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Using Variegated Floss in Cross Stitch

Tips for Making Use of Variegated Floss More Successful

By , About.com Guide

Design © Connie G. Barwick, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Yummy Watermelon, Stitched with DMC Color Variations Floss

Design © Connie G. Barwick, licensed to About.com, Inc.
These tips for using variegated and over-dyed floss will make for a more successful Cross Stitch project.

  1. Be prepared to frog as needed. If the shading of the floss doesn't look quite right, remove it and re-stitch the area. For this reason, it is a good idea to have extra floss on hand when working with over-dyed and variegated flosses.

  2. Choose your stitching method. There are several ways to use variegated floss.
    • Random Stitching - use a swirling pattern or other random method for placing stitches, but complete each stitch as you go
    • Tweeding - stitch a section of half stitches, then complete the cross stitches for a multi-color affect
    • Careful placement - you may want to stitch from light to dark, or stitch in bands of color depending on the type of floss you are using
  3. If you must remove a stitch, be sure to match the replacement floss carefully.

  4. Experiment to see what sort of affects you can achieve.

  5. Most variegated floss is not colorfast. Be sure to keep your project extremely clean as washing it may not be an option.
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