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I really hate doing this stitch, particularly those inside the objects that give details. Any tips or techniques you can share about backstiching, I will greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance and happy stitching everyone!

I have found using the purple pen with the ink that disappears overnight to be very helpful. I can look at the pattern and put a dot of ink on the stitches, then just connect the dots. The next day the ink is gone.

sometimes if the line is straight....and only a few stitches you can do on long stitch does that make any sense? instead a bunch of them.

Sometimes if there is a lot of BS if you do it as you go along then it is not all left to the end. It then does not seem to be so very daunting. You have to be a bit careful when doing it this way though.

I've gotten to the point that I don't even work on a project if there's too much backstitching to do. I sometimes leave a lot of it out, and the picture just looks a little softer that way.

I agree with Rose.....I NEVER leave all the BS till the end or none of my projects would ever be finished. For Example I'm stitching an object, once all the cross stitching is done to create that object I will complete the internal BS before continuning with the cross stitch and then once all the cross stitching has been completed around that object I will complete the BS around the outside of it.

In simple terms break down your project into peices that breaks up the monotony that is Back stitching.

Rose gave the best advice I ever received when it comes to backstitching
Faith

Oh, thank you so much for all your tips I will do your suggestion to do it as I go along so it won't become an overwhelming chore

I'm an oddball, I love doing the back stitching! To me it makes the piece come to life. I try to do small areas. Working 1 item at a time. Say its a picture of a barn with house and fence. I would first to the house, then the barn, then the fence. I have to say back stitching is my favorite part! I loath french knots though.

^Vega, I think I should come to your house when I'm on the backstitching part on my project, hahaha! Joke! But I envy you

Me too, I hate french knots, actually, all the specialty stitches, I don't like.

I am in agreement with Vega I actually like the pop that the BS gives to a picture and I look forward to that part of my stitching. I also am a big fan of French knots and I will use them in place of beads. So I am the opposite of most members on here.

I really don't mind backstitching or specialty stiches. Right now I'm working on Sandy Orton's American Sampler and it has satin, rice, cross, over-one, queen, long and short stitches, alternating running stitches, alternating tent stitch. I'm finding it quite fun to work on all these different stitches. Forgot, backstitching too !

I don't mind backstitching really. I always save it all until the very end because I like seeing the final product go from blurry to defined. I agree with the others though -- french knots are evil and awful!

Rose wrote:Sometimes if there is a lot of BS if you do it as you go along then it is not all left to the end. It then does not seem to be so very daunting. You have to be a bit careful when doing it this way though.

think I will try this with my geishas project, as there is alot of backstitching in the flowers of the kimonos, great tip