1. Fold the fabric twice to find its center point and place it over the center of the diagram indicated by the arrows (Fig.1)
2. Place the fabric on the frame , avoiding strong stretching that could dislodge the points of the fabric or damage it.
3. Counting from the center down, find the lowest point of what your finished embroidery will be and start embroidering from there
4. Avoid knots. To secure the thread, pass the needle between the vertical threads of the fabric braid (3 or 4 will be enough) and always do it from the back (Fig.2)
5. Cross stitch is carried out with double or triple thread, depending on the type of fabric being used: Aida 18 and Aida 16 should be embroidered with double thread, while Aida 14 should be embroidered with triple thread. The type of fabric will always be indicated on the cover. The contour, if necessary, would be carried out with a single thread and using the backward stitch (Fig.6)
6. If the diagram indicates half a cross stitch, you will only have to trace the base point (Fig. 3 A)
7. The layout of the points that will form the cross must always be drawn in the same direction (the lower ones in one direction and the overlapping ones in the opposite direction).
8. First draw all the bottom points (the base points) of the line (Fig.3 A) and then all the overlapping points (Fig.3 B)
9. The base stitches should be embroidered from bottom left to top right. On the other hand, overlapping points should be drawn from bottom right to top left (Fig.3)
10. Be very careful not to pull the stitches too tight, as this would deform the fabric and affect the final result.
11. Also avoid knots to secure cross stitches already drawn; To secure them, insert the thread between the already drawn points of the same color (Fig.7)
12. When the job is finished, let the fabric soak (with room temperature water) for 2 or 3 minutes. After the time has passed, rinse the fabric carefully and lay it horizontally on a flat surface to dry (never wring the fabric, as the embroidery will be deformed if you do)
