Stitching Over One
Stitching "over one" refers to stitching a picture on linen or another evenweave over one fabric thread. This is often done with one strand of floss, or "one over one".
In the previous section, we found that stitching over two threads of a 28 count linen produces the same size picture as a 14 count Aida. But stitching over one thread of a 28 count linen produces a picture only one quarter the area.
There can be a problem with stitches rolling or slipping to the wrong side of the fabric. This is much less likely to happen when each X is completed before starting the next. There are additional techniques to prevent the problem. Two are described below.
On the diagram below, come up through the fabric on the odd numbers and go down on the even.
Each X goes over one thread intersection of the fabric. Each fabric intersection has either a horizontal fabric thread on top or a vertical fabric thread on top.
Suppose you make the first half of the first stitch by coming up at 1 and going down at 2. Your stitch is going over a horizontal fabric thread. Because of this, you should go horizontally underneath to find the starting hole for the second half of the cross stitch. So, come up at 3 and go down at 4.
Make the first half of the next stitch. Because you just went down at 4, you must come up at 5 and down at 6. Your stitch is going over a vertical fabric thread. Because of this, you should go vertically underneath to find the starting hole for the second half of the cross stitch. So, come up at 7 and go down at 8.
A second approach uses the Danish method of doing the bottom stitches first along a row, and completing the X's on the return trip. But to prevent the stitches rolling to the wrong side of the fabric a continental stitch is used rather than a half stitch. This looks like a half-stitch from in front, but the back is a long diagonal. For these diagrams, come up at the odd numbers and down at the even.
On the outward trip:
On the return trip, to complete the X:
