How to Start Your Counted Cross Stitch Project

Starting a new cross stitch project is one of the best feelings - fresh fabric, beautiful thread colors, and a design waiting to come to life.

If you're new to counted cross stitch, or simply want a quick refresher, here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get started with confidence.

1. Find and Mark the Center of Your Fabric

Your fabric arrives folded both horizontally and vertically inside the kit.

When you gently unfold it, you’ll immediately see the crease lines, and where they intersect is the center of your canvas.

Before placing the fabric in your hoop, we recommend marking this center point with a small pin or a removable fabric pen.

Once the fabric is stretched in the hoop, those fold lines can soften or disappear. Marking the center first ensures you won’t lose that reference point.

Starting near the center keeps your design beautifully balanced on the fabric.

2. Place the Fabric in Your Hoop

Loosen your embroidery hoop and place the fabric between the inner and outer rings.

Tighten gently while pulling the fabric taut, it should feel firm like a drum, but not overstretched.

A well-positioned hoop makes stitching easier and keeps your stitches neat and even.

3. Find the Center of the Chart

Your pattern chart includes small markers along the sides and bottom. These arrows indicate the center of the design.

Follow the vertical and horizontal markers until they intersect - that’s the center of your chart.

You now have:

• The center of your fabric

• The center of your chart

Aligning these two points keeps everything balanced.

4. Identify Your First Color

Each symbol on the chart corresponds to a specific thread color.

Look at the symbol in the area where you'd like to begin.
Then match that symbol to the thread organizer included in your kit.

Every thread is pre-sorted and labeled to make this step simple and stress-free.

5. Start Stitching Your First Color Block

Begin stitching a small section of that color.

A helpful tip:
Your very first stitch does not have to land exactly on the center square.

You can start anywhere within that first color block and work outward. This often feels more natural and easier than trying to hit one exact square.

Focus on completing small sections at a time, this keeps the process relaxing and satisfying.

6. Work Outward from the Center

Once your first block is established, continue stitching outward following the chart.

Many stitchers prefer to:

• Complete one color at a time in a small area

• Or move section by section across the design

There’s no single “correct” way, the best method is the one that feels enjoyable to you.

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A Final Note

Counted cross stitch is meant to be calm, creative, and forgiving.

If you miscount, you can gently remove stitches and adjust.
If you start slightly off center, that’s perfectly okay.

What matters most is enjoying the process - one small X at a time.