Long armed cross stitch
The south western part of the European continent houses the country of Portugal which has consolidated its position as one among the most powerful and economically progressive nations of the world. There are various reasons due to which Portugal has attained worldwide fame and glory. Portuguese wine is known all over for its distinct flavor and Portuguese horses are also famous which explain the fame of equestrian as a sport in Portugal. Portuguese embroidery is also one of the factors which have facilitated the country’s fame worldwide and there are various kinds of stitching patterns practiced by the Portuguese.
From its very name it is evident to those who are aware of basic embroidery patterns that the long armed cross stitch is a variant of the cross stitch which is one of the basic stitching patterns that has been existent since ancient times and in fact from the very beginning of textile designing and embroidery works. The cross stitch is simply formed by the crossing of two threads on a fabric worked by needles. This cross stitch when practiced on weave fabrics work faster and swiftly and is a simpler embroidery technique. The long armed cross stitch can also be worked on weave fabrics popularly for functioning as a border stitch. However it is most importantly used in canvases and in such cases and also in case of usage in fabrics special embroidery threads are used for producing the desired effect on the fabric or canvas. The stitching pattern of the long armed cross stitch extends form left to right and like the cross stitch of which it is a variant, the long armed cross stitch is simpler and easy to work on and is less time consuming. The long armed cross stitch is also known by various other names like Portuguese stitch, Greek stitch, long legged cross stitch, twist stitch, Slav stitch or plaited Slav stitch.