special chemical reagents are: dried aged blood, and food colorings like Kool-Aid�.


To remove rust spots left by needles try a little hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip, stronger solutions up to 100 volume can be bought at Beauty Supply outlets but be very careful and wear rubber gloves it is a very strong bleach,. Test an inconspicuous corner first. 

Condition of the Fabric

Water swells natural fibers but not polyester or acrylic, so a water-based stain will go deeper into a natural fiber unless a special hydrophobic (water repellent) finish has been recently applied. Polyester or acrylic, in contrast, will repel water-based stains but absorb oily ones unless a special finish has been fixed on those fibers. Consequently, the success of a stain removal method depends upon the fiber type and finish.

Some dyes and finishes are set on the fibers in the same manner the stain is: with salts, with acids, with warm temperatures, and with time. The chemical compounds that give color to food can be very similar – even identical – to those colors found in shirts, blouses, or oriental carpets. Older fabrics loose their resistance to tearing, to stretching, and to rubbing. Removing a fresh stain from an old textile may require too much stress on the fabric and leave a rip where there was only discoloration before. Thus, many drycleaners and conservators are reluctant to risk this additional damage to an old textile.

Stain Removal Supplies
100% cotton swabs, absorbent paper or cloth toweling, a clean non-porous working surface (a formica or glass table top), deionized water (for steaming iron), bright lighting, peace and quiet, patience.

Stain removal requires an appropriate work area and appropriate supplies. Generally, it is better to set aside a problem for a quiet morning than to attempt to correct it in the midst of a party or dinner, beyond soaking up excess liquid or dabbing up excess solids (in the case of ketchup, mustard, vomit, mud).

Any treatment should be applied by tamping (up and down) with a small cube of sponge or cotton ball or by rolling with a cotton swab across the stained area. The stain should never be rubbed because this can abrade or rip the fabric. Stain removal is sequential and repetitive, because removal involves taking off a percentage of a stain with each application. It is important to confirm the stain or discoloration by limiting the amount of reagent liquid to a small area, flushing that small area clean onto a disposable, absorbent toweling, and then reapplying the reaction liquid. To remove 100% of the stain, even with an effective reaction liquid, five to seven reapplications of the same sequence may be needed because of the chemical reactions to the stain in the fiber can be complex and time dependent. As long as a portion of the stain is being removed, the reaction sequence should be repeated. If you haven’t the knack for such work, lack the space, time or quiet, you can ask a dry-cleaner to treat the stain without his washing or dry-cleaning the entire textile afterwards.

Stain removal can involve solvency (dissolving the stain), detergency (putting the stain into suspension), saponification (using the stain to make a water soluble soap), bleaching reaction (oxidizing or reducing the stain to decolorize it), breaking the molecule apart with specific enzymes.

Water-based Stains (Coffee, Tea, Fruit Juice, Fruit)
If the condition of the fabric – fiber, weave, dyes, finish – is good, then these water-based stains can be removed, if the stain is fresh. These liquids contain tannin and other acids. A small amount of diluted shampoo (no conditioner, no perfume) or dishwashing liquid can be alternated with applications of white vinegar, a mild acid. Here you are using “like to dissolve like” and detergency to carry away an acidic foodstuff. Be sure to rinse well with the deionized water, to blot and to dry the area.

Cola, Wine, Beer, Liquors
…contain alcohol, sugars, tannins, in water. Glycerine (a water soluble glycol) can lubricate (solvent action) the stain, especially red wines like Burgundies. Glycerine should be rinsed out with water and the tannin/acid portion of the stain removed with application of white vinegar and dilute shampoo (see water-based stains above).

Egg, Ice Cream, Milk, Vomit
… contain proteins and complex chemical compounds. Allow the stain to dry and then brush the solids gently off as much as possible. This will reduce the amount to be treated. Generally, enzymatic action is used to break down this type of stain. Some success may be found by using a dilute shampoo followed by dilute ammonia (an alkali). Silk and wool themselves are protein fibers and can be damaged by protein enzymes or alkali.

