Tizzanne's Stitching Tips

Tizzanne shares some Cross Stitch tips. She writes:

"When first starting a new project, I always mark out 10 x 10 or 20 x 20 stitch blocks with a brightly coloured thread, using a darker or more prominent colour for the vertical and horizontal center lines so they can be found with just a glance. You don't need to run the marker thread through each stitch, just a running stitch through every 5-6 stitches is plenty.

This makes it easy to count where you are up to and it is easy to remove as you get to it. Just clip the thread along the section you are working on (being careful not to cut the canvas or fabric), leaving the rest of the marking thread until you are up to that section. It could be left on until you are finished but it is much harder to remove and may damage you beautiful work when removing the stitches.

I always find it easier to work with my floss if it is pre-wound onto bobbins. It takes a little time to start with but it worth it to prevent knots and tangles and also makes it easy to find the colours you need, especially when the difference in the shades are subtle. I place each colour's number on the top of the bobbin in pencil which can be erased when you're finished to re-use the bobbin. If you don't have pre-cut bobbins, use the card from a cereal box or similar to wind the floss on. It also makes it easier to keep your work neat and tidy and in one place.

It is easy to keep the original pattern or graph in pristine condition for future projects if it is copied, either the same size or enlarged, and work is done from the copy. I find it most useful to mark each completed part with pencil shading so it is easy to remove if a mistake is made and you have to re-do a section, just rub it out and start again."

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