How to embroider using the semi-cross technique. Rules for making incomplete crosses Incomplete cross stitch with threads of different colors

To prevent the thread from twisting, let the thread hang freely as often as possible. Under the weight of the needle, the thread will unwind itself;

Lesson on the technique of embroidery "half-cross"

We stretch the fabric on the frame. It's better if it's canvas. For training, take a single dark or bright floss thread;

In the next square in the pattern, start the stitch in the same way as in the first, from the lower left corner from point No. 3. At the same time, on the wrong side, pass the free end of the thread through the fabric under the vertical stitches;

Video: semi-cross stitch technique

Alternating technique of semi-cross and tapestry seam

The tapestry stitch shown in the picture does not differ at first glance from an incomplete cross. However, on the inside we see a completely different picture: a row of even more oblique stitches than on the front side, but with the same slope.

If you use only the half-cross technique, then the possibility of slight deformation of the finished picture is much higher than when alternating two techniques. This happens due to the fact that when embroidering with an incomplete cross, the cage is pulled together by vertical purl stitches and becomes like a rectangle. This is imperceptible if the amount of semi-cross embroidery is small. But if a large area is embroidered, then changes in the pattern cannot be avoided. With the tapestry technique, the skew of the cell also exists, but not so strong. To balance the distortions, a double technique is used.

Video: cross stitch and tapestry stitch

Half-cross - painting

Semi-cross "painting"

The semi-cross technique is not only embroidery in rows, but also in the painting technique. This technique is interesting in that it creates an outline pattern from stitches. Stitches can be straight and oblique, as long as they create a continuous chain of stitches.

Such a chain is carried out in two stages. The first step is to embroider the lining stitches. They, alternating front and back stitches, outline the approximate outline of the future pattern. The next step is to fill in the space between the slip stitches. The knit and purl stitches are reversed and the pattern is finalized. This is a very interesting technique. Performing it in various colors, you can get a beautiful edging or an independent picture.

Seam "Backstitch"

On the basis of an incomplete cross, there are many patterns used in combination with other embroidery techniques or as a border for the main pattern. Outwardly, the painting technique is similar to a backstitch or “back with a needle” seam. For many beginner needlewomen, this stitch becomes one of the first in their embroidery. It is suitable for framing embroidery and making outlines and small parts of a pattern. Only backstitch is different in that the stitches are laid one after the other without skipping. There is another significant difference - the backstitch seam is designed for simple lines and shapes, for more complex patterns, semi-cross painting follows. However, tambour, backstitch, painting, any cross stitch - all of them can be used to give originality and style to embroidered works.

Video: embroider with a backstitch seam

A half-cross stitch or, as it is also called, an incomplete cross, is widely used in the embroidery technique. It gained particular popularity after the appearance of blocky, dense fabrics. Half-cross embroidery is used by itself in individual paintings, fragments and plots of images. The stitches lie on the canvas beautifully and evenly. Embroidery is done with a minimum consumption of threads.

Embroider a picture with a cross or a semi-cross?

There is no single answer to this question, because both options are good and, moreover, they are perfectly combined with each other. Combining will give the effect of a three-dimensional image, will allow you to highlight the relief of the picture.

Usually a semi-cross is taken to embroider the background, shadow, shading elements, shades. Such a pattern looks lighter, more transparent and perfectly “dilutes” the picture, gives weightlessness to the embroidered object.

How to embroider with a semi-cross stitch for beginner needlewomen?

All craftswomen love it for its ease of execution, it is much faster to make than a regular cross. And for beginners, it will be an easy example for training. Now we will talk about a half-cross, and not about a similar tapestry stitch. The technique of such embroidery is nothing complicated and incomprehensible, you just need to make a row of stitches diagonally.

It is believed that it is much more convenient to fill the object horizontally and then the wrong side will be covered with even vertical rows. That is, the name of the technique speaks for itself. You just do half of the usual cross - one diagonal.

