Cross stitch is most commonly worked on Aida or even weave fabric which has an regular number of weft and warp threads to allow the creation of even sized stitching, however it can also be used in free form embroidery as well.
Bring the needle up at the top left of the stitch (A)
Make a stitch diagonally to the bottom right corner (B)
Bring the needle up at the top right (C)
Take it down through the fabric at the bottom left corner (D)
If you are stitching a panel of cross stitches you can stitch the first half of the stitch (A to B) for the whole area then work back over the area completing the crosses (C to D)
However you stitch make sure that you always work the first part of the stitch the same way to create a nice even finish.
The first picture shows a traditional use of cross stitch - it fills an area and is worked on Aida. The second picture shows that as well as being used to fill areas, it can also be used as a single isolated stitch to couch other threads.
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