Today I’m back with more tips for those of you who enjoy cross stitch.
*Environmental laws enacted over the last 20 years have necessitated changes in the chemical components of dyes. Because of these changes, some floss colors are no longer colorfast. To prevent bleeding during washing and pressing, soak your floss skeins in warm water before stitching. Roll the skeins in a towel to remove excess water and place the skeins on another towel to dry. This process removes any remaining dye in the floss.
*When floss becomes twisted during stitching, it appears thinner and does not cover an area well. To prevent this problem, work with short strands of floss, 15” - 18” in length. It the thread does become twisted, drop the needle, let it hang freely, and the floss will unwind itself.
*Multiple strands of floss have less of a tendency to tangle if they are separated or “stripped” before they are threaded through the needle. Separate the strands of floss, then combine them again before threading the needle. Stripping also allows for more even coverage when working larger stitches.
*When all stitching is complete, wash the finished piece in cool water with a small amount of mild liquid dish detergent to remove any soiling which may have occurred while stitching. Rinse the piece well, roll it in a towel, and gently pat dry to remove excess water. Press the piece face down on another towel. Never wring the fabric.
*The easiest way to mount a piece of finished cross stitch is to use self-stick mounting board. Be sure the board is acid-free. If not, the acid in the board will eventually discolor the fabric and stitching.
*If you want to frame your finished needlework behind glass, place a cardboard shim along the edges of the frame, between the glass and fabric. This keeps the glass from sitting directly on the fabric. Fabric that is resting directly against glass can trap moisture inside the frame and cause the fabric to mildew or rot.
Our Book Club Friday guest author is giving away a book this week. Post a comment to be entered in the drawing. -- AP
*When floss becomes twisted during stitching, it appears thinner and does not cover an area well. To prevent this problem, work with short strands of floss, 15” - 18” in length. It the thread does become twisted, drop the needle, let it hang freely, and the floss will unwind itself.
*Multiple strands of floss have less of a tendency to tangle if they are separated or “stripped” before they are threaded through the needle. Separate the strands of floss, then combine them again before threading the needle. Stripping also allows for more even coverage when working larger stitches.
*When all stitching is complete, wash the finished piece in cool water with a small amount of mild liquid dish detergent to remove any soiling which may have occurred while stitching. Rinse the piece well, roll it in a towel, and gently pat dry to remove excess water. Press the piece face down on another towel. Never wring the fabric.
*The easiest way to mount a piece of finished cross stitch is to use self-stick mounting board. Be sure the board is acid-free. If not, the acid in the board will eventually discolor the fabric and stitching.
*If you want to frame your finished needlework behind glass, place a cardboard shim along the edges of the frame, between the glass and fabric. This keeps the glass from sitting directly on the fabric. Fabric that is resting directly against glass can trap moisture inside the frame and cause the fabric to mildew or rot.
Our Book Club Friday guest author is giving away a book this week. Post a comment to be entered in the drawing. -- AP
4 comments:
Good tips for new stitchers and good reminders for the more experienced! Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by, Witch of Stitches. Love the name!
Great tips! A big help to beginers and a helpful reminder to those experienced ones.
Dicky :-)
(from the Philippines)
(http://www.picturetrail.com/dickyh)
Thread Heaven is a godsend especially for silks and metallics.
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