Stitches

hand embroidery question?

can anyone give me easy steps on how to back stitch on cross stitch fabric please!!!! it would help alot!

Public Comments

1. Here's a video http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/10/embroidery-stitch-video-tutorial_24.html .
2. There's a simple stepby step instruction given at this site. http://www.stitchopedia.com/BackStitch.html Back Stitch: This is an easy outline stitch which can be used to good effect on delicate or heavy lines. This stitch is commonly used in counted cross stitch. The key to good looking back stitches - just like running stitches - is even stitches. Direction: Left-handers: you're going to work left to right. Right-handers: work right to left, bringing your thread up at A, determining the length of your stitch between A and the starting point of your line. Take your needle back to B, insert and encourage it up at C (using a finger of your other hand under your work). Pull the thread through. Continue working in a backwards-forewards motion until you have completed the line. At the end of the line, take the needle down at the end of the second to the last stitch, thus forming your final stitch. On the underside of your fabric, whip the needle and working thread in and out of the stitches formed to secure it.
3. Here's a tutorial designed especially for cross stitch (the other sites listed are geared towards people doing freehand embroidery): http://home.comcast.net/~kathydyer/nf_xstitch_tut.html#backstitch -has diagrams and descriptions, includes different ways of doing the backstitch. Sometimes it's best to use a Holbein/running stitch if you're working towards a 'dead end' - you can run in and then back out and not have to end your thread. Cross stitchers don't have to worry about keeping threads even (that's why we're counting = ), but you do want to keep an eye on your thread tension as you go along. I highly recommend looking at the entire site if you're new to cross stitch - this is the online 'bible' for cross stitchers. Will answer tons of questions for you. Here's the home page: http://home.comcast.net/~kathydyer/ For more advanced cross stitching info, also check out: http://www.serve.com/marbeth/needlework.html
4. I would say do exactly what Judy says, I too do ALOT of cross stitching, mostly baby quilts, that are already stamped. But I couldnt have discribed any better then Judy did.
5. Make a stitch across two squares of fabric. When you bring the needle back through to the front, come up two squares away from the stitch you just made. You should now have something that kind of looks like this: _ . (with the dot being where your thread currently is.) Now go back down through the hole you went through to make that first stitch, so you're actually going back two squares. Repeat. You 'll have nice neat stitches on the front, and overlapping ones in the back once it gets going. Note: the two square stitch size is just for example. You can make them any size you want, just be consistent.