Part II: Tips and Techniques

Where to Start Stitching: Find the center of your pattern by locating the arrows at the top center and side center, then following them until they meet. Find that area on your fabric, too, by folding your fabric gently in half one way and then the other until you can see where the center is. If the center of your pattern is somewhat awkward to start at, because it is in the middle of a color area, just count up or out to where you would prefer to start.

What is Railroading? On the newsgroup, RCTN (see my links), this is a very frequently asked question. Railroading is one of my favorite tips, and it is especially great because it is free. Simply put, you are attempting to line up the two strands of floss that make up a stitch so that they are parallel to one another, resulting in a more uniform, more light-reflecting stitch. Come up at the bottom left of your X, pull the floss beyond the top right of the X, hold it in place with your finger against the fabric, and point the needle between the two strands before going down the hole into the fabric at the proper location. I know this sounds confusing, so please do look at the illustrations at: http://www.dnai.com/~kdyer/faqs/xstitch_... . Railroading makes such a difference! I usually only use it on the top half of my Xs, as I like to move along more quickly than it would take to do both sides. You may prefer to railroad your entire stitches.

'Til next week....

In Stitches,

Lori Seaborg

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