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Hi can people please post some pictures of the backs of there work for me please....and some tips of how to keep neat. I'm doing larger projects now and I'm sure I'm very messy??? Maybe I'm just paranoid?

Thanks in advance!

Don't worry too much about the back of your work, I know I don't. Sometimes a messy back is unavoidable, especially if you have lots of different coloured 'confetti' stitches.

I found the loop method very easy to minimise the mess on the back of my work and I try and only take my thread through 2 or 3 stitches to finish off.

I also keep an eye on the threads and check the back to make sure they're not knotted or anything

Just remember - once the piece is framed, no-one will know what the back is like. It's the front of the piece that is important

lucy, sometimes a mess is unavoidable. if all the colors are the same it should look like- l l l l and if doing tent stitches it will look like / / / / (sort of). But if you are framing it or finishing the back so no one will see it, I wouldn't worry about it, just enjoy your stitching.
If you want to see what the back of my work looks like, there is a pic in the stitch-a-long under Hope's 2010.

my backs look like a drunk has been stitching what with confetti stitches blends etc , i dont worry about it as once its framed no one sees it
but i do keep my eye on the bulk issue when fastening off but thats all

I know the backs of most of my projects aren't the best, but that's due to using designs that have so many color changes. I do try to keep them as neat as possible but since most of them are framed, or backed then I really do NOT worry too much about the back--so long as the front looks as nice as possible

I never show the back of my work if I can help it. I get angry with people that pick up my stitching and turn it over to see the back. I know some people are very careful with there backs and worry about how they stitch it so you can hardly tell which side to look at. Not me. The back is the back for a reason. As long as I don't have huge knots and long threads hanging all over then I don't see what there is to worry about. It is to be covered anyway so why stress over something that will be hidden.

Just my opinion.

I'm anal, I try to keep my backs as neat as I can. Granted, this doesn't always work with numerous color changes and such, but I do try. My latest piece I'm trying to tent stich in at least 1 direction of each row. I really like how it looks. This is easy for thie piece though as there are large areas on single colors. I'll post a pic on Monday. I can't get my memory card to work from my home computer.

My back is always a mess and I don't care as long as the front looks good.

Other than the amount of confetti stitches, as mentioned, I would guess that how you attack your project detemines the look of the back of your project. I "build" the piece. That is, I plan the run and return of lines and how best get from point A to point B. I look for patterns and blocks that I can build onto. That method seems to cover some of the carryover thread on the back. In the end, it really doesn't matter. As long as you're happy with the project and you don't have great gouts and clumps on the back to interfere with framing. Here's a few pics I snapped this morning.
Back of my current "Ying Yang" project:
Back of my "Winter Queen" project:
Back of my finished, but unframed, "Exquisite Kimono":

After seeing the back of mig-3's there is no way I'm posting mine I'm same as most of the others I don't worry what back looks like as long as the front looks great

mine have gotten neater thanks to the loop method..

Jarvis, those backs are the neatest I've ever seen! When I end a thread under a few stitches and clip it, there are always little pieces sticking out.

Now I know I def will not post the back of my projects. I am ashamed. However at some point I will post the back of my aunts but she had years and years of exp. I too agree..I have to admit sometimes...*looks around to make sure no cross stitch authority are around* I have to end up knotting my thread. Only for confetti stitches though....

I am amazed at Mig's pictures!! I am shocked and amazed!!

Oh sure Mig make all of the rest of us look like amatures. But again I don't show my backs and I don't over worry about how they look.

My backs are horrible, believe me. I just go from one stitch to another, lol

pamelam wrote: When I end a thread under a few stitches and clip it, there are always little pieces sticking out.

I was going to post this same thing! No matter how I try, I have little pieces sticking out, so even if the back is marginally neat (which it generally isn't ), it's fuzzy!

I don't really worry about it but is there any way to avoid that? Mig, how on earth do you do it so the ends don't poke out??

carolynbb wrote:I don't really worry about it but is there any way to avoid that? Mig, how on earth do you do it so the ends don't poke out??

I think a pair of good scissors are key. When I cut my thread, I flip the piece upside down, lift the "tail" straight up from the fabric, lay the scissor flat, directly on the last stitch and snip. Laying the scissor directly on the last stitch looks scary at first; as long as you keep it flat and not pointing down, you won't damage anything.

Thanks for the compliments, everyone. I only showed the pretty pieces. Here are a couple of rough ones. A small Just Nan design:
A Chatelaine "mini mandala:

The backs wouldn't be nearly as neat if I would just get on with stitching and I'd get a lot more done. I take too much time planning which way to go and double or triple checking my work. I've tried letting it go, but it's just my nature. It gets very frustratiing at times.

I'm thankfull of everyones posts except Migs You are so neat. I think I will just try not to worry about it! I was in th Royal Air Force for 11 years and my backs all look like warzones, so I'll just say that to people if they look (which would be as embrassing as walking out the loo with tissue stuck to your shoe)

It really is much ado about nothing. What matters is that one is happy with the front or just enjoyed the process of stitching. If you're keeping the civvie and brass happy on the front, the real work doesn't have to be pretty.

Goodness, Jarvis! How neat your backs are! I wish mine looked a bit more like that. Oh well, as long as the fronts look good....