I was wondering if there were many cuties who do ME Xstitich & if sew do you have to do this on Ada cloth & what count should be used? I have a plan to do a 4x4 design & then frame it

I like crossstitch and i have made some with my machine Ruby on coton fabric
I have read all your post and they give so interesting advices
but can you explain to me the meaning of ME and HE?

3 comments

by pat111otter 07 Jan 2013

Machine Embroidery and Hand Embroidery.

by pldc 07 Jan 2013

I am glad that you have made some too! Can you post something in cuties as a refresher for me if you don't mind, please & thank you. Hugs Loralye

by spendlove 08 Jan 2013

I'm sorry for the abbreviations, Claude. Your English is so good, I forget that there will still be problems!

Me again - this is one of my favourite topics! Here are some pictures for comparison.
Pic 1. ME on evenweave linen.
Pic 2 HE on evenweave fabric (28 count and one strand of thread)
Pic 3 HE in Aida fabricloth
I've been using more Aida fabric in recent years because it is easier on the eyes, but I much prefer the look of the evenweave fabrics for special projects.

3 images:[1]
[2]
[3]

6 comments

by jenne 07 Jan 2013

Oh these are beautiful, I have done some on a purse but just simple stuff , but love how it looks.

by pldc 07 Jan 2013

love love love the Marjolin Bastin the others are wquite lovely too Sue you have done a super job here, thanks Hugs Loralye

by pldc 07 Jan 2013

I have just reread this posting & realized that you have done this by HAND! WOW & AGAIN WOW!

by almag 07 Jan 2013

Hi Sue - all this work is magnificent. My BF is pansy-crazy, can't get enough of them in Any form. Could you tell me, please, how big your No. 1 picture is and where you got the design???? I'd love to use it for her next birthday.

by spendlove 08 Jan 2013

I think the pansies were from EMS. It was made in my 5 x 7 hoop.

by almag 12 Jan 2013

Thank you so much. I love the EMS designs. The pansies design is a perfect size. I'll go hunting there now.

I have recently done my first ME Cross stitch design. I jumped in at the deep end and did Vermeers Girl with a Pearl Ear-ring. I used some black gaberdine type material, and it took me about 7 hours to stitch out, but fantastic when it was finished. When I have framed it, I will let you all see ! I got the design from Advanced Designs

2 comments

by spendlove 07 Jan 2013

I'm looking forward to seeing that one!

by pat111otter 07 Jan 2013

All in good time! If I can persuade my son to take a picture of it as it is now, and put it up for me, then you won`t have to wait too long! I certainly want to do more ME Cross Stitch, maybe not 7 hours long though !!!

I love machine cross stitch and have done it on everything from towels to quilters cotton...even done some on some heavier decorator fabrics...it looks good on everything...the cross stitch size makes a difference...whether it is 12, 14, 16, 18 crosses to the inch...many designs that I have purchased come in a number of sizes all in the same collection so you get a choice...I have purchased many from Vermillion Stitches and they sew out beautifully...If you are going to use aida cloth, it comes in various sizes just like the designs...12, 14, 16, 18 crosses per inch...match the size of the aida cloth with the size of the cross stitch design...then you will have to be very careful when hooping..horizontally and vertically...draw lines on the aida cloth and use the "holes in the cloth to do this to keep them exact...when you hoop, use your template and match the horizontal and vertical center lines with the lines you have drawn on your aida cloth...when you go to stitch it out, I test the needle position by advancing the needle one stitch at a time manually and watch to see how closely it hits the hole of the aida cloth on each stitch...if you've done a good job, you will find that the needle will hit the holes of the aida cloth almost exactly...this is why it is good to take your time when you hoop...I would suggest if you have not done ME cross stitch you do not use aida cloth...just pick a plain fabric and go for it. If you try it on a towel, definately use WSS on top...if it is a plain cotton fabric no need...I normally use a medium weight tear away stabilizer and I haven't had any problems. Be sure you stop and clip any jump stitches as they happen so you don't sew over any...they are hard to clip after the fact. Most of the design I have sewn out actually stitch each "cross" two or three times...to mimic the thread ply of hand cross stitch. Most have many color changes, but I think that the finished product is well worth the effort...I have done many baby samplers and wedding samplers in cross stitch...to be honest, most folks have a hard time telling the difference once they are done and framed...and, unless they ask...I don't tell...I really love the cross stitch!