Salad Dressing, Gravy, Grease
The oily part can be dissolved by dry-cleaning solvent (perchloroethylene; 1,1,1 trichloroethane).  After these solvents have evaporated, the residue can be removed with mild shampoo (detergent action), followed if necessary by dilute shampoo with dilute ammonia. Alternatively, the oil can be reacted with a poultice of washing soda (sodium carbonate) and warm water. This poultice saponifies the oil into a soluble soap which can be rinsed off. If the oily stain has oxidized (turned yellow), this method will not work.

Inks
… are best treated first with solvents and then with water-based reagents. Effective solvents may be acetone, ethanol, or dry-cleaning spotting agents. When these have each been used separately and sequentially, (i.e. each evaporated off before the next is employed), then water-based treatment can follow, using a mild shampoo and white vinegar lubricated with a little glycerine. Because of the amount of work time involved and the number of reagents, it may be wise to consult a dry-cleaner.

Paint, Plastic Resins
… require dry-cleaning solvents preceded by reagents soluble in these solvents. because of the special ventilation and safety requirements, it is preferable to consult a drycleaner.

Cat Urine
Do not use ammonia. Porous absorbent surfaces like fabrics can be treated with enzymes available at the veterinary; dyes or finishes of the fabrics may be affected by either the urine or by its removal agents.

CAUTION
Acetone and amyl acetate (nail polish remover) are effective in removing lipstick, nail polish, by dissolving the lubricant carrying the pigmented color. However, these will dissolve cellulose triacetate fabrics (including the linings of ties) into a plastic pulp.

Ammonia or Alkali will react with acidic foods to make a permanent salt (i.e. a permanent stain).

Chlorine Bleach (“Clorox�”) will dissolve silk or wool – these fabrics will disappear. Cotton or linen will be bleached initially; with time, the fabrics will yellow slightly, weaken. More damaging than hydrogen peroxide.

Hot Water will set stain, but has been used to “push out” a stain by swelling the fiber by pouring boiling water from a height onto fruit stained cotton fabric (not a recommended method).

Club soda contains salt and carbonic acid (Seltzer water); the salt may set the stain (see below).

Hydrogen Peroxide is an oxidizing bleach with a limited action time. Used with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as a poultice; may decolorize some dyes; will slightly weaken fibers.

Lemon Juice is acidic but cannot be left in. Remove it with white vinegar.

Oxalic Acid (rhubarb leaves, etc.) will act slowly on oxidized iron stains (rust) but can damage cotton, linen. More effective but more hazardous (to people) methods are used by dry-cleaners in controlled circumstances.

Perborate (“Clorox II�”) becomes activated at higher temperatures and releases hydrogen peroxide (see above).

Salt is sodium chloride; it will set tannin stains (wine, coffee, juice).

Water will weaken silk or wool. These fibers will stretch more easily, tear more readily in water. Cotton or linen will be stronger in water, but if they are aged or already damaged, they can be torn also.

Cross Stitch at Stitchery X-Press and BubbaCanDance

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , eBay Mobile , Needlework , PayPal , Random Musings , Selling Online , Thrifting

I have had a number of people ask me about my eBay store.   you can visit it here. 

 I have been in the needlework business off and on for over 32 years.  I ran a business out of my house in California to Marine officers wives selling them stitching supplies.  I was a buyer for a chain in New Jersey. I had a store in Parker, Colorado and a store in Layton, Utah. 

My eBay Store 

 

Visit my Webstore 

I am happy to help anyone that has problems with finding hard to find items in research.

Visit either Stitchery Xpress or BubbaCanDance

 

 

How to Cross Stitch in Five Minutes Video

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , Etsy

The video by Yarn Tree is one of the best on the market for those that want to learn to Cross Stitch. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr_LfGr1v0E

Learn to Cross Stitch
Learn to Cross Stitch

Cleaning Cross Stitch & Stamped Embroidery

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , Random Musings , Selling Online

Cleaning Cross Stitch and Stamped Cross Stitch: Needlepoint and Crewel is a different technique:

1. Fill up a sink or cake pan with coldish water and some dawn dish soap. I really really prefer Dawn over anything else. Take the needlework and move it up and down, up and down in the water. You will start to see the water get dirty. If it is really dirty do this twice. Do it a few times. I tend to really go up and down many many times. Then fill the cake pan or the sink with cold water and do the same thing for rinsing. I always say I want it rinsed so well I would drink the water so it might take a few times to get the residue out. ROLL and Do not Wring. After you roll it, then take you fingers of one hand, holding with the other hand, and use the fingers to get out excess water. So for me hold in right hand and use the two fingers closest to the thumb and put the rolled fabric between those two fingers and move down… it will get the water out. Lay out and let dry for awhile then iron with a piece of fabric (preferably white). I use a cotton dish towel that no one in the house touches. I put one towel down, then the project design work face down, then another towel and iron.

