Perfect Cross Stitch

How to create perfect stitches by Jane Greenoff

To create perfect stitches try the following tips. How seriously you take this advice depends on how much time you have!

• Take two strands of stranded cotton (floss), separate the strands and then realign them before threading your needle. This isn’t possible when using the knotless loop start, in which case experts will be able to see the reversed twist in the threads. It’s up to you just how perfectionist you wish to be.
• Start with an away waste knot. If an away waste knot in a dark thread leaves a faint mark or shadow, this can be removed with a clean toothbrush.
• Pass the threads through a lightly damp sponge to remove unwanted static.
• To check how many strands of stranded cotton (floss) are needed, pull out one thread from the fabric. The thread(s) in your needle should be about the same weight as the fabric thread.
• If you wish to add more detail, and you are working on evenweave/linen fabric work over one thread of the fabric, but complete each stitch as you go, rather than working in two journeys. This prevents the stitches sliding under the fabric threads.
• When you start stitching on linen, begin to the left of a vertical thread shown by the star in the diagram. This helps prevent counting mistakes.
  

Start to the left of a vertical thread

To prevent the threads from ‘corkscrewing’ slightly, turn the work upside down and allow the needle to drop and spin. Or, better still; learn to twist the needle as you stitch. Each time you take the needle out of the fabric, give the needle a half turn and your stitches will lie flat.

Avoid coming up through occupied holes (where a stitch has already been formed) from the back. Instead, insert the needle from the front. This prevents spoiling existing perfect stitches.

Avoid running out of thread halfway across a row or band. If you should do so, ‘stitch and park’ (see below) the short end, start the new thread using an away waste knot and work a few stitches, then finish the short end in the direction you are stitching.
Keep a small, sharp pair of pointed scissors exclusively for your stitching. I use gold plated stork scissors and I wear them around my neck on a ribbon. I also always use gold-plated needles – they make stitching easier and don’t mark the fabric.

Railroading

Railroading is a technique used to force the two strands of stranded cotton (floss) to lie flat and parallel. When pushing the needle through the fabric to make a stitch, pass it in- between the two strands of stranded cotton (floss). You can railroad both parts of the stitch or only the top part. Personally, I find the needle twist method (above) has the same effect as railroading and is much quicker.

Stitch and park

When working with a number of different shades you can use several needles to avoid constant threading of the needle. Work a few stitches in one shade, bring the needle out to the front of the work and ‘park’ it in the fabric above where you are stitching. Introduce another colour; work a few stitches and then park. Bring back the previous colour, working under the back of the stitches in the second colour. Using a gold-plated needle prevents the needle marking the fabric.

Finishing a thread perfectly

Finish the stitches in the direction that you are working. To do this, when the thread needs replacing stop stitching and park the needle above the design. Thread a new needle with the replacement thread and form a few stitches. Now take the first needle and finish the old thread under the new stitches. This prevents any stitch distortion on the front of the work.