Mabel Figworthy wrote:Love the effect, don't mind it in small quantities, HATE it if there's lots to do right at the end of a project -- by that time the project "feels" finished and I want to start on something new, and there's all that backstitch to do first
Very well said and I agree.
I don't pick out my charts based on what stitches there are...If i like the chart I attempt it.
Now tha I'm trying the grid technique I may also try the back stitch as I go technique as well. that is what i have done on my sisters piece that I am currently working on...it was more by accident then hey let me try this...it just made sense do do the back stitching as I went...now it does not seem as tedious as before. I too think it has to do with the fact that I KNOW i'm so close to finishing and that I have all these other projects "calling my name" that I just want it to hurry up and be done with.
I love the backstitching and I do some as I go and I leave some for the end it all depends on what I am doing and what I want to see "finished". Faces usually get the backstitch done as I go and also hands and flowers. But as long as the pattern is clear and that the back stitching really makes sense I find it relaxing rather then a chore. But when the chart is not clear I do find I some times want to through it out the window.
If you are looking for some one to help change you, look in the mirror
I love the effect of it and really don't mind doing it at all. My most recent finishes have all involved lots and lots of backstitch. I always do it as I go since I love also being able to move on from a page and know that it's completely done, never need to return to it. It's also really encouraging to see the project pop into life as I go too.
I will confess though that the "raggedy" backstitch can be frustrating at times (I'm thinking of the tatty teddy/beatrix potter type). It does take more concentration to do than even the cross stitch so I have to be more awake for it Also I've found that on my soft afghan fabric, when I'm piercing the fabric the thread can slide into not quite the right place - I've resolved to call this personalisation! This type of backstitch wouldn't prevent me from doing the project though.
I'm with Lizzy, I absolutely hate it.
It feels like 'cheating' to me on the part of the designer if they have to use backstitching to bring details to light, especially on big designs - why couldn't they use more shading or something instead? Backstitching always feels like needlessly covering all my lovely stitches! Not to mention adding hours of work at the end.
In short, I don't go anywhere near it
I am like Mable by the time I get to the end of the cross stitching part I just want to get it washed, pressed framed etc. Once I get started on the backstitch it's usually OK I think it is more the thought of doing it and thats when things are likely to become an UFO if I don't have a deadline to get finished by.
I keep thinking I should try doing the backstitch as I go as I do love the way it improves the stitching If I start a project with not or very little backstitching I do feel better about it and like others have said how come some charts use none and others loads.
I like backstitch. I like to see the design come to life by it.
Mind you, I don't always like the look it gives, but that's more to do with the design of it than the doing of it. (I hate the 'sketchy look' backstitch like on my hedgehog and flowers in my gallery).
I'm really wanting to try blackwork as well, I'm sure I'll love it.
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! Forget love! I'd rather fall in CHOCOLATE!
Current With Faith
Dogs
Snow Leopard (Haed)
Big Cats
I've never really minded backstitch. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I love watching the pattern pop as I go. Sometimes I do the backstitch as I go, and other times it is the last thing. Of course, here I am saying that I don't mind backstitch, but at the same time I'm happy that the designer wants to do her own backstitch on the model I'm doing.
WIPs: There Be Dragons, Feed My Sheep, Canyon Flight HAED, Lotus Flowers HAED, Christmas Cove
I used to hate it but now I know that the finished product will be much better with it. It is not so bad if I do the b/s on the sections I finished before doing any more then it is not so overwhelming.
For the most part I really like backstitch, I leave it till the end because I love seeing how the piece comes together with the outlining and details.
The only time I hate backstitch is with my tatty Ted design doing the 'furry' effect, had I know how bad it was before I bought it I would never have started it.
As for blackwork I've started getting into it and really enjoy it. Just finished Kell's bookmark design which is beautiful, will post a pic in a day or so, then plan to do the Tudor Rose cushion design which was in one of the stitching mags a few months ago for MILs 50th, her living room colour scheme is black and white sPo should be perfect
I love the effect just a few lines of backstitch can give an image. But I LOATHE doing it. I find it easy to follow the trail of colors as I stitch them but with backstitches I tend to wander around a bit and find out later that I've missed a bit here and there. Then it's a pain to figure out where you've missed things and then going to put that one or two stitches in where you need to.
I don't walk away from a chart that I like just because it has backstitching in it. But if there's a heavy amount of backstitching (like those Sew and So mice and some Tatty Ted's) then I might think twice (or three, four times) before I might buy it. I guess that's why I like doing some of my larger projects lately. They don't have backstitching at all (with the exception of the strings for the smaller balloons in Twilight Balloon Flight and those are long stitches and I won't mind doing those).
current project rotation:
Twilight Balloon Flight
The Accolade
Faces of Faery 89
Dad's Flower Pot
I really like doing backstitch. And I love the way it can really make your picture pop with the detail it adds. I usually leave mine till the end, I like seeing the project come together and look finished all at once
The wedding sampler I am doing right now actually has a lot more backstitch than cross stitch. The detail is just exquisite and I love the way it looks!
I must admit to sometimes backstitching over 2 stitches at a time, if the area is a line several stitches long. I can't see a bit of difference, even under my magnifier lamp, and it certainly makes the process almost twice as fast! After all, on 18 count, you are talking about a stitch 1/9th of an inch long instead of 1/18th of an inch long.
The worst thing to me about backstitching is if you have to remove it, as when there are stitches on either side of it, it imbeds itself and is so hard to remove without disturbing the cross stitches.
I'm one of those who does it as I go along, rather than leaving it all 'til last.
Mary Lou
the project that i am working on now...does not hae even backstitching...like that end of it may fall in the middle of the square instead of the the "predestined" holes...so i am doing straight stitches....on them...it seems to show up better...then after i read the instructions....it suggested doing straight stitches!!
Imagine that..you read the instructions and you get help!!
I don't mind having to do backstitch - saying that the two companies I like best - HAED and Country Threads - one doesn't use backstitch and the other rarely uses it.
I think that it's my engineering brain - I like leaving it till last and then working out the path I'm going to take....
When I first started stitching, I used to hate it because I used to leave it all until the very end and it used to seem to take forever! I did a blackwork peacock design a few months back and since then, I haven't minded it as much. If I have a big design with alot of b/s I tend to try and do it as I go along then it doesn't seem too much
As many others said, I like it less than cross stitch, but I love how it changes and makes patterns more vivid. After learning how to do French knots properly (it took me a while...) I began to really love them.
But, overall, I tendo to chose patterns WITHOUT backstitch, and that may explain a lot...
Also, being a fond lover of blackwork, I can't really hate it, because the technique is similar.
- SILVIA -
"To the extent that this world surrenders its richness & diversity, it surrenders its poetry. To the extent that it relinquishes its capacity to surprise, it relinquishes its magic"
I hate doing lare amounts of backstitch. I leave all of the details until I have finished the cross stitch so if a project has large amounts of backstitch I can work just on that for days or weeks even. I love the way it looks once completed but by the time i get to starting it I just want to move onto something new.
Also I've found that on my soft afghan fabric, when I'm piercing the fabric the thread can slide into not quite the right place - I've resolved to call this personalisation! 
Not to mention adding hours of work at the end.
If I start a project with not or very little backstitching I do feel better about it and like others have said how come some charts use none and others loads.
I like to see the design come to life by it. 
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! 
