Santa Fe Steps

Materials:

1 skein Watercolours
2 spools #16 Kreinik Braid
8" x 8" 18-count canvas (white or colored), mounted on stretcher bars
#22 and #24 Tapestry Needles

Introduction:

Santa Fe Steps makes a 5" square finished design, which fits into many of the Sudberry House boxes. It's fun to stitch in many different color combinations, using all the great vibrant colors available in 18-count canvas.

Click to see a larger-than-life-sized picture of the finished design.

Before You Stitch:

Attach the canvas firmly to the stretcher bars. Decide where the top of your design is going to be and mark a T on the edge. This will help you keep track of where you are while you are stitching. Find the center of the canvas, and enlarge that hole with your needle. This hole is a marker point; we will not be stitching into this hole, just counting from it! The center of the canvas is indicated by the intersection of the gray channels on the chart for the center motif.

How Many Strands of Thread To Use:

Watercolours is made up of strands that can be divided into three plies. In this piece, you will stitch with one of those three plies at a time.
Stitch with one strand of metallic as it comes from the spool.

About the Instructions:

The Master Chart shows the entire center motif (Steps 1, 2, and 3) and a bit more than the upper right quadrant of the design. On this chart, stitches worked in Watercolours are represented by blue lines and stitches worked in the metallic are represented by red lines.

Refer to this chart for stitch placement; turn it and/or your canvas as necessary to work the other three quadrants of the design. The text is supplemented with charts showing the stitching sequence for other stitches.

Step One:

The first stitch we will be doing is called a "Double Fan Doubled." (Look for other variations of this stitch in Jean Hilton's book Stimulating Stitches.) Use Watercolours. Begin with a long away waste knot, using 36" lengths.

The Double Fan Doubled center motif is indicated by dots on the Master Chart. Most of the stitches are worked using Watercolours and are represented by blue dots; the last four stitches are worked in metallic and are represented by red dots.

Make stitch 1-2 leaving it slightly loose. Come up at 3, loop under 1-2, go down at 4. Adjust cross so that it is centered over the center hole. Note: #1 is 20 threads down and 12 threads to the right of center.

Double Fan Doubled Stitches 1-2 and 3-4		Double Fan Doubled Stitches 5-6 and 7-8

Make stitch 5-6, leaving it slightly loose. Come up at 7, loop under 5-6, go down at 8. Adjust cross so that it is centered over the center hole. This is done right on top of the 1-2/3-4 cross.

There are now two crosses one on top of each other centered over the center hole. Think of the threads as eight spokes. We will be adding threads to make each spoke wider by coming up, weaving under and over and under and over intervening spokes and going down. This is not difficult, but you do need to follow the numbers carefully.

With your needle pointing to the left, come up at 9, go under 4, over 5, under 8, over 3 and down at 10.

With your needle pointing to the right, come up at 11, go under 10 & 2, over 7, under 6, over 1 & 9 and down at 12.

With your needle pointing up, come up at 13, go under 8,over 3 & 11, under 10 & 2, over 7 and down at 14.

With your needle pointing down, come up at 15, go under 14 & 6, over 1 & 9, under 12 & 4, over 5 & 13 and down at 16.

Each stitch comes up, goes under-over-under-over, goes down. Always go clockwise. Continue in this same pattern, following the numbers on the chart. Don't worry about the long threads on the back. If it looks tangled in the center of the motif, back up to find your mistake. It is okay to tie off by wrapping around the threads on the back.

Note that the last four stitches (89-90, 91-92, 93-94, 95-96) are worked in metallic.

Step Two:

Using the metallic, make Scotch stitches (charted on right) on each side of the Double Fan Doubled which is indicated by the red and blue dots. Make a row of tent stitches at top and bottom. There is one thread empty between the Double Fan Doubled and the metallic Scotch stitches. Note that the Scotch stitches reverse.

Step Three:

Using Watercolours, make a row of multiple cross stitches across the top and bottom referring to the Master Chart for placement. There are nine of these stitches. After they are all done, put a strand of metallic all the way across underneath them.

Step Four:

Using Watercolours make Half Rhodes stitches along the sides of the metallic rectangle, again leaving one thread empty. Using metallic, make an upright cross between each Half Rhodes. There are two straight stitches at the top and bottom of each row.

Half Rhodes Stitch	Upright Cross Stitch

Step Five:

Using metallic, make a row of reversing slanted stitches down each side of the ornament and a row of tent stitches at the top and bottom as diagrammed on the Master Chart.

Step Six:

First, using Watercolours, make oblong cross stitches along the sides. Then, overlay double cross stitches on top of these in metallic as diagrammed.

Step Six -- Part 1	Step Six -- Part 2

Step Seven:

Make three rows of Mosaic/Cross Stitch Check Stitch at top and bottom. The Mosaic stitches are worked in Watercolours and the Cross Stitches are worked in metallic. Make your cross stitches all cross the same way.

Step Eight:

Beginning and ending one thread outside the perimeter of the square, make rows of Braided Knitting stitch on each side using Watercolours. Work the Braided Knitting from left to right. There is no compensation at the beginning or end of the row. Note that the stitches are over six threads vertically and over six threads horizontally. Refer to Master Chart.

Step Nine:

Fill the comers with a Doubled Cross Stitch in metallic. Use the Master Chart for placement.

Doubled Cross Stitch	Tied Oblong Cross

Step Ten:

Using metallic, make the outer border in rows of tied oblong cross stitches. Add a small tent stitch to each comer. Refer to Master Chart for placement.

Go to the Master Chart