Marking patterns

[JaniceRae]

To any newbies make a copy of your original pattern and as you sew each cross mark of with highlighter where you are up to this simple task will help you keep your place as it can be easy to get lost on a pattern

[Reta]

Most of us do make "Working Copies"

[crosstitcher1]

I have always made copies of the originals, but I don't use a highlighter. I use a magnet board and it had 3 magnets with it and I turn 2 vertical and lay the 3rd one horizontal and move the horizontal one as needed.
I also "mark" my copied copy center with a ink pen circle and I work from center outward to the right as far as the pattern goes, then center to right til end of pattern,for the top, then I count to the left from center outward to end of pattern on left, and start from the end of the pattern on the left side "back" to the center last, I do the "same" on the left for the bottom. It's like working in a "spiral" formation.
I also put 2 x's on the "top" of the fabric, to show which is top and bottom. As I don't leave the project in my hoop when I am done for the day.
If the center of the pattern is "covered" with design, I count "down" from the center to the "last" x of the design, then mark the "next" clear stitch on pattern then put at the top of the copied pattern, how many stitches from bottom to center.
If the project is 8 x 10 or 11 x 14 or bigger, I roll "inward" the excess fabric, like a jelly roll, around the hoop and clip potato chip clips at 7, 10, 2 and 4 o'clock positions.
Good luck to all on your projects.

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

[Offe]

I used the magnet board, but now I use a plastic clipboard. It isn't as heavy and stays better in my lap. Instead of magnets I use postit-notes.

I have to try the potato chips clips.

[LastingAllure]

I make a working copy and highlight the symbol I want to stitch in a yellow and once they have been stitched I go over the yellow with a darker colour like pink or orange and move onto the next symbol.

I like to do this in case I decide to put the project away for a while. Really easy to pick it up again after months have passed, plus it makes watching TV and stitching easier.

[socialsue]

I do the same as Lasting Allure does since most of my designs are from HAEDs and it is easy to make lots of mistakes!

socialsue

[fccs]

By the time I get done with a project, even a small one, my charts are pretty beat up and creased, so I always work from copies. I color in areas I have done either with a colored pencil or an erasable highlighter. (I have been known to color in the wrong squares, hence the need to be able to erase.)

When my project is done, I toss the working copy and file the original in case I ever want to do it again (a rarity). I try to remember to write on the original the date, for whom it was made, any changes I made, and anything else that might be handy someday.

[stitchingmae]

I make working copies as well. Mine too are very beat up..I mark with either a highlighter or a Gel Pen (thanks to Victoria). I also sometimes mark a LARGE X through my finished squares like a sort of small "finish".

[Solitaire]

I generally make a copy and colour in the stitches I have done with a pencil and when I get near the end I circle odd stitches with a red pen so they stand out clearly

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

I mark mine off on my IPad - no faffing about with highlighters and possibly getting pen on my fabric or my hands . Has definitely streamlined my stitching process doing it that way!

[curly sue]

I usually do charts that are 5x7 or smaller. I use a magnet board to keep my place. If I'm doing a kit, I usually use the original chart. I slip the board and the chart into a page sleeve and put the magnets on the outside. I mark the center of my fabric with a loop of thread and sometimes mark the top of my fabric.

[wendywombat]

I have always made copies of the originals, but I don't use a highlighter. I use a magnet board and it had 3 magnets with it and I turn 2 vertical and lay the 3rd one horizontal and move the horizontal one as needed.

I have a magnetic board. Brilliant invention.


http://yarntree.com/cross-stitch/index. ... 5i9q6e55q1" target="_blank Also available at http://www.sewandsew.co.uk" target="_blank
I prop mine up on a stand which also has magnets on it to hold the metal board in place. Then with 3 magnet strips I don't need to highlight. Tried using a highlighter but it slowed me down and I always forgot to mark!

[Fizzbw]

I have a bit of a laborious method of marking my charts but my concentration isn't good enough to nt do this, on bigger charts anyway.

I make a working copy, if it's a colour chart I get it photocopied at the shop in town, or use the photocopier/printer at home if its small. Then I highlight the stitches I'm going to do in a highlighter pen, doing about 4 or so different colours with different colour highlighter pens (found a fab pack with 10 different colours!) when I have stitched all four colours I then shade them all in with pencil. Then I start highlighting again for the next lot of symbols.mintend to leave the more obvious colours, red, orange etc to the end of the part of chart I'm doing as the stand out more in all the pencil.

I did try using my ipad but couldn't find a comfortable place for it to go safely!! I'm kind of stuck with my magnetic board on the board holding extra on the Lowery.

Niki x

[thread garden]

Great tips! I only use a ruler on my original pattern to keep my place. Me thinks I need to get more sophisticated LOL.
Jan

[rcperryls]

I use the magnetic board and stand that Wendy does. I also have a PROP-IT Magnetic Chart Holder which I first used for large charts that were more than 2 pages and still use when I have several HAED pages that I am stitching. This lets me go either over to the next page if there are only a few stitches of a color continuing on that page, or sometimes going down a page for the same reason. I tried to stick to a page at a time, but I hate stopping a string of the same color just because a page ends. I do try to limit it though to no more than a few columns or rows.

Carole

[topbiddy]

I always do two working copies of my charts. Also I enlarge dense areas of the chart larger and cross reference to make sure I don't mess up.

[flosaxby]

I don't make working copies as I was under the impression that you only buy the right to do the pattern once (and if you want to do it again then you have to buy another copy) so there's no need to have a pristine copy left at the end of the project.

Unless you all mean printing off a copy of an online/electronic chart? not photocopying a paper chart?

However I do mark my chart as I go with a soft pencil that can be easily rubbed off if I have to frog anything!

Flo

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

I don't make working copies as I was under the impression that you only buy the right to do the pattern once (and if you want to do it again then you have to buy another copy) so there's no need to have a pristine copy left at the end of the project.

Unless you all mean printing off a copy of an online/electronic chart? not photocopying a paper chart?

However I do mark my chart as I go with a soft pencil that can be easily rubbed off if I have to frog anything!

Flo

It is true that some charts stipulate that the chart should only be stitched once - so once completed should not be passed on to other stitchers. Most designers will allow you to make a working copy of a design - eg I'm currently stitching Celtic Spring (paper chart) where the designer has stipulated you can make a working copy but not to copy the pattern for other stitchers. In my case I've scanned the chart and put on my iPad - once complete that "working copy" will be deleted. Stitchers make working copies for many reasons, primarily just incase a dog/cat/child/drink of choice ruins your chart when you are halfway through stitching it - you will have a copy of the chart to finish your work!

[fccs]

Stitchers make working copies for many reasons, primarily just incase a dog/cat/child/drink of choice ruins your chart when you are halfway through stitching it - you will have a copy of the chart to finish your work!

Yep!

[Fizzbw]

Well I'll stitch a design as many times as I want to, FOR ME. I won't sell them but only being allowed to stitch it once is ridiculous and no one sane is going to take you to court for stitching a design for yourself or for a gift twice. Far better to fight the real copyright fraud that goes on!

I keep all My original charts as much to admire as anything!!

Niki xxx