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CROSS STITCH/UPRIGHT CROSS COMBINATION

Many stitches are combinations of two or more stitches. This stitch combines a cross stitch done in the normal fashion with an upright cross stitch. It makes a nice small texture and has no direction (meaning that the stitch is the same whether you go up, down, left or right). It is also easy to compensate. It can be done in a single type of thread, but can be particularly nice if you use one thread for the regular cross stitch, and a thread in a matching color but of a different type for the upright cross (for example, pearl cotton for one and a metallic thread for the other).

Begin by making a row of half cross stitches that cover two canvas threads in height and two in width and when you reach the end, complete the crosses (this is shown stitched in the most common manner below):

Here are several rows of completed cross stitches, which form the foundation for the rest of this stitch:

Now that the cross stitches are done, it is time to add the upright cross stitches. They are shown here in a different color:

Here are several rows of full cross stitches and full upright cross stitches:

The next diagram shows how to compensate this stitch. Note that on the left side and top, the compensating stitches are the small aqua stitches. On the right side and bottom, the compensating stitches are the small white stitches.

Diagrams and text copyright 2005 Denise Davis, Threadneedle Street