Advice on back stitch details

[kiwilavagirl]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum it looks like a great group! I was hoping for a bit of help for something I have been tearing my hair out over.

I have spent over 6 months on a large and beautifully detailed dimensions gold pattern, the "European Bistro" pattern if anyone is familiar with it. I am up to the details now and am starting all the linework. The problem is, I can't get it to look right. If I use small backstitches, say taking 4 or 5 squares at a time, the line looks ragged and halted, not smooth. If I use longer stitches, say 10, as the appear to in the finished pattern picture on the front of the pack, the stitches look smooth, but it is difficult to maintain the "look" as the stitches move and readjust, making them look sloppy over time.

Has anyone found the same problem? How did you overcome it?

Thanks very much!
Angela

[LadyS]

I never do my backstitches over more than 2-3 squares, unless it's grass or whiskers that are meant to look long and loose. I don't have that kit but looking at pictures online of it I'd venture to say those are done over 1 square or 2 at the most. I know someone else is doing it though and I believe there's a recent finish of it on the site, so maybe they'll be able to help.

[carolanne]

I have found that some patterns are very difficult to backstitch and sometimes you have to stitch to fit the small area that you are highlighting. I have a couple that are giving me problems. My favorite patterns to backstitch are the precise ones the you do most of it one stitch at a time. I really like that best. When I try to do several stitches at a times, the look is not as definite and doesn't really make it stand out. I don't know if I have been clear.

[kiwilavagirl]

hmmm... thanks for your replies guys. Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I have finished the bulk of the pattern, which is a mixture of half and full cross stitch and am on to just finishing the line work which outlines walls, windows, signs and so forth. Most of the wording for the signs is, as you say, single or possibly 2 or 3 squares but the walls and windows (etc.) are long continuous lines, up to 100 or so squares long. Woudl you still do those lines in single squares? When I try it, it looks halted and messy. I can understand why in the picture they take the squares 10 at a time for these sections but when I try it, it quickly stretches out of shape...

[rcperryls]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I also don't have that kit, but I did look at it on line and I also think that someone here is working on it. It looked to me as if the backstitch is square by square for the most part. I think I would probably do that, or no more than 2 squares at a time, but then I tend to do most backstitch that way, unless it specifically calls for a long stitch in a particular place. It is a lovely pattern and I hope that you will post a picture for us to see also. I love looking at other's works.

Carole

[kiwilavagirl]

Thanks again, maybe i'll try a thread with the title in it. Maybe someone who has done it will see it there.

[LadyS]

Kiwi, I did mean it 1 or 2 squares even around windows, if you try making the whole side of the window in one long back stitched line it won't look good. You said on the pattern they take it 10 at a time, isn't that just the lines for the 10 x 10 blocks to make the pattern easier to read?

Here's the topic with the member who recently finished this same project.

http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... &start=720

And don't worry if up close the line looks "halted". If you look from a bit further back it'll look good.

[kiwilavagirl]

Hi Laura, thanks for your advice. The pattern itself makes no mention on how long you can make the stitches, it was the image on the front of the pack. I counted how long the stitches were around the windows and door frames and walls on their image because you could see where they went down and came up and it was 10 squares of aida. But maybe they just did that for aesthetic reasons to make the picture look good and it's not really possible. I suppose you are right about it looking fine from far away. Maybe i'll try with 5 squares and see how that looks...

[Squirrel]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum.

Laura beat me to it. Barb has done the Bistro and it looks fabulous, and of course the back stitch does enhance it heaps. I would do back stitching no more than 3 spaces and most often do it 2 spaces to keep it looking neat. I will alert Barb that you are looking for answers but it may well be she is working over the weekend.

Sally

[Rose]

I also do not have this particular pattern but I very seldom do more then 2 squares at a time unles they are on a diagonal were you have to go farther to get the BS lined properly or if I am doing some sort of whisker and even then I go as few a stitch as I can.

The up close look witll be a bit blocky looking but set it down and look at it as you will once it is finished and I think you will find the smooth lok you are after.

[*barb*]

Hi,
it was me who recently finished this.

Firstly, for the backstitching that goes over 100 squares, like the wall outlines, I did each one individually!! I know you can do two or three but I did not. So yup, I did the backstitching for the straight lines i.e North to South one square each backstitch. It holds better and is worth it in the long run.

Secondly the diagonal work like where the floor is at the front, i did that over a number os stitches. Basically i found the first corner of the diagnonal and worked it down to where the next corner was..some ended up being over 10 squares so I did them as couching. Do you know how to do couching? It's basically a small stitch in the middle of your big long stitch to hold it firm.

Squirrel emailed me to let me know you had a query. If you have further querys, post them here but maybe drop me a PM as I dont always come on. I will however remember to check this post in the next few days.

Also, i did not do all the white french knots, i started some and felt that it was french knot overkill so held back on alot of them. I find them easy to do, but honestly felt like the pattern was a big heavy handed on the french knots.

[curly sue]

I prefer single stitches mostly, but now and then will do 2. I prefer the look, myself. If I were outlining long straight areas, I would definitely do one at a time.

[Barbara]

I'm not a big fan of how backstitching looks combined with cross stitching. I only use a minimum of backstitching where it's really necessary to define something. Paintings don't have details outlined in black either...I prefer for cross stitching to look more like a painting.

[kiwilavagirl]

Wow, thanks everyone for the great advice. I will try the couching and the single stitches, I am sure you are right that when you step back from it the single stiches will look fine, but this couching idea is pretty interesting too. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Thanks again!