History has never come across a tribe that was equally famous for their art as they were for their warrior ship. Even after 25 centuries we still have their creative art alive. We have their stories, myths, metal engravings, knot works, tattoos, body arts, designs and knots. The Celts not only dwelt in Britain, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany but they have also live in Bohemia, Italy and Turkey. This is the same reason Irish, French, Germans, English and Italians particularly have Celtic patterns in their embroideries, tapestries, tattoos and jewelery.
The celtic cross stitch embroideries are predominantly a part of heritage in Irish, Scotts and Minx. The embroidery patterns from this art form are excessively used in our day to day routines from cushion covers to tapestries, from tea cozies to spectacles? covers and from clothes to wall hangings.
They also have the attributes of being rich in deep in colors and intricate designs, all which make them extraordinary eye catching and unique.
There are many celtic cross stitch patterns and designs which are typically embellished with patterns such as geometric, spirals, interlacing patterns, knot works, zoomorphic patterns and many more.
If you are starting out in this cross stitch, I would recommend you to try out their celtic knot works as they are particularly worth trying for. As these patterns can be from simple to very intricate ones, you can actually make a whole range of things for your own especially for your home decoration purposes.
So if Celtic art has ever inspired you either in form of clip arts or any other Celtic patterns, I would also recommend you to make a cross stitch of the same pattern on your favorite piece of clothing, your bag or even a wall hanging.
In fact, there are many ways which you can get ideas to cross stitch your art embroidery
You can also purchase a kit or get a pattern to make or you can even transform your favorite pattern into cross stitch pattern by pattern generating CDs or aids.
There are few basic celtic cross stitch designs and patterns for you to start things off. Below is the list of patterns to get you familiar with.
Simple x-shaped stitch - A cross stitch is very easy to make. Pass the needle with thread from one hole to the other diagonal hole at the corner of the square. Repeat with other two holes.
Half Stitch Pattern - There are actually two half stitches that overlap each other to make one cross stitch.
Quarter Stitch Pattern - Four of these stitches conjoin to make one cross stitch. But generally it is used alone as the length varies depending upon the celtic cross stitch fabric
Three Quarter Stitch Pattern - A three quarter stitch is made with one half stitch and one quarter stitch. A three quarter stitch is commonly used to add details in the cross stitch pattern
Back Stitch Pattern - Back stitch is generally used to make boundaries around the patterns and or to write alphabets in the patterns. This is a straight line made in the centre of the square bisecting it into two equal halves
Celtic Cross Stitch Patterns
You can use either Aida cloth or line for Celtic cross stitch, but Aida is the preferred fabric because the holes are already in the fabric for you. It is also bets for beginners and for those who may have poor eyesight. It is available in 8, 11, 14, 16 and 18 blocks per 2.5 cm. The fabric count will tell you how many blocks there are in a standard square of Aida cloth. This fabric also comes in many different colors and you can also dye it to your preferred color. Linen has very few holes counts, which is why it is a difficult fabric for beginners to use. However, there are irregularities in linen, which gives the finished product a more unique look.
The basic stitches you need to learn for this cross stitch design are:
* X. The X stitch is the basic stitch in any cross stitch pattern. To make this stitch you first have to make a small knot in the end of the thread. Bring the needle up through one of the holes from the wrong side of the fabric so that you now have the needle on the right side. Insert the needle in the hole in the diagonal corner of the square and then bring it back up through the opposite hole. When you once again pass the needle through the corresponding diagonal hole, you have an X pattern over the square.
* /. This is the half-sticth pattern and represents one half of the basic X stitch. You simply bring the needle up through a hole and then pass it down through the hole in the diagonal corner.
* The Quarter stitch pattern is one half of the half stitch. When you bring your needle up through the hole, put it down through the fabric halfway between the hole and the one in the diagonal corner.
* A three-quarter stitch is a combination of both the half and quarter stitch designs. First you make a half stitch and then you proceed as if you were going to make a full X. Instead of making the second half of the stitch you put the needle through the middle of the half stitch.
Once you know how to make these stitches, you can create your own Celtic designs that you can use for cross stitch. You do need to have graph paper for such a project. Using a felt tip open make prominent dots in the corners of the squares on the graph paper. Highlight every second dot with a pen. Once you trace out your design in this way for the length of the sheet of paper, then you can start doing the same thing horizontally.
Use one section of the graph paper where you have five regular dots and four highlighted dots. Make sure you measure so that your square is even. Each highlighted dot will be the place where the threads intersect, so you can place a small X over these dots. Continue marking these dots with an X all the way to the border but do not mark those that lie on the line of the border. When you have all the highlighted dots crisscrossed, you can join the knot lines along the sides. You will see how they bow out towards each other. Make a double line to connect them to make your circle.
Both Jennifer Walter & Warren Wong are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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