Cross Stitching or even needlework in general can be intimidating to someone who is curious and just wants to get started. Never fear, it's not as scary as it may look when you're browsing the craft supply store looking for what you might need to begin. Let's go over the basic supplies to have on hand to do your first cross stitch project....
Basics You'll Need All the Time
A pair of sharp embroidery scissors
Embroidery scissors come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You don't have to spend on a pair of Gingher scissors if you don't want to, a sharp pair of "any" thread scissors from your craft ship is going to work just fine to get your started off and will only cost you around . Later on after you fall in love with cross stitch (and you will) then you can buy that fancy pair of designer scissors if you simply want them.
An embroidery hoop or a stretcher bar frame to hold your fabric
Again, these come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. For your first project you don't need to go all out and spend the bank. The plastic embroidery hoop is perfectly fine and does it's job. You might also want to try a q-snap instead, which is usually used in quilting but it also great for cross stitching! Later on you can check out some more expensive and even custom scroll bar frames, stitching stands, and all sorts of other fun things.
Needles
If you're starting off with a cross stitch kit, chances are a needle or two will be included. However, it's always a good idea to have some extras on hand and they aren't expensive at all. Personally, I prefer John James Petites needles because they rarely break and they don't tarnish for me.
A place to store your cross stitch project when you're not working on it
This probably won't cost you anything at all in the beginning. You likely have a tote bag or a Rubbermaid box in your closet that will work perfectly. Just a place to put your project supplies when you're not using them to avoid losing threads or accidental damage to the project.
If you have toddlers at home I strongly recommend a small Rubbermaid box with a lid so they don't decide to color on your fabric with a highlighter. Oh yeah, that's a story for another day.
That's actually all the "extra stuff" you need to get started, so let's look at the project supplies since those are the fun pieces that you'll want to choose a little more carefully.
Your Cross Stitch Project Supplies
First, you'll want to decide if you're going to buy a kit or stitch from a leaflet or even a magazine design, or maybe you have a free cross stitch pattern from the internet that you've downloaded and want to stitch.
If you're starting off with a kit you're all set and you can start stitching right away, just open it up and get going.
If you're starting off with a leaflet then you'll need to choose a piece fabric and collect the necessary DMC or Anchor threads to complete the project.
For a first project I always recommend buying a small kit or using a free cross stitch pattern from the internet. It lets you get a good sense of whether or not you enjoy stitching and it won't cost you a lot of money to get started when you're using those resources.
