Tutorial: Cross Stitching Double Happiness Wedding Gift
I enjoy handmaking things, especially as gifts for friends. I’ve had a lot of friends get married the last two years. I did buy things off their registry for them to give as gifts at bridal showers but I also wanted to give them something they couldn’t buy. One of my friends got married in January. Both people in the couple are Chinese. Being Chinese myself, I knew that when we marry the word “Double Happiness” is an important Chinese character and it’s what we wish for all couples. So, I decided to embroider it for them and framed it.Materials
- DMC Cross Stitching thread
- Cross Stitching hoop or frame
- Charles Craft Classic Reserve Aida 14 Count 12″X18″ in Red
- Picture frame w/mat board
- Threading needle
- Scissors (to cut thread)
What I did
- I had to search online for a photo of the double happiness calligraphy
- After I found the right one, enlarged the photo to the size I wanted to cross-stitch it at and printed it onto white paper to use as my pattern
- Measured the letter vs the cross stitching fabric to see how many stitches I would need to make the width & length of the letter
- Searched for a flower related to happiness, good marriages or harmony in our culture
- I also confirmed the flower with my grandmother and mother to make sure I chose the right one
- I asked my mom to pick a Chinese phrase for wedding well wishes to stitch to the bottom
From there, I just stitched everything based on my measurements
Stitches I used
- Double Happiness – 1/2 stitch – I tried a full but it just didn’t look right
- Middle of flower – full cross stitch
- Flower “stems” – full cross stitch
- Names, “&” and date – back stitch
- Chinese phrase – I improvised to get it to look like proper Chinese calligraphy
- I machine stitched & taped the sides of the fabric to stop them from running before framing it
Happy crafting!
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