Full cross stitches make a pixel grid, and on its own that grid gives blocky curves. Charts add partial stitches and lines to smooth shapes and to add detail that a square cannot show. Knowing how they are drawn on a chart and how they are worked gives you the whole set of stitches a chart can use.
Half stitches
A half stitch is a single diagonal, in the same direction as the top stitch of your crosses. On a chart it is shown as a small symbol in part of a square, or as a diagonal line. Half stitches are used for:
- Shading a background, where a lighter thread in half stitches gives a softer tone than a full cross in the same colour.
- Filling a gap along a curve.
- A faded look on distant objects such as clouds or hills.
On a fabric with open holes, such as aida, a half stitch covers less, so the ground shows through, which is the effect you want for shading. To work one, come up at the bottom left and go down at the top right. All half stitches must slant in the same direction as the top of your full crosses.
Three-quarter stitches
A three-quarter stitch is a half stitch plus a short stitch going from the opposite corner to the centre of the square. It is used to make a diagonal edge that cuts a square in two: one half of the square belongs to one colour, the other half to another.
To work one on aida, where the centre of a square is solid fabric, pierce the fabric in the middle with the needle. The short leg goes from the corner to the centre hole. On evenweave and linen the centre is an open hole between the threads, so there is no need to pierce. On a chart, the symbol appears in the corner of the square, sometimes with a second symbol in the opposite corner, meaning that two three-quarter stitches meet at the centre to fill the square.
Quarter stitches are the short leg alone, used for small details such as the corner of an eye.
When to use partial stitches
Partial stitches are best for:
- Smoothing the outline of a round or diagonal shape.
- Fine detail, as in a face or lettering.
- Reducing the stepped look of diagonals.
They are not required. If you find them tiring, use full stitches and accept a slightly more pixel look; the design will still read correctly.
Finer fabric hides the grid
The finer the fabric, the smaller the stitch, and the less you notice the pixel look. An 18-count aida gives rounder curves than 11-count, for the same chart. The aida counts database lists the stitches per inch and per 10 cm for each count. When a piece has a large area of smooth curves, such as a face, a finer fabric and partial stitches give a better result than a coarse one.
Backstitch
Backstitch is a line stitch, worked on top of the cross stitches to outline shapes, add lettering, draw whiskers or define a face. On the chart it appears as thin lines along the edges of the squares, in colours listed in the key.
- Bring the needle up at the start of the line, one square along from the end.
- Go down at the start point, making a stitch backward.
- Come up one square ahead, and repeat.
Each stitch is one square long, following the chart, and stitches may go diagonally across a square as well. Use one strand of floss, or two for bolder lines. A single strand gives a fine result on 14-count aida and 18-count.
Order of work
Complete the cross stitches first, including partial stitches, then add backstitch. The backstitch sits on top, so stitching it first would make the lines disappear under the crosses. Place the last stitch of each line so that the tail goes behind crosses of the same colour, avoiding a dark thread showing through light stitches.
French knots and beads
Charts may include French knots for eyes or flower centres and beads for sparkle. Both are stitched last. Wrap the thread once or twice around the needle and push it down in the same hole to make the knot. A bead is sewn on with a half stitch, passing the thread through it each time.
Reading the key
A key lists each symbol with its colour number and the number of strands for full stitches, and separately for backstitch and knots. The photo to chart tool creates a chart in full stitches with a legend of thread colours and counts. For a project with partial stitches and backstitch, allow a little more floss; the thread estimator gives a figure for the full stitches, and the extra depends on how much detail is in the design.