Before you start, anchor the thread to a nearby stitch, on the back of the fabric, using the loop method (if you’re stitching with 2 strands of cotton). If you’re stitching with 1 strand only, then stitch a couple of knots around the back of a nearby stitch.

1 Start with stitching a cross-stitch, just as you would a sandard one, except that this one is elongated: it’s 3 times as long as a standard cross-stitch. Its size may vary from pattern to pattern, but in this example, it stretches over 2 x 6 threads of linen (or 1 x 3 aida blocks, depending on your choice of fabric).

2 Once the long cross-stitch is done, bring the needle back up to the right side of the fabric, to the right-hand side of the stitch, at mid-height. Stitch a horizontal backstitch across the oblong stitches to secure the long cross into place.

Fancy seeing it stitched in action? Here’s a short video:

Fancy trying out your new skills? Here’s a selection of patterns to do just that:

Shall we recap?

Happy stitching!