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Two-sided Italian cross stitch icon
Two-sided Italian cross stitch

  • Arrowhead cross stitch
  • Italian cross stitch
  • Two-sided cross stitch
  • Framed cross stitch

This stitch consists of a cross stitch edged on two sides with a vertical and a horizontal straight stitch.

Two-sided Italian cross stitch was certainly in use during the late medieval period as there is evidence it was used in Opus Teutonicum ecclesiastical embroidery from this time.

It subsequently featured regularly on English samplers, as demonstrated by this late 16th century example currently held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.  They hold several other samplers which also feature this stitch.

Two-sided Italian cross stitch is generously sponsored by Joanne Sprague

Method

1

Method A:
The stitch is worked from the bottom left corner over three threads of the canvas.

2

Three stitches radiate from the bottom left corner.

3

The fourth stitch is taken from the bottom right corner of the square to the top left corner of the square.

4

Repeat the four movements to the right.

5

A row of Two-Sided Italian stitch.

6

Method B:
This is worked in two journeys from left to right and right to left to complete a single row. Bring the needle up and take it down at three threads to the left.

7

The second stitch is from the top right corner of the square to the bottom left corner of the square.

8

The third stitch is from the top left corner of the square to the bottom left corner of the square.

9

Bring the needle up at six threads to the right and repeat the three stitches.

10

The first row is worked from left to right.

11

At the end of the first row, bring the needle up from the bottom right corner of the square to the top right corner of the square.

12

Journey back from right to left with a diagonal stitch from bottom right corner of the square to the top left corner of the square.

13

When you complete the first row, bring up the needle at the top right corner of the square, which is the bottom right corner of the first square in the second row.

14

Repeat the three stitches.

15

Journey from left to right.

16

Journey back from right to left to complete the row.

Two-sided Italian cross stitch

Common uses

Embroidery Techniques

Identifying Two-sided Italian cross stitch

From the reverse, this stitch consists of cross stitches, each underlined by a straight stitch.

References