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Part II: Tips and Techniques

© Lori Seaborg

I found out, while writing last week's article, that I would need to continue the Tips and Techniques title as a Part II. Please feel more than free to share your own ideas with me and the other stitchers who are reading each week. To do so, just start a new discussion. We can benefit from your experiences, and we would appreciate your input.

Floss Preparation: I surprised myself by forgetting one of my favorite tips last week! Ever since I found out about "wetting down" a project's floss, I have had much neater stitching. You may wet down your floss with water or wax, but in either case the result will be straighter floss that tangles less often and "obeys" more often. To use water, get the required number of strands (often just two), line them up somewhat, then rub them across the surface of a damp sponge. You can use a sponge from a grocery store, or buy a cute little one in its own plastic box from the needlework shop. At the shop they also sell wax that may be used in much the same way. If you have neither the wax nor a sponge on hand, just use your spit! :) It works just fine in a pinch.

Starting and Ending Stitches: Most of you already have a favorite way to start and end a stitch, but I thought I would cover it for the benefit of the newer stitchers. DON'T use knots! (I knew you weren't anyway) For starting, I like to hold the floss tail under the fabric until it is caught by a few stitches, and for ending, I pull it under 3-4 stitches. This method leaves a flat line of threads that are held quite securely. There are two other methods worth your consideration, called Waste Knot and the Loop Method. Since those are more detailed, you can find an explanation of those at: http://www.dnai.com/~kdyer/faqs/xstitch_...

Keeping Your Place: The only thing I dislike about stitching is that 3/4 of my time is spent looking for my place over and over again! I'm admittedly obsessive-compulsive about it. I'll count the pattern, count my fabric, then count the pattern and count my fabric, over and over until my eyes are watering. That's my method, but since I wish you wouldn't try it, here are the methods that my friends use. They seem to stitch more often and complain about their eyes less. First of all, you can try using a highlighter to mark where you are immediately going and/or where you've been on the pattern. Another method is to use a magnetic board and magnet strips to show you where you are on the pattern. Or, if you prefer, you may purchase magnified lines from crafts or needlework stores. To keep your place on the fabric, you can baste lines of thread that will help you know where you are.

The copyright of the article Part II: Tips and Techniques in Needlework is owned by Lori Seaborg. Permission to republish Part II: Tips and Techniques in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.