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Always work all your stitches in the same direction, this will greatly improve the quality of your finished design. |
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Always work blocks of colour in rows, working half the stitches all the way across the row, and then come back adding the other half. The more methodical you are with your cross stitch, the neater the finished product will be. |  |
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 | Dark Fabrics: If you are using a dark coloured fabric place a light coloured piece of fabric, such as a towel or sheet, over your lap. The holes are more visible as the light colour shows through.
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Avoid taking your thread long distances across the back of your work as these will show through. This is especially important with dark coloured threads on white or cream Aida.
It might seem a hassle but the finished result will be better if you cast off where you are working and cast on again in the new area.
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Inspiration: Try visiting stately homes or local museums for displays of old samplers. The fine detail of the sewing is a great encouragement, and you might pick up some ideas from the these ‘old masters’. |
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Remember to take a short break from time to time to rest your eyes and don’t stitch when you are really too tired. It’s much easier to make mistakes then and unpicking could takes ages! |  |
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Getting Started
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Q: What’s the easiest way to find the center of the fabric?
Fold it in half top to bottom, then in half left to right and where the two folds cross is the center of the fabric. To double check you can mark this center with a pin and then measure from this to all 4 edges.
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| Keep your place on a pattern or chart by sticking a Post-It note directly under the line you are working on. They are ideal because they have a straight edge and can be peeled off & stuck back on over and over again. | |
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Q: How can I find out the count of a piece of fabric?
Take two pins & using a tape measure place them 1 inch apart. Now simply count the number of stitches between them. If you are still not sure, repeat but place the pins 3 inches apart and divide the number of stitches by 3.
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Time Saving: If you thread needles with each colour that you need for your design you can keep at the side of your work to save having to re-thread each time you need to change colour.
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Q: How much fabric do I need?
Count the number of stitches in each direction for the required design. Divide the number of stitches by the ‘count’ of the fabric & add 2 to 3 inches all round. See our A-Z for an explanation of ‘count’
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Equipment |
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Beads: As a temporary store for small beads you can use a scrap piece of velvet with the pile up most held in a hoop, the pile of the velvet stops the beads from rolling about!
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Daylight Bulbs: Use a Daylight Bulb to help prevent eye strain. They produce a light more like natural daylight and it makes stitching more pleasant and less draining. |
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Embroidery Hoops: Always remove your embroidery hoop when you are not stitching to prevent it from marking your fabric.
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Fabric Care |
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Edges: To prevent your fabric from fraying either over sew the edges or use sticky tape, this can be cut off or carefully removed when you have completed the design.
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Ironing: Iron your fabric before you start if it is badly creased, this will help avoid those nasty lumps & bumps in your finished work.
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Keeping Your Work Clean: Find a plastic bag to protect it from accidental spills & from picking up dirt.
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Washing Instructions: After embroidering, hand wash in cool water with a mild soap. Rinse and lie flat on a towel to dry. Using a clothes dryer is not recommended. Press with a warm iron on the wrong side of your work.
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Storage: Store finished pieces of work rolled up with the stitches on the out side. This is the best way to protect your work and prevent your stitches from being crushed. The work can also be wrapped in plain acid free tissue paper and then inserted into card or plastic tubes for long term storage.
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Displaying Finished Work |
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Alternative to Wadding : If you want to put some padding behind your design but you have run out of wadding, try cotton wool instead.
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Mounting: Use the holes in Aida to help get your design straight in it mount.
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