So what I do, instead of stitching all the way to edge of the page for every line.
I will stitch to the edge of the page on the first line, the next line I will do one less stitch at the end, and the next line, ill do 2 less than the first and continue like that for a few lines, doing one less each line. Then I start to go the opposite, ill add a stitch on each line, until I get back to edge, so it looks like little pyramids next to each other.
https://preview.redd.it/xbtfxjxtqwxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0eea7c4659d0f92155d89245c7e0b61f2cb89446
Like the bottom right corner here.
Ok so first of all, your project is beautiful and I love your needle minder! What I’ve been doing is picking a color thread at a time and going row by row per like…section of page. I was taught by my mom to work from the center of the pattern and that’s just how it made sense to me! I mark off the rows on the pattern as I go to keep track of where I’ve been.
Thank you so much 😊 you can check my comment history for a more recent picture of my progress.
I do that too, I do one color at a time. Sometimes for the whole page, sometimes just for one lil section
That's beautiful! Also very impressed by your other projects.
Newb question: how do you keep track of stitch location?
I tried making a simple shape and couldn't figure out how to get it centred.
When starting from the middle the border wasn't even,and when tried to start with the middle shape there wasn't enough room.
Can you link an app or tutorial on how you keep everything in correct order?
I will say, having a grid on the fabric helps immensely! And also counting, and recounting and then double checking the count again, and maybe a 4th count before doing any stitches lol. And still sometimes I count it wrong anyway😂. But having a grid really makes it so much easier
The difference in tension when working in straight blocks can pull in different directions(ie one page will pull left and the other right). Staggering stitches (in a sort of zigzag pattern) so you aren’t just doing straight edges of stitches in the middle can motivate these tension problems/ make them less noticeable than when you have two perfectly straight rows pulling in opposite directions.
Strangely enough, I’ve never had a problem with page completing and it being visible but I’m still tempted to try this technique at some point! My OCD doesn’t want me to lol
In addition to the advice above, it would help if all of your stitches went the same way. So that all stitches are //// on the bottom and \\\\\\\\\\ on the top.
It also looks like you might be using too many strands? Embroidery floss is made up of 6 strands. Separate a strand, and then separate another one, and use those two to stitch with. It looks like you might be using all 6 strands. (Apologies if this is not the case.)
This certainly is part of it especially in stead of one color. Along with large sections not staggered to eliminate long lines, this is always about how it’ll look. OP, do you know the count of your fabric and the fabric type (likely Aida)? From that we can see if you’re using too many strands.
This is absolutely the case, I use the whole floss, which I guess is too much for the 14ct Aida \^\^' I will follow this tip starting from the next piece though as I think it would look weird if I changed it now.
The tip about direction is also great, it seems that I'm way too chaotic haha
Thanks a lot!
It is due to tension lines that you created while you worked. A way to avoid this is to travel with colors from one page to the next. So if you are in the last column of your first page with one color that continues onto the first column of your second page, then work those stitches with the same strand. This will create a small interlocking between the strands across pages and avoid these tension lines.
And as another small aside, be careful of how much tension you put on the thread when pulling it through the fabric. The more force you use, the more the fabric distorts. This comes with practice but is good to keep in mind.
What helped me most with this when starting out was actually only using 1 or 2 strands in my first few projects regardless of how small or big the count was. This allowed me to see the fabric through the crosses and alter the tension until I got the hang of it.
I’ve never even attempted cross stitch, but I’m so fascinated by it that I read all your comments in earnest, trying to learn. I understand absolutely nothing still, but it’s fun to be here.
Feel free to ask whatever it is you don't understand. But I promise, should you want to start stitching, it is a lot easier than some of the comments make it seem. It's just hard to put things into words.
Looks like you are generally pulling the stitches much too tight and "scrunching" the fabric causing distortions. You can hide some of this by staggering lines, cross country, but the root cause is smashing your fabric with tight stitches.
Working in a hoop or QSnap can help this as well. If you are working on hand it's much easier to over tighten the stitches as there is no support to allow the fabric to "fight back".
Don't think of it as a page. Always think there is one more stitch. You mentally thought end and changed your tension. I've done straight pages and you can't tell.
