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I've never been presented with this problem in all the years I've cross stitched. Right now I'm working on an ornament & I started with the border. I usually make my cross stitches by working the bottom part of the stitch across the row to the right like so ///// & then making my way back over them to the left \\\\\ to complete the stitches. However, the border of this ornament was such that it worked better for me to make complete stitches one at a time from left to right. I am now finished with the border & I'm starting some of the design. I did just a very small part of it last night making my stitches the way I've always made them but they seem to look noticeably different than the border stitches. My thoughts are to probably just remove them & do the entire piece one complete stitch at a time.

Is there any "rule" about sticking with the same stitch making technique throughout an entire piece? Have any of you ran into this "problem?"

Blessings,
Shirlee
http://farmhouseponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank

I mix my stitches all the time in my work and I have never noticed any difference in them. As long as you always do the bottom and the top stitches in the same direction it should not matter how they are finished. Also the tension needs to be the same.

I also mix stitches and honestly can't tell where I've done a full cross and where I've done the /// then gone back and done \\\. I tend to do it when stitching a lot of the same colour and the next row of it begins quite a bit further in from the row I'm stitching, I'll do full crosses up to where the next row starts then continue on with /// and come back doing \\\ then on to the next row. Saves me carrying the thread along or cutting it off and having to start off again.

I mix my stitches all the time - you have to when completing big designs with confetti stitching! You can't tell one way from another - as long as all your //// and \\\\ go the same way it doesn't break any rules, the cross stitch police will not be after you!

I mix stitches all the time too. Especially if there is a lot of confetti and sometimes depending on where the colors are for a thread I am up and down and across though typically it is /// and then \\\. As long as it is always the same direction it shouldn't be a problem. I think if you are seeing a problem you may be doing what Rose suggested which is changing the tension of your thread. Otherwise you shouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Carole

I know what you're talking about, with feeling the stitches look different. When I started mixing in complete crosses with my /// and \\\, I thought the complete ones looked & felt "higher/thicker". But the more I worked with the complete crosses, the less differences I "saw". Now I interchange them quite often depending on the area I'm stitching. Like the others have said, it may just be a case of trying something new & the tensions not being quite the same. Keep at it, and if need be, try practicing a mix of stitching on scrap material until you're comfortable with it.

Good luck!

I mix mine too and I've never really noticed a difference with the stitches.

As long as the stitches all go the same way I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable

hi, sajehill,

the first thing i thought of when i read your post was that the border "looked different". if it truly looks different, then it's ok cuz it's the border!!!

i'm sure it's fine, regardless. i'm doing ornaments, too. i hope you have fun w/them...

I'm sorry I haven't thanked everyone for their comments prior to now. My husband ended up in the hospital for a couple days so my mind was elsewhere.

I have continued to do a bit of stitching since he returned home but I don't know ... something isn't right. The border where I did the single stitches looks great! The center area where I have been working on the main design using the /// & then the \\\ way of making stitches looks pretty bad I don't know what it is ... the tension looks way off.

I love using linen but have never made a small ornament using linen. This particular linen is 32ct. I decided to stitch the ornament using a Q-Snap hoop ... my favorite hoop to use. I did not cut a smaller piece of linen for the ornament, just decided to put the entire fat eighth onto the hoop & stitch it over in the corner of the whole piece. My hoop tension is very tight & I have been stitching carefully to avoid seeing through the stitching holes ... but now I'm thinking that when I take the piece out of the hoop it's going to "shrink" & my stitches that look to have bad tension now will look even worse. I'm almost thinking that I should've done the stitching without any kind of hoop at all.

Any thoughts? I'm about half way through the center design. Since I'm happy with the border area perhaps I ought to just rip out the center portion I've done thus far & start it again without using a hoop?

Blessings,
Shirlee
http://farmhouseponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank

If you're entering your piece in a competition it matters.

Someone with a really keen eye on a well stretched and framed piece may also be able to tell the different as thw fabric lays differently depending on the direction of threads on the back but I'd be surprised if anyone but the most fastidious stitcher would notice.If you're entering your piece in a competition it matters.

Someone with a really keen eye on a well stretched and framed piece may also be able to tell the different as thw fabric lays differently depending on the direction of threads on the back but I'd be surprised if anyone but the most fastidious stitcher would notice.

Shirley - I am almost sure it is the tension. I often mix the way I stitch and then one day recently I noticed a difference in the way the stitches were lying. I then took note of the way I pulled the stitches through to the back and yes when doing the full st at the same time I don't pull them as tightly or something.

98% of the time it is not noticeable but now I've seen it I look for it.

Try not to worry too much about it as once it is washed and stretched ready for framing it all looks the same.

Sally

I mix my methods all the time with no visible difference to the finished stitches. The only things you need to make sure of is that the top leg of your crosses all lie in the same direction, and that your tension remains even.

As most have said it could most likely be tension. I have noticed a difference with some threads and I think it is depending on some of the dyes. I've noticed some colors are fluffier. I really had a noticable change on my Mirabilia Christmas Elegance which I did in silk. One particular green was very fluffy.