Bunny Side View Medium Cross Stitch Tag

Traditionally shaped gift tag has top panel with ribbon slot 

(accepts .375 wide flat) and reinforcement ring, with pair of accent 

eyelet  punch holes (shapes also included without eyelet holes). 

Cut and glue together two cardstock cross-stitching layers for strength. 

Cross-stitch pattern needle holes are stitched following included 

CHART to create a simpler bunny design with 

(NOTE: only design stitching holes are included). 

Complete the EASY cross-stitch design using 2 ply embroidery floss 

with fine blunt no. 24 tapestry needle with floss colors: 

blue body, dark gray eye, light gray tail, pink nose. 

A stitchery area silhouette cutout buffer layer and solid layer are

also included as optional backside layers for a more finished final project. 

Cross-stitch count: 82. Tag finished size 2.25” wide x 3.5” long.

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A main tag with stitching holes (2)

B stitching area cutout backside tag layer

C plain backside tag layer

D contrast tag top panels (2)   E slit reinforcements (2)

2. Make sure the stitching hole openings are free

from cutout waste (chads). One way to do this is

to use the end of a paperclip to push through to backside

then rub/scrape tiny "confetti" pieces away.

(This image is from the larger bunny project.)

3. Position and glue together the two stitching layers,

taking care that all cut edges align as precisely

as possible, including stitching holes, eyelet holes,

slot and tag edges.

Press the glued-up tags under a flat heavy weight

such as this thick book or equivalent wood plank,

flat weights, etc. and allow to dry thoroughly

(for several hours or over night).

4. Position and attach the reinforcement accent shapes

onto the tag top accents, aligning the slot cut outs

of each as precisely as possible.

(This image is from the larger bunny tag.)

5. Prepare to begin stitching by assembling needles

and floss. This is the recommended needle type

and size: tapestry no. 24.

DMC floss was used for the model; select colors

of choice to coordinate with your paper choices.

Model colors: body 807 ; tail 3024; nose 3712, eye 413.

6. Cut a 26-28" length of 6-ply floss, then separate

a single strand.

Print out the stitching CHART or have ready access on screen.

Locate the first stitch on the bunny's bottom row - 

this is where the stitching will begin.

Then isolate the upper left stitching hole that will produce the first 'X'.

This is the hole where the needle will pass from backside

to frontside as stitching begins.

7. Cut a 26-28" length of 6-ply floss, then separate

a single strand.

Loop the strand in half to bring the cut ends together.

8. Thread the loop end through the eye of 

the tapestry needle, then pull the double strand through 

to leave the cut ends as the 4-5 inch 'tail', 

with the loop as the 'end' of the stitching length.

9. FIRST RULE OF CROSS-STITCHING:

create ALL stitches in same order direction.

That is, the "legs" of the 'X' need to be stitched

in the same manner throughout. For these instructions,

this will be: FIRST the 'right' slant

and SECOND the 'left' slant.

NOTE that the order presented in the above illustration

is optimum and may change slightly as stitching progresses

in order NOT to 'unstitch' previous stitches.

10. Insert the needle back-to-front in the hole identified in Step 9,

pull the floss through for just 5-6 inches, then . . . 

. . . immediately insert the needle front-to-back into

the bottom right hole of the first 'X', and pull the needle

through to the backside, then . . . 

. . . pass the needle through the end loop . . .

. . . and pull the floss through the remainder of

the length, allowing the loop to slide into place

against the tag's backside and anchor the floss.

(This is how to begin each NEW length of floss,

and is referred to as "tying on".)

11. Regular stitching can now proceed.

Insert needle up in the next X stitch's top-left hole

(#3 in the illustration in Step 9), pull floss through

completely - taut but NOT tight.

12. Complete the second X right slant stitch by inserting

needle down through hole #4, then up through

hole #5 and so forth, completing ALL the 

 right slant stitches ACROSS the first row.

Complete all the left slant stitches for bottom row.

13. Move UP to the next row, work across the right slant stitches.

Refer to the CHART to make sure the SPACES are skipped

appropriately.

14. Continue to work upward to complete all the BODY

colored cross stitches. "Tie off" when stitching is complete,

or when floss length is used up.

Be sure to leave tail, eye and nose areas free 

from stitching until later.

15. NOSE DETAIL:

An extra stitch hole has been included in the center of

the 'X' for the NOSE. When beginning the row for body stitches

that aligns with the nose stitch, complete only the half right slant

body stitch. Then complete the remainder of 

whole right & left body slant stitches for the row.

For NOSE stitch, complete the half right slant nose stitch,

then the whole left slant nose stitch, on top of the body stitch

that already occupies the body holes.

(Step 18 will describe additional straight stitches

that can be added for better definition.)

16. Tying off: with the needle on the backside of the work,

slide the needle under a few stitches of an adjacent row,

pull floss through completely, then clip even with tag surface.

NOTE: this is the same tying off procedure for 

any time stitching color is changed, 

or a new length of floss is required.

17. Add the eye cross stitch - for more definition,

stitch the right slant leg twice, then stitch

the left slant stitch twice, they tie off.

18. Complete the nose half and whole slant stitches

as described in Step 15 Nose Detail. Then . . .

. . . add a vertical stitch along the left side of the nose's

'X' stitch, and a horizontal stitch along the top.

Here is the finished tag cross stitching.

19. To make the tag's backside look nice, and buffer

the thickness of the stitching to avoid rippling at edges

where the layers need to come together when joining,

use the stitching shape which is glued to the backside of stitched

assembly, with outer cut edges, punch holes and slot edges

matched precisely.

20. Position and attach the plain tag with openings

and side edges matched up precisely.

(Consider pressing under a flat heavy weight until dry.)

21. Position and attach the top accent assemblies,

one on front and optionally one on back.

Here is the completed tag, with eyelets,

ribbon threaded through slot,

tied with twine.