First you need to raise the needle to the front side of the picture to the lower left corner. Then we sew a stitch diagonally to the upper right corner and stick the needle on the wrong side into the lower left corner of the cage. Again we make a diagonal stitch. Thus, we make a series of diagonal stitches from left to right. It is not very common to make punctures not towards yourself, so for convenience, you can turn the work over until the hand gets used to this technique.

In which direction should the half-cross be embroidered?

The direction of embroidery can be in any direction: from right to left, and vice versa. The author or manufacturer of the scheme usually indicates in the instructions for embroidery in which direction the rows should be laid. It is important to read the developer's instructions, because the general meaning of the picture, its outlines and the logic of the picture often depend on the direction. It will be useful to learn how to embroider in all directions, so as not to go astray when embroidering different pictures.

If both a cross and a half-cross are present in the pattern, then the stitch pattern should be in the same direction as the top stitch of the cross. It will look right and neat.

How to make a semi-cross stitch

Let's note one more important fact. If one row is embroidered from the bottom up, then the next one is certainly the opposite - from the top down. This is necessary in order to prevent sagging threads from the inside out. In this case, the selected direction remains always unchanged. The technique is that one cell equals a stitch. The embroidery pattern must be followed. From the description of this principle, it becomes clear how to embroider the lower half-cross - just fasten the last seam at the end of the row.

If we compare the sections that are made with a cross and a semi-cross, then with the naked eye it can be seen that the cross looks much darker. A smooth transition to light tones can be achieved by reducing the additions from 3-4 to 2-1.

Often, half-cross embroidery is confused with petite patterns or the so-called tapestry embroidery. Outwardly, these two types do not differ, but the technique of their embroidery is fundamentally different. Differences in embroidery are noticeable from the inside, precisely because of the different techniques. With all this, their scheme can be absolutely identical.

The half-cross has a stitch on the wrong side, which makes the most minimal distance between two threads of the right side. The petite embroidery on the wrong side looks like diagonal diagonal embroidery, which runs along large fragments between the traces of the thread exit.

Petit finds frequent use in the general sewing of any surface. This method achieves sufficient density and uniformity of stitching. If you need to make a tapestry effect, our seam will ideally replace it. In this case, we use the technique when you need to embroider a cross and a half-cross with alternation in turn.

Petite is usually embroidered on special tapestry fabrics: cordova, stramin and fabrics in which weaving through a thread. This is basket weaving. A semi-cross is made on block weaving fabrics. This fabric is Aida. You can also use the fabric through two warp threads, and sometimes through the warp thread.

You can highlight the main advantages of semi-cross stitching:

• high embroidery speed, compared to other techniques (especially petite or regular crosses);
• low consumption of threads for embroidery;
• the appearance is distinguished by the depth of tone and allows you to play with the saturation of the color by changing the number of folded threads.

The downside of the technique is only sloppiness compared to crosses, especially from the wrong side. However, this minus is easily removed with the acquisition of embroidery experience.

A half-cross, or incomplete cross, is used in embroidery by itself or in cross-stitch when embroidering individual elements and filling in the background. Also, the seam is widely used in bead embroidery. Semi-cross bead embroidery is perfect for beginners, as the patterns of such embroidery are simple and understandable even for children. Bead embroidery can be done with a thread of the same color without changing it, as when embroidering pictures with a regular cross.

If you are an adherent of classic thread embroidery, then half-cross embroidery will not be particularly difficult for you. To make a half-cross stitch, simply replace the cross stitch with one stitch, in other words, embroider half a cross, hence the name of this stitch. The semi-cross technique is used to give the work more lightness, tenderness, transparency; the pictures embroidered in this way are somewhat reminiscent of a watercolor drawing.

An important point when working in the semi-cross technique is the method of laying rows. If in the first row the stitches will go from top to bottom, then the next row must be embroidered vice versa, from bottom to top. This is done so that the threads of the wrong side do not sag in the finished work. Also, the semi-cross technique obliges the master to ensure that the direction of the stitches is always the same, since the stitches embroidered “scattered” will certainly be noticeable in the finished work, and the work itself will not look neat.

The semi-cross is very easy to perform and does not require special skills, however, if you have difficulties when working in this technique, you can easily find detailed videos of suitable topics, which describe the embroidery process in this technique step by step and methods for solving problems that arise during embroidery.