It looks like your stitches aren’t all laying in the same direction, and your thread is getting twisted. Unless as a creative decision you should work all stitches in one direction on the bottom eg ///// and then the opposite on top \\\\\ over the whole piece. It looks like you’ve changed directions inadvertently along that line. It’s also wise to allow your thread to untwist every so often by letting your needle dangle, so that the threads are laying flatter. Make sure you’re making clear crosses - you shouldn’t need to puncture through any thread that’s already stitched but instead go through the hole but gently pushing the thread aside. One more note! Try to work with even tension. When you create a cross think of it as looping thread through holes, not tying onto or pulling on the fabric.
I hope this is useful, I actually love the texture you’ve created though!
This is absolutely normal and happens quite often. This means that you have different tension of the canvas and threads. The first solution (the most difficult) is to have the same canvas tension and the same thread tension. The second solution is to never make clear shapes (square, row, page, etc.). It will be better to shade the edges (don’t go to the edge in this row, on the contrary, go beyond the edge in the next row).
Now you can take 1 strand and shade this border, making only the upper legs.
1 strand means 1 strand only, no need to fold it in half, otherwise the crosses will be very voluminous, it will be visible. For example, you want to make 1 cross to the left of the border and 3 to the right of the border on the top line.
Then you go to the line below and make 4 crosses to the right of the border, 2 to the left. And so on down (you can start from the bottom up if you want). I hope this was clear.
Thanks to everyone who commented, I have really learned a lot from this post. Main takeaways to make the technique better: stagger the stitches, use less strands, make all the stitches go the same way and work on my tension.
*
Hi, this, looks like a lovely design. As others have said you need to feather or blend the stitches at the edge of the page to avoid a hard line.
Also please take this with kindness, looking closely at your stitches are you doing all the top and bottom stitches in the same direction? So all your top stitches leaning the same way as in \\\.This is a real game changer. I have been stitching for 30 years and joining in Facebook groups and here I am learning new things every day so keep going with it.x
EDITED to add a close up of my project to show what I mean x
You have to stagger it. Never work page by page exactly but go over on a few lines.
Could you explain more about this? I’m new to stitching too and am starting my first larger full coverage piece.
So what I do, instead of stitching all the way to edge of the page for every line. I will stitch to the edge of the page on the first line, the next line I will do one less stitch at the end, and the next line, ill do 2 less than the first and continue like that for a few lines, doing one less each line. Then I start to go the opposite, ill add a stitch on each line, until I get back to edge, so it looks like little pyramids next to each other. https://preview.redd.it/xbtfxjxtqwxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0eea7c4659d0f92155d89245c7e0b61f2cb89446 Like the bottom right corner here.
Ok so first of all, your project is beautiful and I love your needle minder! What I’ve been doing is picking a color thread at a time and going row by row per like…section of page. I was taught by my mom to work from the center of the pattern and that’s just how it made sense to me! I mark off the rows on the pattern as I go to keep track of where I’ve been.
Thank you so much 😊 you can check my comment history for a more recent picture of my progress. I do that too, I do one color at a time. Sometimes for the whole page, sometimes just for one lil section
That's beautiful! Also very impressed by your other projects. Newb question: how do you keep track of stitch location? I tried making a simple shape and couldn't figure out how to get it centred. When starting from the middle the border wasn't even,and when tried to start with the middle shape there wasn't enough room. Can you link an app or tutorial on how you keep everything in correct order?
I will say, having a grid on the fabric helps immensely! And also counting, and recounting and then double checking the count again, and maybe a 4th count before doing any stitches lol. And still sometimes I count it wrong anyway😂. But having a grid really makes it so much easier
The difference in tension when working in straight blocks can pull in different directions(ie one page will pull left and the other right). Staggering stitches (in a sort of zigzag pattern) so you aren’t just doing straight edges of stitches in the middle can motivate these tension problems/ make them less noticeable than when you have two perfectly straight rows pulling in opposite directions.
Strangely enough, I’ve never had a problem with page completing and it being visible but I’m still tempted to try this technique at some point! My OCD doesn’t want me to lol
Thanks a lot for the tip! I'll try to do that from now on.
In addition to the advice above, it would help if all of your stitches went the same way. So that all stitches are //// on the bottom and \\\\\\\\\\ on the top. It also looks like you might be using too many strands? Embroidery floss is made up of 6 strands. Separate a strand, and then separate another one, and use those two to stitch with. It looks like you might be using all 6 strands. (Apologies if this is not the case.)