My New Webstore for BubbaCanDance and Stitchery X-Press

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , eBay Mobile , PayPal , Random Musings , Selling Online , Shipping Internationally , Shipping Packages , Thrifting

Scott Henshaw told me about a new feature for eBay sellers you can subscribe to.  Webstore by 3D. I looked it up tonight and decided to give it a try.  We will see how it goes.  At $5.00 I will try it for six months and see what happens.  Thanks Scott.   

My New Webstore

Webstore by 3D for eBay stores
Webstore by 3D for eBay stores

eBay Inc Blog Cindy Sorley Story

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , eBay Mobile , PayPal , Random Musings , Selling Online , Shipping Internationally , Shipping Packages , Thrifting

EBAY: STITCHING THE FAMILY TOGETHER  Taken for eBay Blog at eBay Inc … So excited to be a part of this.

AUGUST 3, 2011 / EBAY MARKETPLACES

When I am teaching eBay classes to stay at home moms, I always seem to get asked the same question, “Why eBay?” I tell them that after years of having a brick and mortar specialty needlework store where customers would come in and work on their projects, socialize and bring their lunch, I wanted a place where there was a sense of a community and I found it on eBay.

Untitled

My husband and I were shocked to find out around our 19th Anniversary that we would be blessed with another child. My husband Jim, an airline pilot, and I decided our son Thomas would go to work with me at the store. At 4 days old, he made his debut at Stitchery X-Press and became the store mascot for over three years. As he grew older, it became more unmanageable as he pulled linens off shelves and tried to run our hemstitching machine. Some big decisions needed to be made when every time a customer opened the door little Thomas would run for the parking lot and street.

We received notice that our already high rent would be going up, so I needed to make a quick decision if we were going to stay open or close. I wanted to give eBay a try by selling my existing inventory before having a clearance sale. I had been a buyer on eBay for a number of years so I took the selling plunge and jumped right in. It was surprising how fast bids came in right after listing them.

Within a month my eBay sales were more than my physical store. eBay became a logical choice to sell my inventory. It gave me an opportunity to be at home and have my own work hours instead of being tied to the shop 24/7, six days a week. I had already had the username BubbaCanDance as a buyer from the country music group Shenandoah’s hit song (whom I worked for). When it came time to open an eBay store I decided on Stitchery X-Press, our established name since 1982. After a few months I was going to change my eBay ID to the store name but my customers said no. Seven years later, Stitchery X-Press is one of the largest needlework stores on eBay with customers from all over the world.

Untitled

I knew I needed more space and looked into renting. One of the reasons I closed the store was to stay at home so we decided to build a warehouse and office in the back yard. We now walk a few feet to work each day.

eBay is part of our family and I feel at home. eBay has allowed me to home school Thomas who has become part of the business team. He is the shipping manager and makes sure all packages get the labels on them. Our other son Steven delivers all packages daily to the post office. Steven is headed to join the Marines to be a pilot next year (we hope) and Thomas is trying to figure out how to get his driver’s license by age 11 to take over that job. Jim will move into a job here when he retires from the airlines soon.

Untitled

My journey with eBay continues to grow as do the personal relationships that cultivate along the way. One of my favorite sayings is “like what you do, do what you like!” This is who I am and it has shaped the fabric of our family business! I am eBay!

Types of Needlework – How to Recognize

Tags :

Category : Cross Stitch , eBay , Needlework , Random Musings

Eli asked me to make a post about the different types of needlework so when you are out thrifting you can recognize what to buy and what keywords to use when listing to sell on the different platforms. I have done better on eBay with selling needlework kits of every type because of the international buyers.

I will also cover in another post the best types of needlework kits or patterns to buy.

First I will cover what is used with what looks like a sewing needle. This leaves out Crochet, Knitting and other forms using other needles.  I will cover those in another post.

1 Counted Cross Stitch – Counted Cross stitch today is known mostly as cross stitch.  Cross stitch is done on a fabric with squares.  The pattern is on a piece of paper and you count the squares from the pattern to the fabric. (sounds hard but it is really easy).  Kits come with different counts of fabric.  Aida is from 10 to 18 count (squares per lineal inch)  Hardanger is 22 count.  Linen is used in cross stitch and most of the time is stitched over two threads (example 28 count linen stitched over two threads would make the stitch count 14). I love the look of Linen over aida because you don’t see the squares.  NOTE: Make sure you read our next blog about buying completed finished needlework and what to look for.  

2. Stamped Cross Stitch – Stamped is cross stitch that is traced onto fabric, usually a cotton poly blend nowadays.  There are squares you that you cross over with the floss.  These squares are normally mixed in with lines to embroidery.  You can do fancy stitches or straight stitches.

3. Embroidery – Embroidery is stitched on fabric that has had the design traced onto it.  You can do a number of fancy stitches. This is what you see on dish towels. My grandmother had towels for every day of the week.  I always checked to see if she changed them daily….. and SHE DID.  Embroidery is stitched with six stand floss. You separate the threads into one or two strands depending on the look you want.

4. Crewel Embroidery  or Crewelwork –, is a decorative form of surface embroidery that uses wool yarn (acrylic is used sometimes) and a variety of different fancy stitches that follows a design on the fabric.  Crewel is usually stitched on a linen or canvas so that the wool does not pucker.  Make sure if you have kits that have part of the canvas silkscreened that you point this out.  (Photo 3 is silkscreened partially)

5. Hardanger – this has been called Hardanger embroidery but it is a counted form since you are still working in the blocks of the fabric.  Traditionally is it worked on white cloth with white thread but today I see it in all colors. It is worked on even blocks counting and using drawn thread techniques.  If you see any finished … just grab and send to me.. I collect it.   You will see this in doiles, tablecloths, runners etc.  It is really elaborate and if you find patterns they usually are good sellers but not big money.  The art is still so limited on who has the patience to do it.

6. Needlepoint – Needlepoint is stitched on a mesh canvas that is painted on the canvas.  You will be doing a half cross. There is also counted needlepoint where you would have an empty canvas and use patterns on paper to count similar to cross stitch.   You will see Mesh 12 or Mesh 14. This is how many squares are in a lineal inch.  (Needlepoint is my least favorite of any of the needle arts.) It is usually done with yarn.  Many new designers are using smaller mesh like 18 (squares per inch) and using floss for a different look.  I like the smoother look as it is not as bulky.

7. Petit (Petite) Point – Petit Point and Needlepoint are very similar in that they use canvas to stitch on and the same format but they are very different.   Petit point is just that…. you make tiny tiny stitches and usually stitch on single threads of Penelope Canvas or fine needlepoint canvas or Congress cloth which is 24 squares per inch.  Many people use Petit point to describe very fine cross stitch but since you are not crossing the full cross the term is used incorrectly.

petitpoint

8. Plastic Canvas – Plastic canvas is basically needlepoint done on plastic mesh.  You will see this used to make 3-d type items such as doll houses, magnets, photo frames etc. You cut out the designs after you have stitched and either attach to the edges to sew them together or finish off and cut the plastic so it i is not seen.

9. Smocking – I am covering smocking here because there are a lot of kits out there to make pillows with smocking. It is basically pleating and can be seen in the tops of dresses and on bonnets. There are two different types, English and Modern.

10. Brazilian  Embroidery – This is the one art I cannot tackle well. It is stunning and gorgeous but I don’t have the patience.  It is mostly flowers done in silk or Rayon Threads.


NO COUNT CROSS STITCH is the design silk screened on aida or linen with openings to do stitching to embellish the design.  This is different from Stamped Cross stitch where on stamped you have the design on the plain fabric in little blue squares and you stitch those squares.

No Count Cross Stitch Kit example
No Count Cross Stitch Kit example

 

No count example
No count example

 

 

There are other forms of needlework that include drawn thread, schwalm, blackwork etc but the above types are what you are going to see the most of in kits when you are shopping.

Visit Our Forums

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Categories