Although I love most types of cross-stitch projects, I must admit that full-coverage is where my heart truly lies. These enormous charts have tens of thousands- or even hundreds of thousands- of stitches, take years to complete and require you to wrangle enormous pieces of fabric and put in hours upon hours of work without feeling as though you are really making any progress. However, you are making progress, and one day that progress becomes apparent as you take a step back and realise you have stitched a section of a piece of artwork that is so life-like- so similar to the original- that it is genuinely awe-inspiring. I believe it is those moments that keep full-coverage stitchers coming back for more; we just can’t get enough of the magic that is embodied within a piece of full-coverage cross-stitch. 
Although I adore full-coverage with all my heart, I must admit that these projects are a real commitment, not only in terms of the time needed to complete them, but also in terms of the materials needed. Because full-coverage projects generally use only fabric and stranded cotton, you will not have to fork out for speciality threads or beads, but you will have to buy quite a few skeins of stranded cotton and a piece of fabric that’s larger- and therefore more expensive- than what you would usually buy. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Before we start talking about fabric, we must choose our chart, which is the first step in our full-coverage preparation process. 

Step 1) Choosing a Chart

Choosing your full-coverage hart is not a task to be rushed. This project will be with you for a long time- probably several years- so you must really love the piece of art you have chosen to stitch. I would advise you to spend some time perusing the websites of some reputable charting companies and see if anything takes your fancy. To like a design is not good enough, though- you really need to adore it. Too many full-coverage projects have been abandoned because the stitcher realised that they didn’t truly love the design they were stitching. This step is most important and I would really ask that you do not rush it. 
Some charting companies that specialise in full-coverage include Heaven and Earth Designs, Paine Free Crafts, Gecko Rouge and The Cross Stitch Studio, but there are lots more with fabulous designs. Please do make sure, though, that the company you buy from have obtained licensing for the artwork they are using. Personally I choose to stay away from AI generated images, but you must make your own call on that issue.
Although I would advise choosing a project based solely on size, it is important that you take note of how many stitches are in the piece. Larger pieces will obviously take longer and use more thread but they will also require a larger piece of fabric which some stitchers find too cumbersome too work with. A stitch count of 400 x 400 stitches may not seem that much but it’s a total of 160,000 stitches and will require a large piece of fabric and result in a large finished piece of art. 
Before you select your chart, you may also wish to check if it is compatible with Pattern Keeper, if you are planning on using it (more on that in a moment). You can usually buy full-coverage charts in either PDF or physical form. The PDF version will usually be slightly cheaper and and the chart will be available for download straight away. Of course you can then print if off at home, if you wish.
REMEMBER: PDF charts are for the sole use of the buyer and may not be sold, loaned or given to any other person in either physical or digital form. To do so may put you in breach of copyright laws. Some charting companies will also extend this rule to their physical charts to please always double check. 
KITS: Some charting companies will also offer their designs in the form of kits which will contain the chart, fabric and thread you need to complete your project. This is very handy but can also end up more expensive than buying the materials yourself and often there can be a lead time of several weeks or even months. 

For my next full coverage project, I have chosen Telling Tales, a Wind in the Willows themed piece from artist Chris Dunn, which has been wonderfully charted by Paine Free Crafts

Step 2) Pattern Keeper

If you are buying your chart in PDF form, you may wish to make use of an app called Pattern Keeper which was designed especially for stitching full-coverage projects. I cannot say enough good things about Pattern Keeper and would recommend it to any stitcher thinking of embarking upon a full-coverage project. The app- which can be used on both tablets and mobile phones- allows you to view and mark off your chart in a user-friendly and efficient way. There is a small fee to purchase the app but in my opinion it is 100% worth it. There are not often ground-breaking innovations in a craft as old and established as cross-stitch, but I think Pattern Keeper is certainly falls under that category. 
NOTE: At the time of writing, Pattern Keeper is only available on Android devices although there is, apparently, an IOS version under development. 

