counted cross-stitch

Method of embroidery in which stitches are placed according to the counting of the threads of the underlying material. Dialectally referred to as "by thread". It includes several techniques from simple purpose-made stitches used to join, sew and clean, gather, reinforce or finish the edges of fabrics, through complex techniques of openwork and cut-out, embroidery in a net, to the widely used cross-stitch and flat stitch. The older developmental layer is represented by simpler geometric patterning procedures that were embroidered from memory and applied to coarse hemp and linen material. In the peasant environment in Slovakia, they were maintained in areas where folk costumes were made from homemade linen until the mid-20th century.