Advantages and disadvantages

Consider the main advantages of semi-cross stitch embroidery:

1. The half-cross technique is very simple and easy to understand even for beginners;
2. This is a very economical type of embroidery, since compared to ordinary cross-stitch embroidery, about two times less threads are spent;
3. The finished work has the appearance of a watercolor drawing due to its lightness;
4. Work with the semi-cross technique is embroidered much faster;
5. Almost all embroidery patterns available on the Internet are created using the semi-cross technique. No need to look for special schemes exclusively for this technique.

The main disadvantage of semi-cross stitching is that sloppy stitches will be immediately noticeable, so try to avoid them during the embroidery process.

A few tips for working in the half-cross technique:

1. Make sure that the floss does not twist during embroidery, if this happens, let the needle hang freely on the threads so that they unwind back.
2. The ends of the threads will have to be fixed more carefully and make sure that they are not visible from the front side, since the embroidery is not as dense as when embroidering with an ordinary cross.
3. Refuse to use the hoop in such work, as excessive exposure to already finished stitches will stretch or deform them, thereby ruining the work and your mood. If you are not used to working on loose fabric, it is better to use a large frame.
4. Do not tighten the stitches too much, this can make the rows uneven and ugly stretched holes form at the puncture points.
5. When embroidering a combination of cross and half cross stitches, make sure that the direction of the half cross stitch matches the direction of the top full cross stitch.
6. In bead embroidery, a semi-cross is the main type of stitch, this is due to the fact that beads do not require additional color density or filling the base for embroidery. It immediately lays down on the scheme evenly and tightly, bead to bead.

The basic rules for embroidery using the semi-cross technique with beads remain the same:

1. Follow the direction of the stitch, if the work was embroidered from right to left, then the reverse order will look sloppy.
2. Do not tighten the stitches, this will deform the material on which you are embroidering, it will be very difficult to correct this even when stretching the finished picture onto the canvas.

For a better understanding of what the finished work in the half-cross technique looks like, we advise you to familiarize yourself with examples of such works in the following photos.

Semi-cross stitch options:

Cross-stitch is undoubtedly a very interesting activity that conquers many from the first embroidered cross. You create a special comfort in the house with the help of your offspring. I do not want to lead you to the idea that over time this activity gets boring. This is not so, but often it seeks its manifestation in other techniques ...

Today, I want to talk about technology tapestry embroidery. Why are tapestry paintings so valuable? What do you need to know about technique? Why are the concepts of a half-cross and a tapestry stitch taken as one? Do I need special materials to create tapestry embroidery?

Like most types of man-made art, it originates from ancient times. It is very difficult to say exactly when tapestry products appeared.

The very word "tapestry" appeared in France in the 17th century, when the Gobelin brothers' manufactory was opened there. The products that they began to produce were called in their honor - tapestries. For a long time, this product was distributed throughout Europe.

In the modern world, the popularity of classical interiors has given a new impetus to the development of tapestries. Paintings, embroidered tapestry technique are a unique piece of beauty and sophistication. Once upon a time, tapestry paintings were very expensive and were available only to very wealthy people. They were created exclusively by hand, and sometimes months or even years of painstaking work took one job. Our time, modern technology has largely reduced the production of tapestries, making them available to the public.

Technique: tapestry stitch.

Technically embroider tapestry (Petit-point) seam presents no difficulty. The front part of the tapestry stitch is the same as that of the half-cross. Therefore, they are very often confused and mistaken for one. This fact makes us compare them with each other, choosing the most optimal one in one particular case. The main difference between these seams is their underside.

tapestry stitch consists of diagonal stitches, which are formed due to the fact that the needle passes obliquely from the wrong side of the fabric. It seems to wrap around the weaving thread diagonally and each front stitch lies more compactly and neatly (compared to a half-cross).

Before you begin to work with tapestry stitch, practice embroidery on a piece of canvas and train yourself to “think tapestry seam". It sounds very strange, but you have to understand the logic of how to lay down each stitch, and constantly check yourself, looking at the wrong side.

