Not all stitches are created equal. Well, what I wanted to say is that in cross stitching, there are different types of stitches. Each stitch serves a purpose and adds to the beauty of the finished piece.

The Cross Stitch

This is the most common type of stitch you will find. It is in the shape of an X and fully covers the square of your fabric. This is where the name comes from. You can create entire projects using this stitch alone. You can learn how to do the cross stitch in this tutorial.

The Half Stitch

The half stitch is half of a cross stitch. See you know two different types of stitches already! Half stitches usually come along when outlining as well as with certain fonts when stitching a text.

The Quarter Stitch

The half of a half stitch won’t go all the way to the corner of the square you’re on. Instead, it will go through its center. It may take a while to get a quarter stitch nice and even in the middle of the square.

The Three Quarter Stitch

The half stitch along with a – I guess you can do the math. To make your three quarter stitch, start as if you were doing a regular cross stitch, but at the last step, go through the middle of the square instead of in the corner. The order may change (quarter followed by half) depending on your pattern.

The Back Stitch

Back stitches are mainly used for outlining and bordering but some pieces are actually done with this stitch alone.

These are the main types of stitches you will encounter in projects. Some are harder to do than others, but with a little bit of practice, you can master them all 🙂