Half-cross and the Difference between Needlepoint and Cross Stitch

Although needlepoint and cross stitch share many similarities and although they both can be done using the same kind of charts, they are not the same.

If you have been seeing the wealth of Half-cross projects lately and have been thinking “This looks like needlepoint.” You’re right, it does look like needlepoint, but it’s not. It’s very important to understand the difference between the two. Then you can adapt Half-cross projects you see with no difficulty.

The key is the difference between the ground fabrics. Needlepoint is done on canvas, below, where there is more hole than fabric. In essence canvas is just a grid; it’s your stitching that makes the fabric.

Cross stitch is done on evenly woven fabric. And, like most fabric, there is far more cloth than hole, below. Because the fabric is already there, you are embellishing it when you do cross stitch.

This has major implications when you stitch. While Half Cross may look like any other Tent Stitch on the front, on the back it has minimal coverage, as you can see in the diagram below.

Without much coverage on the back, this stitch is not sturdy enough to create a fabric, although this is a real asset when stitching on fabric.

So what to do if you want to convert a half cross piece, such as the one pictured here from the July 2011 Cross Stitch & Needlework magazine?

Substitute the Half Cross Stitch with Continental or Basketweave, the two other Tent Stitches. Continental is done in straight lines with all oblique stitches on the back (the top diagram is a numbered diagram of Continental, while the bottom diagram shows what ALL rows of Continental should look like on the back). Remember if the back isn’t all oblique it’s NOT Continental!

Basketweave is done only in diagonal rows and looks like a woven basket on the back. These two diagrams below show numbered Basketweave and the back of Basketweave.

If you decide to do your needlepoint on an evenly woven fabric, pick one such as Aida with a more complex weave, rather than Hardanger or Linen, which are woven like mono canvas. And go ahead and use Half Cross Stitch; the fabric can take it.