Stitches

How do I switch colors in a cross-stitch?

I am about to start my very first cross stitch and i am pretty confused as to how I switch colors when it changes so often! I chose this pattern: http://www.sewinspiring.co.uk/acatalog/6913.jpg because the back of the box said it was easy with clear instructions, however i dont really know what i am doing! Thanks for any advice

Public Comments

1. The easiest way is to have a needle for each of the most common colors, otherwise you spend a lot of time threading your needle! When the pattern indicates it's time for a new color, just finish that stitch, then on the backside, just slip the needle and thread under a couple of nearby stitches, and then cut the floss, but not too short. If it's not secured and too short, your stitches could slip out. Or, if that same color picks up anywhere nearby, you can just leave the needle threaded, and bring it back up wherever the color starts again. That's when those other needles come in handy. Here's two sites that explain basic cross stitch. http://www.yarntree.com/007begin.htm http://www.celticxstitch.ie/learnhow.html Have fun!
2. If you've never done it before, I suggest you start off with something a bit easier. Like a children's chart for Santa, a teddy bear or something like that. That will give you the feel of it. When you're ready to start your project, grid your work first. It will help you keep count and you'll make fewer mistakes. Nothing is worse than doing a whole days work only to realize you made a major mistake that morning and everything you've done since is wrong too. That's a lot of frogging! Griding looks like this http://photos-371.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v214/146/68/877985371/n877985371_2534559_919.jpg I use fishing line and weave it under and over every 10 stitches, over the whole fabric. When you're completely done, you just give it a tug from one end, and it will slide right out without catching your stitches. Now onto your question. Changing colors. I usually have 3 - 10 needles threaded already if the colors are easy to distinguish from each other, and I don't have to worry about mixing them up. You start one color off, hold a tail behind your work and sew over it for about 3 squares and complete the area in that color. When you're done, slide needle under the stitches the just completed, a few of them anyway. It will take some getting used to, but you can do it blind. Just feel around, you'll get it. Then start the next color. (This is one reason it's good to start off on a small project, if you screw it up, it's no big deal). If there are many many color switches in one small area, I often leave the floss hang over my work with the needle attached, but coming up out of the corner of the next square to use that color, if it's close, within 3-5 stitches. If it's far, I end it as described above. You don't want to trail it too far because sometimes it can show through the work. Sometimes, like in the example photo I posted, I do all one color on a page. Patterns are often 9 pages, so I'll work on page one (if you grid and count out from the middle you don't have to start in the middle), all the black, then all the grey, dark blue, etc...in the order of dominance on the pattern (whichever one I can see better). Then I color it in with a pencil so I know I've done that (make a working copy), and go on to the next color. So if there's a completely blacked out square, I'll do all those first, then the shaded ones, then the bold dot...eventually ending with the little 'e' or small dot, kwim? It's just another thing that helps me keep track.
3. I know exactly what you are saying, I used to switch back and forth between colors all the time because I thought you had to do it by connecting one area of color to the next. Later I discovered you can go ahead an do a few different sections of a color (count to make sure you're placing them right) and then go back and do another color in the section. Having a few different needles pre-threaded and ready to go saves some time as well. The pattern you chose is gorgeous, however I definitely don't recommend it for your very first project. It will take even an experienced cross-stitcher quite a long time and it is easy to get discouraged and give up. Good projects for beginners are simple designs without too many different colors - try a few just to get you going, and used to how it 'works'. I have a few different projects going on at any given moment... usually two or three simpler ones, plus I have a couple of very elaborate ones that I've been working on and off with over the past several years.
4. I hate to rain on your parade, but the pattern you chose to be your first looks very, very difficult. I would say that would be for an experienced cross stitcher. I would go back and choose a small kit to practice on, trust me you will be glad you did