Parking - what does the back look like?

[destructiveernie]

Is anyone who stitches using the parking method willing to show me what the back looks like?????

Please

[Fizzbw]

Oooh yes, I'm mosey interested as well!! If anyone needs encouragement my backs are dreadful

Niki xxx

[nachosmiley]

Ok I'm feeling brave......I think!! When I started my Altair piece I used the parking method and then got bored with it and went cross country so I have a unique piece that is kind of half and half so you can see the difference!!



As you can see on the shoulder area (the large black bit with the paler surround) on the right hand side I used parking and the left I did cross country (rather messy I know) ....as you can see parking makes the back much neater but I prefer the cross country method myself....scruffy back but for some reason cross country stitching holds my interest more!!

Hope that helps

[destructiveernie]

Thank you for being so brave.

Cross country is what I know so think it is what I'm going to stick with, just trying to pick out the odd stitches and the doing to blocks of colour around them.

[rcperryls]

I tried parking too because those who do love it so much, but I can't keep track of that many threads. I started to worry about the threads getting tangled rather than enjoying the stitching. Cross Country is more right for me. Maybe if I used a stand, but I don't so no matter what I did I tangled the threads. Plus when cats walk over you it doesn't help. And I've been so lax with them that it's too late to change their bad habits.
And I hate threading needles and seems to me I'd be doing that continuously.

Carole

[jocellogirl]

I tried parking too because those who do love it so much, but I can't keep track of that many threads. I started to worry about the threads getting tangled rather than enjoying the stitching. Cross Country is more right for me. Maybe if I used a stand, but I don't so no matter what I did I tangled the threads. Plus when cats walk over you it doesn't help. And I've been so lax with them that it's too late to change their bad habits.
And I hate threading needles and seems to me I'd be doing that continuously.

Carole

Ditto minus the cats. I'm much happier going the scenic route!!

[Fizzbw]

I'm z solid cross countryer as well! My concentration is so poor I can only really cope with on colour at a time. But I never rule anything out, I used to think I'd never use a magnifier and now I use one all the time, same with stitching with two hands!

Thanks for being brave and showing us back nacho, it looks fine to me

Niki xxx

[BizzieLizzie]

I've only just seen this thread, otherwise I would have posted sooner. Here's the back of Coniferous Forest:



I park in 10 stitch wide columns, hence the back being stripey. I start with the loop method from the front (to halve the amount of running under) and I run the tails under a few stitches on the back. I don't pay any particular attention to keeping the back neat other than making sure I only run under about four stitches on the back when snipping off a tail.

Hope that helps!

ETA: This design is very confetti heavy, so this is as messy as any back is likely to get using the same parking method.

[destructiveernie]

Thanks buzzielizzie.

I've never tried parking, mainly because I'd stress over whether the I was using the right thread when I picked it back up.

Sticking with cross country, although I am filling in gaps as I go rather than just going on and on and on with one colour and then going back and trying to fill in the gaps later. Saves the time I spend trying to work out what colour should be in the gap as I don't mark my charts.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Wow BizzieLizzie that is one impressive back especially as you say you're not even trying

[jocellogirl]

Wow BizzieLizzie that is one impressive back especially as you say you're not even trying

Exactly what I though!!

[BizzieLizzie]

Thank you for the compliments.

I hope I didn't sound big-headed by saying I don't pay any attention to keeping the back neat - the point I was trying to make was that the back takes care of itself as long as you minimise running under and don't carry threads too far.

I'd actually like to be able to cross country stitch like some of the other members on here, but every time I've tried I've got hopelessly lost, miscounted, missed out stitches, etc, etc. I guess it's just a case of horses for courses.

[321]

I mix the two I suppose if the next stitch in the same colour is a way away I break of and start anew but if its near I will park.I saw the back of a friends stitching today and it was so neat,you could hardly tell which side was the right side.I am to lazy to do that.

[franacropan]

I never look at my back as I start and finish from the front. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the back to take this photo, as I don't think it's too bad.

The little bits that look like tails of threads actually go through to the front as they are my starts and finishes from the front. They get stitched over in the natural course of things and are snipped off from the front.
I use one strand on 28 count and I park in ten stitch wide columns and grid with metallic sulky thread.