Best Crossing Techniques?

[vielle]

Hi all,

I just started a new project and i've probably done a few hundred stitches until it dawned on me that perhaps I am doing something wrong. I haven't done many and only ever been self taught, so I'm prepared to start again for a better finish.

I tend to cross country stitch. I do all the ////// first and do any random x's before coming back to complete the \\\\\\. For single stitches I tend to the / and jump to the next stitches only do the half crosses and on the return I will do the \ to finish the cross.

But i don't necessarily stitch in rows or columns, so the back of the work tends to look very messy with ||||| and _ _ _ _ and top ones of those --- and ////// and \\\\. So the back has everything.

So i started looking again to see how people on this forum were stitching. Mostly i have seen stitching in rows and parking threads, or at least stitching in rows and coming back to do fill-in stitches. I began to doubt myself after having to do a few confetti stitches between a whole bunch of stitches, which made the confetti stitch really hard to do and very messy because the adjoining stitches were, I suppose, pulled in different directions and so I found it very difficult to stitch the confetti, without having to re-arrange the neighbouring stitches to get my confetti stitch in....if that makes any sense Basically the 4 stitches per hole were not all nice and neat.

Honestly, what are the good stitching techniques? I know it's a personal preference, but what way will give the best looking stitches, because I imagine it's not by cross country stitching.

I'm prepared to start again with a better technique, since i haven't done very much so far.

Any comments of suggestions would be most appreciated.

Cheers,

Margaret

[BizzieLizzie]

This is the method I use: http://www.scarletquince.com/parking.php" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank (I'm always posting this link! ). The reason I love it so much is that you avoid coming up through holes that have more than one stitch in place, so you're not constantly pulling at existing stitches and the overall effect is the neatest I've been able to achieve.

I've recently devised a way of sticking to this method even for large blocks of one colour that span several columns. Say I'm stitching in column 1. If a symbol continues from column 1 through column 2 and into column 3, I stitch into column 2 for four instances of that symbol. If the symbol continues into column 2 for between 4 and 10 stitches, I continue for two stitches into column 2. If the symbol continues for up to 4 stitches into column 2, I just finish those stitches.

It's not as complicated as it sounds and means I don't have to plan my column stitching around the large blocks of colour (which saves time! ) and the stitches stay neat. Also, I don't get lines in my stitching at the column boundaries.

Everyone stitches differently, so just experiment and do what feels right for you.

[kinley626]

Hi Margaret!

Much like you I tend to stitch ///// and complete \\\\\ on the return. I make an effort not to carry thread more than 3-4 blocks away. I'm just starting on large complex charts, and can certainly see the need to stitch by row. But for most other projects, I tend to stitch in blocks of color (i.e. all of this shade blue) or by object (i.e. the leaf in the corner). For single stitches (confetti) I complete the stitch before moving on to the next. I'm not completely sold on parking, mostly because I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet.

One of the things I'm learning and loving about cross-stitch is that sometimes, you have to tweak a technique to fit YOUR stitching style. Joining this forum has improved both my overall stitching and my confidence about what I'm doing. I don't know if I would say that there is a "best technique", but just keep at it and keep trying different things and you'll soon discover the best technique for you.

[vielle]

Hi, i really appreciate your comments. It sounds like you both like to stitch by row or column, and slightly stray from them when necessary.

I have stopped my sewing for now because I think i should re-start and try by row otherwise i'll keep going as I am and will probably never try any other techniques. I have never tried parking and it seems like a great idea actually! Or perhaps i just leave it as it is, and continue the rest of the artwork with a new technique...not sure...

[BizzieLizzie]

Some people love parking and some hate it. Maybe you could try it and any other techniques you want to experiment with on some scrap fabric to see what works best for you before trying it out on your current project. Good luck!

[crosstitcher1]

My technique MIGHT seem WEIRD to others, but it WORKS FOR ME.
I stitch in a CIRCULAR MOTION, like a STAR BURST, RIPPLE EFFECT when throwing a stone in water, or a COIL, INWARD to OUTWARD, ALWAYS starting in the CENTER in one color or colors, IF short stitches, stitching to the RIGHT END of the hoop size I am using, I ALWAYS start with 3 hoops, 7", 10" and END with 11 1/2" hoop. Then I work the TOP of the design, ABOVE the CENTER, working AGAIN to the RIGHT END of the hoop. Then I work LEFT of the CENTER, COUNTING the stitches FROM the LEFT END of hoop to CENTER, and STARTING at the LEFT END of the hoop, stitch BACK to the CENTER., til the hoop area is COVERED with the design, then I move to my NEXT size hoop and REPEAT the process, ALWAYS working from CENTER to RIGHT END of the next size hoop, and ALWAYS crossing ALL stitching on the WAY BACK to the LEFT END. You ALWAYS START your stitches to the RIGHT,/. and END LEFT,\, then on your BACK your stitches will ALWAYS look |||.

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

When or IF our youngest EVER gets my website up, I will post the pics. of the backs of my stitching to show how NICE the BACK looks. The person that taught me, going on 30 yrs. this July, has ALWAYS told me the BACKS, MIRRORS the FRONT of the projects. And ALWAYS sign your work. I do my initials 2 stitches H and 1 stitch W. with a FK between initials, and I use 1 stitch / for the 1st 2 nos. of the year, and use the same stitch count as on the initials.

[Rose]

I am a cross country stitcher and I have been doing this for over 25 years. It is what works best for me and gives me the most satisfaction. My backs look......... well like backs are suppose to look a bit messy but I have never had a (bird) use them as a nest so I am not to worried about what the back looks like. I also finish each stitch as I go.

Now of course this is what I prefer to do and that is my only rule. Do what works best for you and try a few different techniques to see what will work.

[geekishly]

Margaret, I stitch exactly the same way as you just described and it works well for me. Sometimes it is difficult to get in the odd confetti stitch, but it also depends on how you ae starting/ending threads.

Here's a pic of the back of one of my projects stitched in the same way as you described:

I use the loop start method for starting my threads which helps a lot in keeping the back neater as I only have to tuck the ends of my thread when I finish it off instead of doing it both as a start and a finish.

[vielle]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am going to practise doing something smaller with parking before going back to the big project. I guess i never really thought of practising on something small, i just thought i had to launch into it for the first big cross stitch i wanted to do in years. I went through and read 73 pages of this forum's tips and tricks to see how other people had been doing stuff. wow i learnt a lot. thanks again!

Geekishly the back looks very neat i think for cross country stitching. I wish mine was so neat.