Interwoven Diagonal Cross Stitch

I found this cross stitch flower in Judith Baker Montano’s lovely book, Elegant Stitches (page 41). It’s very easy and fun to do. As you can see, it starts as a simple cross stitch. Subsequent cross stitches are added into the same holes, making sure to weave the thread through the stitches.

Needleweaving

I finally got a chance to work on this month’s Stitch Explorer challenge. I had a great time learning these woven stitches! I used raised needle weaving for the flower petals. For the leaves, I followed Sharon B’s wonderful tutorial on the closed needlewoven picot leaf stitch. These stitches are simple and quick and substantial. I will definitely be using them in the future! The background is a piece of upholstery fabric with wool roving felted onto the surface. Free machine stitching was added with variegated thread. Underneath, I used Peltex for support – no need to hoop!