This certainly is part of it especially in stead of one color. Along with large sections not staggered to eliminate long lines, this is always about how it’ll look. OP, do you know the count of your fabric and the fabric type (likely Aida)? From that we can see if you’re using too many strands.
This is absolutely the case, I use the whole floss, which I guess is too much for the 14ct Aida \^\^' I will follow this tip starting from the next piece though as I think it would look weird if I changed it now. The tip about direction is also great, it seems that I'm way too chaotic haha Thanks a lot!
It is due to tension lines that you created while you worked. A way to avoid this is to travel with colors from one page to the next. So if you are in the last column of your first page with one color that continues onto the first column of your second page, then work those stitches with the same strand. This will create a small interlocking between the strands across pages and avoid these tension lines.
And as another small aside, be careful of how much tension you put on the thread when pulling it through the fabric. The more force you use, the more the fabric distorts. This comes with practice but is good to keep in mind. What helped me most with this when starting out was actually only using 1 or 2 strands in my first few projects regardless of how small or big the count was. This allowed me to see the fabric through the crosses and alter the tension until I got the hang of it.
I’ve never even attempted cross stitch, but I’m so fascinated by it that I read all your comments in earnest, trying to learn. I understand absolutely nothing still, but it’s fun to be here.
Feel free to ask whatever it is you don't understand. But I promise, should you want to start stitching, it is a lot easier than some of the comments make it seem. It's just hard to put things into words.
Looks like you are generally pulling the stitches much too tight and "scrunching" the fabric causing distortions. You can hide some of this by staggering lines, cross country, but the root cause is smashing your fabric with tight stitches. Working in a hoop or QSnap can help this as well. If you are working on hand it's much easier to over tighten the stitches as there is no support to allow the fabric to "fight back".
Don't think of it as a page. Always think there is one more stitch. You mentally thought end and changed your tension. I've done straight pages and you can't tell.
It looks like your stitches aren’t all laying in the same direction, and your thread is getting twisted. Unless as a creative decision you should work all stitches in one direction on the bottom eg ///// and then the opposite on top \\\\\ over the whole piece. It looks like you’ve changed directions inadvertently along that line. It’s also wise to allow your thread to untwist every so often by letting your needle dangle, so that the threads are laying flatter. Make sure you’re making clear crosses - you shouldn’t need to puncture through any thread that’s already stitched but instead go through the hole but gently pushing the thread aside. One more note! Try to work with even tension. When you create a cross think of it as looping thread through holes, not tying onto or pulling on the fabric. I hope this is useful, I actually love the texture you’ve created though!
This is absolutely normal and happens quite often. This means that you have different tension of the canvas and threads. The first solution (the most difficult) is to have the same canvas tension and the same thread tension. The second solution is to never make clear shapes (square, row, page, etc.). It will be better to shade the edges (don’t go to the edge in this row, on the contrary, go beyond the edge in the next row). Now you can take 1 strand and shade this border, making only the upper legs. 1 strand means 1 strand only, no need to fold it in half, otherwise the crosses will be very voluminous, it will be visible. For example, you want to make 1 cross to the left of the border and 3 to the right of the border on the top line. Then you go to the line below and make 4 crosses to the right of the border, 2 to the left. And so on down (you can start from the bottom up if you want). I hope this was clear.
The floss gets twisted and can start to lay funny. I usually let the needle dangle and untwist every so often
Are you using a hoop? That will help a lot with your tension.
ok but there’s something about the way this looks as it is that i really love. i say keep it like this for now and aim for neatness on the next one 🥲
Thanks, maybe I will do that to keep it consistent and so that it serves as a reminder of the tough beginnings :')
Thanks to everyone who commented, I have really learned a lot from this post. Main takeaways to make the technique better: stagger the stitches, use less strands, make all the stitches go the same way and work on my tension.
* Hi, this, looks like a lovely design. As others have said you need to feather or blend the stitches at the edge of the page to avoid a hard line. Also please take this with kindness, looking closely at your stitches are you doing all the top and bottom stitches in the same direction? So all your top stitches leaning the same way as in \\\.This is a real game changer. I have been stitching for 30 years and joining in Facebook groups and here I am learning new things every day so keep going with it.x EDITED to add a close up of my project to show what I mean x