Step 3) Choosing Fabric

You are probably going to be working on this project for quite some time, so it’s vital that you choose a fabric you enjoy stitching on. Many full-coverage cross-stitch charts will recommend that you stitch with one strand over one thread of 25 count even-weave. Personally, I prefer to stitch on 18 count aida as I find that the aida has a more substantial feel and I simply find it more comfortable to stitch on for extended periods. Stitching on 18 count means that there are fewer holes per inch, so the stitches- and therefore the entire finished piece- will be larger than if I had stitched on 25 count. Larger finished pieces usually look better in larger rooms as you need to stand farther back to get the full effect of the finished piece. 
No matter what your preference is in terms of fabric count, I would strongly recommend that you consider using gridded fabric for dull-coverage projects. This makes counting and keeping track of your stitches a lot easier than if you were to stitch on plain white fabric. The grey lines break the fabric into 10 x 10 grids to match the grids on most cross-stitch charts. The grid lines make it so much easier to count your stitches and place them correctly and the lines will wash out in warm water when your piece is complete. You can view our selection of gridded fabrics here. 
Your chart may give you guidelines on what size piece of fabric you need to buy dependent on what size you choose to stitch on. If it has not- or if you wish to double check the measurements for yourself- you can consult our blog post and video guide here. 
NOTE: as always, I recommend you treat the raw edges of your fabric before starting your project. This will prevent fraying and can be done by using an over-locker or serger (if you are lucky enough to have such a machine) or you can use a simple zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine or hand sew around the edges. Some stitchers like to apply masking tape to the edges of their fabric and others prefer using pinking shears. Personally, I don’t think pinking shears work as well on needlecraft fabric as they do on other types of fabric, but that’s only my personal opinion. 

Step 4) Thread

Full-coverage cross-stitch projects generally call for only stranded cotton- usually from DMC- and do not usually use any type of speciality thread. In order to the get the best effect from your finished piece, I would recommend that you follow the thread list exactly and do not substitute in a different brand. Although there are many conversion charts for different brands of stranded cotton, please remember that the colours from the different brands may not be an EXACT match and whilst this may not too much of an issue for many types of project, with full-coverage it is imperative that the colours are exactly what the chart calls for- otherwise the effect may be lost. 
Many full-coverage charts will offer a ‘thread-usage’ guide which will indicate how many skeins of each colour you will need. These charts are only a guideline and calculated based on the recommended fabric count. If you are using a different count of fabric (e.g. if you are using 18 count instead of 25 count) you will probably need a different quantity of threads. Some stitchers will buy all of their skeins at the same time to ensure that the threads come from the same dye-lot. For example, if the chart calls for 5 skeins of DMC 300 (a medium brown) the stitcher might buy all 5 at the same time to ensure they are exactly the same colour. This can quickly add up in terms of financial outlay and not something I believe to be absolutely necessary. However, I would advise against using very old skeins of stranded cotton for full-coverage. Over the years, thread manufacturers have had to tweak their recipes due to restrictions in ingredients (especially within the EU) and other factors. This means that a skein of DMC 300 from 20 years ago may not be exactly the same as one you might buy today. For this reason, I recommend that you stick to using thread bought within the last few years and save those older threads for a different project. 

Step 5) Tools and Accessories

As always, I recommend you have a good quality pair of embroidery scissors when stitching. You will also need some tapestry needles (I use size 28 Bohin needles when stitching full-coverage) and some kind of frame or hoop. Because you will probably have to deal with lots of excess fabric, you may to use something to keep that excess rolled up around the side of your frame. Some people use ribbons, other use claw clips, others use grime guards, but my favourite method is to use some silicon magnetic ties (the type which are often used to tidy up electrical wires in people’s homes). You may also wish to have a good light on hand, a stand to hold your hoop or frame (if you wish to use one) and something to hold your chart (if you are working from paper) or phone/tablet (if you are using Pattern Keeper). 
With all that sorted, it’s time to get into the actual stitching- which we will talk about in Part 2.