Special materials.

As with regular embroidery, you will need:

• 
  thread, needle, scissors;


• 
  scheme for embroidery: special or for cross-stitch;


• 
  canvas, though special.

Threads can be used absolutely any, this will allow the embroiderer to use threads from their stocks. Along with cross-stitch, future tapestry paintings can be purchased in special sets. Alternatively, download via the Internet, and the usual cross stitch pattern is also suitable. When choosing patterns for embroidery, it should be taken into account that tapestry embroidery involves the complete filling of the canvas, without gaps.

For embroidery in this technique, a special canvas is used: very small - the smaller the hole, the better (for example, 1 cm = 10 cells). But not in all cities it can be found on free sale, so focus on a canvas with a uniform weave. Aida refers to this type of canvas, but for our purposes it is unsuitable. On it, the seam turns out to be too rough and sloppy, in which case it is advisable to embroider with a semi-cross - but is this really our goal?

It is recommended to use such seeing canvases as: Bellana, Lugana 25, Hardanger 22, Davosa 18. As practice shows, the high quality of the canvas is provided by the manufacturer - Zweigart (Germany), but Romanian, Russian and Belarusian canvases are also worthy of attention.

Another concept that is inextricably linked with tapestries- stramin. This kind of canvas requires a separate consideration, in terms of application, so, in this case, I will limit myself to a quote.

Stramin is a tough canvas for embroidering tapestries and carpets. A dense fabric for needlework made of very uniform and tear-resistant fibers is a special type of weaving and processing. Two threads in the warp and two in the weft (according to the principle - one thread from above, one from below) form clear open cells. Used for embroidering rugs, pillows, tapestries, bags, etc.

Tapestry stitch embroidery very easy to perform. It does not require special skills, and any craftswoman, interested in this technique, can quickly get to work, having previously bought a special canvas for tapestry embroidery. It should also be taken into account that the consumption of threads when embroidering with a tapestry seam increases by 2 times.

The method of "parking" seems to many mysterious, complex and incomprehensible.

Bunches of multi-colored threads, displayed on the front side of the embroidery, look frightening. It seems that you will definitely get confused in this fringe. But when you delve into the logic of the system, it is quite possible to understand, learn and successfully use this method. Don't be afraid to park!

Believe me, talking about “parking” and explaining this method is much more difficult than embroidering. The basic principle of "parking" - embroidery goes in a certain order.

Rows or squares.

Only those characters that are nearby are embroidered with one thread:

one by one vertically or horizontally when embroidering in rows,

Or within a certain area-square when embroidering with parking squares.

Then the thread is brought to the front side of the embroidery exactly at the point where you will need to start embroidering the next character in the next row or square. And the thread “parks” down, or up, or to the side, depending on which direction the embroidery is going.

All characters in a row are embroidered with petit in strict order, one character after another, without skipping or jumping over a character. The embroidery goes as if weaving a fabric or knitting a canvas.

First, I decide on the direction of even and odd rows. This direction will be observed throughout the embroidery.

* My odd rows go from left to right, each petitinka is embroidered from the upper right corner to the lower left.

* Even rows - from right to left (the stitch goes from the lower left corner to the upper right).

I start from the top left with the first row of a ten-cell square according to the scheme.

I fix the desired thread, bring it out and embroider symbols that go in a row (one or more) until the symbol changes.

I immediately look where the nearest symbol of the thread with which I started is located. If in the same row, no further than after 3-4 characters, then I pull the thread along the wrong side and bring it to the side to the stitch start point, pull it to the face, lower it down and stick the needle into the fabric, leave it.

If the symbol is far away in the same row, then I look down, I see where the nearest same symbol is, and I bring the thread to the stitch start point in a row or several rows below.

I also pull it out to the face at the start of the stitch, lower it down, straighten the thread, stick the needle into the embroidery fabric below.

