Bulgarian cross stitch: technique, recommendations for beginners

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:35

Different types of needlework are widespread in Eastern Europe, but one of the most beautiful and ancient types is Bulgarian cross-stitching. The embroidery technique involves crossing a straight and a simple cross, which ultimately resembles a snowflake.

Colorfulness and originality of embroidery brought her popularity and love of needlewomen. Unlike ordinary crosses, Bulgarian is more contrasting, embossed and outlined. This is achieved due to the fact that the canvas field is indicated by four corners and four sides. Bulgarian cross stitch is used to decorate bedding, clothes, decorative items.

Embroidery basics

The Bulgarian cross is embroidered by crossing two crosses: first, a regular cross is made from the lower left corner of the canvas cell, and a straight one over it.

Bulgarian cross stitch for beginners is done as follows:

1. Choose the canvas cell from which the scheme begins.
2. The thread is fixed from the wrong side. The needle is passed from the lower left corner of the cage to the upper right.
3. On the reverse side of the canvas, the needle goes from the upper right corner to the upper left corner, and then to the lower right.
4. From the wrong side of the fabric, the needle is brought out from the lower right corner to the center of the lower border of the cage, exactly under the intersection of the diagonal stitches. The needle must enter strictly vertically.
5. Through the wrong side, the needle leaves the top point to the same point on the left, sticks into the center of the right side of the cage. The thread is pulled into a horizontal stitch.
6. The needle is brought out to the lower right corner.
7. The result should be a snowflake - this is what a Bulgarian cross looks like.

The sequence of embroidery with a Bulgarian cross can vary depending on how convenient the needlewoman is: the direction of the needle sticking can be absolutely any.

From the wrong side, an even and beautiful row of stitches is obtained. If the work starts from a certain angle, then all embroidery is done in an identical sequence. Out of order can lead to tangled threads and a sloppy underside.

Designation of embroidery

The Bulgarian cross stitch technique is most often used to decorate clothes: skirt hems, collars and cuffs of shirts, belts. Traditional outfits are often decorated with the Bulgarian cross, which looks aesthetically pleasing and original.

Needlewomen use techniqueBulgarian cross for the following purposes:

• The density of embroidery is increased, the pattern is given additional volume.
• A pattern made using this technique resembles a tapestry or a carpet due to the dense arrangement of crosses.
• Embroidery pictures in the technique of the Bulgarian cross with a lot of color looks more impressive. The beauty of these stitches is revealed when embroidering geometric patterns, which attract attention due to the high density of cross stitches.
• Needlewomen often use Bulgarian cross stitch in works where the quality of the reverse side is not important, since a large number of stitches makes the reverse side heavier. Patterns in this technique decorate furniture upholstery: it lasts many times longer due to the high density of embroidery.

Materials

Embroidery in the technique of the Bulgarian cross requires a large canvas for cross stitch - no more than 32 edges. The needle is selected with an oblong middle eye. For the convenience of work, a hoop can be used - they allow you to stretch the fabric.

What is embroidered with a Bulgarian cross

Various compositions are embroidered in this technique - icons, landscapes, flowers. Geometric ornaments made with a Bulgarian cross look the most impressive: thanks to the dense weave of threads and bright colors, they are more clear and colorful.

Bulgarian cross stitch is often done in rich, contrasting colors - red, yellow, green, purple, blue. Black stitches running from edge to edge of patterngive it a special charm and highlight the pattern.

Bulgarian cross stitch patterns

Embroidery according to patterns in the Bulgarian technique is most often a canvas filled from top to bottom with crosses. If desired, standard cross stitch patterns can be used - they are also suitable, but the finished ornament will look finished due to the presence of empty sections on the canvas.

A wide selection of Bulgarian cross stitch kits offered for sale allows you to purchase any pattern you like. The variety of ornaments, however, loses out to traditions: blankets, panels, tapestries, pillows, furniture upholstery are still made in this technique. Schemes for a regular cross can also be embroidered with a Bulgarian cross, however, such embroidery will require more time and threads, but the result will exceed all expectations.

It is better to embroider the Bulgarian cross with cotton floss threads: they are smoother, which makes it easier to pull the threads and work with their tight weave, and the finished ornament looks more even, bright and saturated.

It is easy to learn the Bulgarian cross: it is not a complex element and is easy to perform when memorizing the sequence of actions when embroidering. Ornaments embroidered using this technique have volume and depth, so it is worth mastering it to give charm and tradition to products.

Bulgarian cross pattern

Bulgarian cross, which is interesting, is used not only in embroidery, but also inknitting. It is often used in knitting when making an elastic band or the initial stage of an ornament, the basis of which is three lines made with a Bulgarian cross.

Openwork knitting is done in several steps:

• Cast on a multiple of 3 stitches plus two extra edge stitches.
• In the first row, three front loops are knitted, one of which is thrown over the remaining two to the left, then a yarn is made, a similar number of front loops, one of which is again transferred to the left.
• The second row and subsequent wrong ones are performed only with wrong loops.
• In the third row, one front loop, yarn over, three front loops are performed, one of which is transferred to the left knitting needle through the previous two, yarn over and front loop.
• The fifth row is knitted similarly to the first. Then the pattern repeats.

This knitting technique is called cruciform, and the finished fabric looks like a dense and even mesh.