1 comment

by pldc 07 Jan 2013

wow this is terrrific information thank you for going into detail for me I really appreciate it & it is easier for me to understand. Hugs Loralye

since I want to make this & frame it how many layers of tear away? stabilizer should I use & should I use wss on the top of the design? The reason I ask about the top of it is because the single style of stitches might tear away when I tear the wss away?

I also wanted to say i wish more cuties would do/give more cross stitch designs .hugs carolyn

I bought a roll of stuff don't know what it is called that looks like cross stitch fabric.I saw it at Walmart for $10. dollars also .I love cross stitch i got the program but don't know how to use it my son and me tried but *****can't get it yet??It is for my husqvarna machines .Maybe one day someone will come along that knows how .

2 comments

by pldc 06 Jan 2013

heres hoping that someone finds you with this knowledge Carolyn Hugs Loralye

by mops 07 Jan 2013

Carolyn, do you have 3D cross stitch? The cd has a great tutorial on it that shows you exactly what to do. It is rather simple, set the size of the cross stitch and then chose a and a stitch, and click on the squares in the raster as if you were using a coloring book - give it a go.

You surely can use any fabric for ME Xstitch. I made some mug rugs and used goldwork Xstitch designs - Christmas trees, Nativity scene, candles - at one end on cream-on-cream figured Christmas cotton fabric and scrap, gold/sparkly normal Christmas Fabric strips for the rest of the mug rug and they looked beautiful, very elegant.
I was happily surprised at how the one-colour goldwork showed up on the figured cream-on-cream Christmas fabric.
ME Xstitch seems to be 'flattish' but very sort of neat and orderly - not sure how to describe it - different from normal embroidery and in its right setting it looks superb, e.g. hand towel edgings and greeting cards, and I'm sure that your design will look beautiful when framed.
AlmaG.

1 comment

by pldc 06 Jan 2013

ah thanks Alma that is all good to know Hugs Loralye

Hi Loralye, I do a lot of cross-stich designs but I do them on a lovely cotton type fabric. I've done the Frizzy Santa's from Becky's Cross-stitch site and they turned out fabulous. I've included the website for you to have a look at them. She has a lot of wonderful cross-stitch designs. Love Chris

1 images:[1]

3 comments

by pldc 06 Jan 2013

this is terrific Chris thank you for sharing this. how many layers of stabilizer did you use & did you use wss on the top?

by pennifold 06 Jan 2013

I only used tear-away on the back but because there were 20,000 stitches plus on these designs I used 2 pieces. I didn't use WSS on top as the stitches didn't go deep. I see Dragonflyer has done it on towels and then definitely I would use WSS. Just have a try at it I'm sure you will be pleased with the outcome. Love Chris

by spendlove 07 Jan 2013

I love this!

I love hand embroidery as much as I do machine embroidery. I have machine stitched cross stitch designs on all sorts of woven and non woven fabrics with good results. Play around with different types of fabric. Just remember fabrics that are thick or have knap might need some WSS to keep stitches where they belong.

1 comment

by pldc 06 Jan 2013

thanks Karen I appreciate it. Hugs Loralye

Cross stitch has been worked (by hand) on evenweave fabric for hundreds of years by counting the threads to make equal sized stitches. Aida fabric is a much more recent invention so that the embroiderer doesn't have to count the threads.(AKA cheating!) For machine embroidery linen or cotton fabric with an easily visible weave is most effective. (IMHO)

1 comment

by pldc 06 Jan 2013

sew using ada cloth is not a good idea? an easily visable weave does this mean thin? thanks for your help Sue, hugs Loralye