For the next character in order, I take the desired thread, fasten it, bring it to the face, sew the number of stitches required according to the pattern, and again pull it on the wrong side and bring it to the face at the desired starting point of the nearest same character. It turns out that in the process, in each next row, my threads (with needles) are each at the beginning of the stitch of their character. I take a parked thread with a needle, embroider a symbol, and bring it out to the next one, lower the thread, stick the needle. The most important thing when embroidering "parking" is to understand the meaning and learn how to accurately determine the point where the thread is brought to the face. The point at which sewing of the next character should start.

Unlike cross stitching, tapestry stitch has its own peculiarity. Depending on whether the row is even or odd, the start of the stitch will be either in the upper right corner or in the lower left corner of each character. If there are several characters side by side according to the scheme, then you need to output the thread taking into account the direction of embroidery: - to the extreme left character (upper right corner] in an odd row, - or to the extreme right (lower left corner] in an even row. In practice, this is not so confusing as it seems from the first reading!

Sometimes it can turn out that two different threads hang from one point, one will lie up obliquely, the other in a row downward obliquely when their turn comes.

I sew in a row strictly in order one after another, it is easy and accurate to lay the stitches, because you don’t have to sew between stitches already embroidered, but the embroidery goes on as if knitting, one loop after another in a row.

About the path of each thread.

By the location of the symbols on the diagram, it is possible to trace which way each thread will go. In what order will the characters be embroidered, where and how is it better to move with one thread to the next row.

Petit embroidery goes from top to bottom in zigzags. When embroidering “parking”, it happens that several threads of the same color (numbers) hang in a row at a certain distance, so as not to make long horizontal broaches in a row.

It is advisable to adhere to a strict order of embroidery in rows. But sometimes, in the course of embroidering, it is clear that, for example, suddenly one character is located inconveniently to the side so that if you embroider in order, you will get either long broaches, or in general you need to embroider it as a single character. Then I make an exception and embroider the errant symbol out of order, making a small “jump” out of order. But these are already nuances that you comprehend gradually, in the process ...

The first few rows after each stitch have to stop and painfully think. Then, gradually, when you delve into the logic of the system, it becomes easier. When the symbols are already memorized, you get used to quickly determining the desired needle exit point, when you get used to park the threads down so that they do not cross or get tangled, so that it is convenient to take the right needle.

You don't need to color the diagram. It is enough to cross out an already embroidered row with one line. There is no need to mark parked threads with needles either, because the thread always hangs at the beginning of its own symbol. And when her turn comes, I embroider the required number of characters in a row, determine the starting point of the next stitch, bring the thread to the face, park, and the thread for the next character is already ready. And so on.

The embroidery speed did not increase for me, it even turned out slower than when embroidering randomly by color. But I have achieved my goal. The texture of the embroidery turned out to be smooth, all the stitches are one to one even, the color transitions are very smooth. The wrong side also turned out to be more uniform in thickness and more beautiful,

What I didn't like about this method.

The more colors (symbols) involved in embroidery, the more frequent color changes, the more singles, and the more complex the section of the pattern, the less fun it was for me to embroider using the parking method, and it was more difficult than when embroidering by color.

Yes, and in itself, embroidery strictly in rows still seemed boring. But the "parking" method itself is good and interesting, and can be very useful when embroidering certain kinds of designs. I do not regret that I mastered this method for tapestry stitch, I hope someday I will try to embroider with "parking" and cross stitch.

The technique of "half-cross" is rapidly gaining popularity. Previously, she was remembered when embroidering small elements of the picture in order to give the canvas an additional relief and believability. Now half-cross embroidery is quickly and simply necessary for beginners, because this method is chosen to complete the work as a whole, without thinking about combined seams. The technique refers to the basics of needlework, let's master it.

Modern patterns for embroidery have become detailed and fancy, allowing you to get the result as close as possible to the original image. But the work process has not changed: the craftswoman works with her hands using a needle and thread.

Learning to cross stitch for beginners: basic information

The basic techniques for implementing complex circuits also remain the same:

• Cross;
• Half cross;
• Tapestry stitch.

A half-cross is one diagonal of a cross, half of a cross stitch.

Stitch direction:

• From left to right;
• From right to left.

Usually the manufacturer indicates the direction of the stitches on the diagram. This is an important recommendation: the logic and meaning of embroidery, its shape and expressiveness depend on the direction.

