Cross Stitch Screw Up. Help!

[unabravaragazza81]

Hello everyone! This is only my second cross stitching project ever, and I'm really enjoying it. However, I noticed on the wing of the bird that there's a distinct line where the cross stitching looks different from what's next to it. I can't quite figure out what I screwed up, and if there's any way to fix it. Any ideas?

[rcperryls]

Hello and welcome to the forum from South Carolina! I'm not sure that I see the line you are talking to on the front of your work, though it is pretty clear on the back. I don't know what you have done but I'm sure that someone here will figure it out and let you know. Did you change skeins while stitching (different lot # perhaps) or change your tension. Both of those are things which can make a change in how your stitches look. It doesn't seem like you have change the direction of your stitching.

Also thought to let you know, if you copy the image code from the photo program you are using (for eg., photobucket), you don't need to also click on our link icon when posting the picture. That gives it two img codes and the photo doesn't appear. I edited the post for you so we could all see your lovely piece. Hope you will stick around. There is so much to learn here and we are a very friendly and encouraging group.

Carole

[Allyn]

Lovely bird. It looks like a delightful design.

It looks like a 'tension line' on the front. That can come from stitching the edge of a page or the edge of a column when you're stitching in 'squares." On the back, the pattern changes right at the line. Did you change how you were forming the Xs? That can be noticeable on the front as a line or lines when you change how you form the stitches in the middle of a large field of solid color -- again, related to tension. As Carole said, it might be a dye-lot difference, but the change on the backside still seems like a clue.

[MaggieM1750]

Are all your top threads laying in the same direction?
At this part did you switch from stitching horizontal rows to stitching vertical rows? The tension of the thread pulls in different directions. When you switch in a solid color area like this, it's noticeable.

Do you plan to wash this when done? Threads may settle down and even out the tension.

[Reta]

Agree with Maggie

[Rose]

Not sure what the change is. I can see it a bit on the front but the back is pretty obvious. Someone else mentioned that possibly the top stitch is going in a different direction at that point. I don't know???? hard to tell with just a photo.

[cairee]

it looks like you changed the way you were making your crosses. the stitches are going the same way but you changed how the thread travels in the back, as you have discovered this can noticeable from the front, especially where there is solid color.

washing or stretching wont fix it (been there, tried that) if it really bothers you you can unpick it and re stitch it using the same method as you stitched the rest of the bird

stand back and look at it, its probably not noticeable from a normal viewing distance, and you can probably leave it with no one ever noticing

[cristaltipps]

Hi, it looks to me as though you stitched the bigger part of the bird from side to side and then for the top part of the wing you went up and down on the fabric, i had the exact same thing happen on something i did a long while ago and although no one else seems to see it i still feel it jumps out at me when i see it however unless you unpick a large amount i don't think it will completely go away personally though its not that noticeable i would just chalk it up to experience, and try to always go the same way with large blocks of colour in future.
Good luck

[unabravaragazza81]

Thank you so much for all of the help! The stitches are the same on the front. I'm doing the SW to NE stitch on top for all of them, but I do think that I was going horizontally for much of it, and then the part where the line is, I started going vertically. I also think that I was stitching the part on the right much tighter. Is there anything I can do to try make it look less distinct? I know that you said I could try to cut it out and redo it. But what if I did a single stitch across to make it less tight?

[MaggieM1750]

I would leave it alone for a week or two while working on different parts of the design, or a different project, and come back to it with new eyes. The stitches may settle in a bit.
I know frogging is necessary at times, but I try hard to avoid it.

[Reta]

I would leave it alone as thats a lot of frogging

Just be aware in the future and keep your work one way

[Lynda-Rose]

If it was me I'd just leave it as it is, it's only your second ever cross stitch and you'll improve as you go (I see improvement in my stitching and I've been stitching since I was 9 - I'm 29 now).

It probably looks more obvious to you as it's your project, I doubt anyone else would notice it unless you pointed it out, it looks like a lovely design

[rcperryls]

I would leave it alone for a week or two while working on different parts of the design, or a different project, and come back to it with new eyes. The stitches may settle in a bit.
I know frogging is necessary at times, but I try hard to avoid it.

I agree. And when you look at it again, look from a distance as others will see your piece. You are probably the only one who will notice.

Carole

[unabravaragazza81]

Thanks! I'm giving it as a gift, so I want to make sure it looks nice, but you're right. I'm probably the only that will notice.

[ener23]

My mom has recently told me to not give away the work's flaws as others looking at the piece likely wouldn't notice them anyway. It is a subtle enough variation that even if they did notice it adds character to the piece as a handmade gift!

[curly sue]

My mom has recently told me to not give away the work's flaws as others looking at the piece likely wouldn't notice them anyway. It is a subtle enough variation that even if they did notice it adds character to the piece as a handmade gift!

My dh tells me the same thing! He says it is part of being hand crafted. For me it depends on what the project is, if it is a gift or not and how noticeable the issue is.

[Mabel Figworthy]

My mom has recently told me to not give away the work's flaws as others looking at the piece likely wouldn't notice them anyway. It is a subtle enough variation that even if they did notice it adds character to the piece as a handmade gift!

My dh tells me the same thing! He says it is part of being hand crafted. For me it depends on what the project is, if it is a gift or not and how noticeable the issue is.

And mine - he told me that a wonky petal on a flower I'd just stitched simply made it looke more natural as "nature is wonky too"

As others have said, we look at our own work close-up, sometimes even with a magnifying glass, and so of course any minor niggle is extremely noticeable to us - but look at it from a normal viewing distance and many of them disappear like snow before the sun (as they say in the Old Country)

[HalbertMusik]

Greetings-

What you are talking about is sooo noticeable that after reading the posts and spending quite some time looking for it, i just cannot for the life of me see what in the world you are talking about -

I agree: Let the stitches settle and then come back to it later - you may not even notice it... (i sure do not)

William David

[cedarblue]

I'n new to stitching too and I can't notice it, it's a lovely design though

I must admit, I have been turning my fabric around a bit and doing horizontal and vertical lines depending on the part of the pattern I'm working on. Maybe it's just me, but visually, I find it easier on my eye to work a horizontal line as a verticle line working upwards

Cedar