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Hullo! Hope I have put this post in the right place!

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips on how to keep back of the work neat, I try my best to make sure that loose threads are clipped fairly close but not close enough to unravel, and hmm how to phrase- if you have a row of say five red stitches then pattern requires in that same row the next bit needs three greens do you skip the three spaces for the greens continuing with the red or do you cut and secure thread then start the red thread three spaces along? Hope this makes sense I am terrible at trying to explain what I mean

Also while I am thinking about questions- I would like to show some of the stuff I have already done, where would I place these to display? Do people also like pictures of the back of the work also?

Sorry- one question turned into a few, thankyou very much for taking the time to read/reply

I believe you have to have 10 posts before you can add things to your gallery. But you can always add things here, to your intro post.. you will soon find out we are a nosey buch that like photos of your work, stash you buy, pets, kids, snowmen you've made in your backyard, your stitchy spot.. really just about anything.

About keeping the back tidy.. with more practice your backs will get neater. I don't worry much about it.. nobody is going to see it once its framed anyways. And if they do look.. I remind them its only the front the matters.When making things like bookmarks, ornaments and such, I always cover the back with another piece of fabric anyways. I've never done items like tablecloths or towels where the back is open.

My own rule I have developed about jumping is generally no more than 5-6 stitches. Sometimes more if I am jumping over an area that is already finished, then I run my needle under those stitches so I don't have long threads that can get caught later on. So, with your example, I would stitch keep going with reds, skipping over the green bits and filling those in after I am done with my red. I have different rules with white and black.. depending on the fabric and surrounding stitches. Generally I start and stop black much more frequently.

I don't jump 3 stitches, unless there is some stitching already in place to run my thread under. Not so much for the back as for the front, whereas loose threads are caught easily and dragged to the front or split by the needle when doing the green area. With a split thread it is hard to frog stitch, when necessary.

Like Maggie said your backs will get neater with practice. A good pair of scissors is vital, as is cutting the ends of your thread nice and close when its been secured. I make sure I try and untangle/undo knots as I go so that they don't get all caught up in the stitching. The loop method of stitching also helped with starting off a thread and keeping my backs tidy.

I do jump a few stitches but it depends on the colour and thickness of the thread and what fabric I'm stitching on as to how far I will jump. I don't worry too much about the thread catching on the back - it's not normally a problem for me.

Try as I might I can't get the back to look as neat as the front. I struggle with that because I know girls who can ...

Thanks so much for all the replies! So you can get special fabric to cover the back, that's brilliant news I do get very worried that it'll all come apart or look lumpy.

Thankyou all again for your replies, very kind of you all to take the time

I keep my backs as neat as the pattern will allow, but I don't overly fuss about them. I don't do my stitching to be judged so that isn't an issue. Most all of my backs are covered and I tell people it is the front that was intended to be looked at not the back. I know some people like to make it as perfect as the front but for me my personal enjoyment does not make it possible to have perfect backs.

As for skipping a few stitches I will do that as long as they will eventually be cover by another color if I am skipping over stitches then I will run the thread under what is already there if it will work. I try to never skip more then 5 to 7 stitches depending on the size of the fabric count.

Hi, the backs of my designs are a bit of a mess, but getting better with practice. I tend not to jump too many stitches, maybe 5 at the most, as depends on the colour in between. If its black and white, I would cut as I do, never know, I might see it if and when I ever hang any of them up.

You can post any pictures/progress of projects you have on the SAL thread. If you have photobucket on your pc then you upload your photos to that then copy the IMG code into your post and hey presto picture. It took me ages to figure it out, but as you will see, if you look at my SAL (Maia Geishas), I take lots and lots and lots of pics.

Would love to see your work, look forward to it.

Some of mine are more messy than others, but I am trying to make sure they aren't quite as awful as the first ones I did!
I weave my needle under other stitches where possible, so long threads aren't quite so obvious and I tuck in the tails or cut off, whichever is best, as a neat back is nice but I'm not overly fussed with it, the front is more important.

i try to keep mine tidy what ever my work allows