It is necessary to master the technique of applying a half-cross in any direction. This will allow you not to get confused in the execution of stitches and avoid distortion of the pattern.

For the design of the background of the product, the direction of the stitches is of fundamental importance. Do as you please.

When working on canvas with dense threads, the “half-cross” technique is very similar to tapestry embroidery. Many manufacturers of ready-made sets are trying to achieve a tapestry effect, recommending craftswomen to perform a semi-cross. The embroidered fabric looks bright and expressive, and it is easier to embroider with a semi-cross stitch than with a classic tapestry stitch.

• On the “face” of the product, all the flaws in the embroidery are clearly visible. Therefore, do not pay attention to the "wrong side" of the work. She may have faults. Design the front side accurately, get excellent results.
• When working with this technique, the thread tends to twist. Let the thread hang freely. Under the weight of the needle, it will quickly unwind.
• When embroidering with a semi-cross from the “inside out”, single vertical columns are formed, and not double, as with the “cross” technique. Therefore, the number of stitches should be larger, and the ends of the threads fixed from the wrong side should be longer.
• When unrolled, the canvas is deformed at the points of clamping. This may distort the drawing. Remove the base from the frame at every break in work.
• If canvas is not being used, do not tighten the half-crosses too much. Holes are formed on the fabric, spoiling the appearance of the product.
• The background of the embroidery will shimmer and sparkle if you match the threads of melange shades to a light monochromatic canvas. This interesting effect will revive the dullest canvas.
• Now the principle of alternating tapestry technique and half-cross is gaining momentum. The combination looks advantageous when working with diagonal stitches: the embroidery retains its shape, the stitches lay flat, the working thread is used sparingly. It is only necessary to ensure that the rows made by different techniques alternate periodically.

We study a step-by-step guide to embroidery in the technique of "semi-cross" with a photo

Materials for work:

• Canvas;
• Embroidery needle;
• Mouline thread of any color for honing technique.

Procedure:

We choose a simple scheme at will. We stretch the threads into the eye of the needle, connect the ends. The first stitch comes from the lower left corner of the square, in the figure it is marked #1.

We bring the needle to the “inside out”, the end of the thread hangs freely.

Next, we stretch the thread to the upper right corner of the square, as shown in Figure No. 2. This is how the first stitch is laid. The rest is embroidered in the same way, the scheme is shown in the photo. Lay the free end of the thread along the canvas on the wrong side of the work.

We perform a certain number of stitches in the first row, then we make the next column. Even and odd rows alternate until the sketch pattern ends.

How to Create a Half Cross and Tapestry Stitch: Combining Techniques

The seams are similar in execution technique. The "face" of the work looks the same. But on the "wrong side" the difference is clearly visible.

Consider a photo:

The double technique is used to balance the distortions of the embroidery.

Double technique details:

We embroider the first row with a semi-cross. The second row is a tapestry stitch. We stretch the thread from the lower left corner to the upper right. We continue according to the described scheme.

The “painting” technique is based on a semi-cross. The painting is unique in that it allows you to “sculpt” a contour sketch from stitches. The stitches go in a continuous chain, folding into a picture.

Embroidery is done in two steps. Interlining stitches indicate the approximate basis of the sketch. Performed by alternating front and back stitches.

Then we fill in the empty spaces of the interlining stitches, putting the “puzzles” of the pattern together.

The painting technique is reminiscent of a “backstitch” stitch or backstitch stitches.

With such a basic seam, many needlewomen begin their skill training. Stitches are laid alternately and without gaps. A seam is used to make contours and small parts of a sketch.

We make with embroidery with beads and the technique of "semi-cross"

For embroidery of paintings with beads, the “monastic” seam is traditionally used. This technique practically repeats the semi-cross embroidery.

We perform the front stitches diagonally, not forgetting to string the beads. On the "wrong side" vertical stitches are obtained.

This technique is quite suitable for beginner craftswomen.

Thus, the "half-cross" technique is the basis of successful needlework. It needs to be mastered.

Video tutorials to help you master the half-cross technique