Thrifty Creativity – “A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.”

Using gingham or dotted swiss as a background fabric lets a beginner count checks or dots instead of counting threads when she makes a sampler. And embroidery hoops made of colorful plastic or natural wood can be used as frames when the embroidery is done. For these reasons, hoop-framed sampler pictures done on either fabric are ideal projects for children.

A round hoop 8 inches in diameter, preferably with a screw-type adjustment, is a good size for small, inexperienced hands. A hoop works well for embroidery of this size because the fabric does not need to be moved. For larger samplers, a frame is preferable; moving a hoop from one area to another could damage stitches caught under the top hoop. Choose either a tapestry (blunt) or a chenille (pointed) needle, and use six-strand embroidery floss, pearl cotton, or light-to-medium weight yarn.

Cut a 12-inch square of gingham (1/8, 1/4, or 1/2-inch checks) and a square of the same size from a man’s white handkerchief to use as the lining. Put the two layers of fabric between the hoops and pull them taut.

Following one of the cross-stitch charts below, or any chart for a simple design that can be contained within the hoop area, locate the center of the chart and the center of fabric. Then decide where to start the first stitch. If the design is at all complicated, it is best to start in the center and work out toward the edges. On simple designs such as those shown here, you can work from the top down or, for that matter, in any direction. If you find the fabric needs to be moved on the hoops in order to center the design, do so as soon as the basic motif or a key part of it is completed.

Add extra designs to fill in the background if you like, when you are sure the main design is centered. If the fabric stays in the hoops in a wrong position for any length of time, you may need to iron it before repositioning it. Iron the cross-stitches on the wrong side, face down on a terry cloth towel, to avoid flattening them.

To thread thick yarn through the needle, pinch the yarn around the needle below the eye (photograph 6) and push the eye onto this doubled end (photograph 7). To secure an end of yarn, pull it through a few stitches on the back; do not make knots. If the end is very short, unthread the needle and push it through a few stitches until the eye aligns with the end of the yarn. Then thread the yarn through the eye and pull the needle through (photograph 8).

When the embroidery is finished, round the corners of the excess fabric and gather up the edges (both layers together) with basting stitches, pulling the excess inside the hoop on the back. Secure the gathering stitches. Hang the hoop on a hook, using a length of matching yarn or ribbon.