Cross stitch is a rewarding hobby that people of any age and ability can enjoy. Avoid these common beginners’ mistakes and you will soon be producing work worth keeping.
1. Choosing the wrong pattern
With so many charts available it is tempting to start with something too ambitious. For a first project choose something small, with few colours and no fractional stitches. A large detailed portrait is where enthusiasm goes to die.
2. Using the wrong fabric count
The count is how many stitches fit in an inch. A high count means small stitches and a lot of squinting.
Start at 14 count. It is large enough to work comfortably and small enough to look neat.
3. Not finding the centre
Charts mark their centre for a reason. Fold your fabric in half both ways, mark the middle, and start there.
Starting from a corner means any counting error pushes the whole design toward an edge, and you discover it when you run out of fabric.
4. Cutting the fabric too small
Allow at least three inches of spare fabric on every side. You need it for framing, and you will regret not having it.
5. Using too long a thread
About eighteen inches is right. Longer thread tangles, knots and wears thin from being pulled through the fabric so many times.
6. Stitching in the wrong direction
All your top stitches must lie the same way. It sounds trivial and it is the difference between a piece that looks even and one that looks scruffy, because light catches the threads differently.
Pick a direction at the start and keep to it.
7. Pulling too tight
The stitch should sit on the fabric, not drag it. Over-tight stitching puckers the fabric and no amount of pressing will flatten it afterwards.
8. Knotting the thread
Knots show as lumps through the front and can work loose. Use a loop start, or run the tail under the first few stitches on the back.
9. Ignoring the back
A tidy back is not vanity. Long strands carried across the back show through pale fabric and catch when framing. Keep carries short and finish threads properly.
10. Skipping the backstitch
Many beginners finish the cross stitch and stop. The backstitch outlining is what sharpens the design, and it makes a much larger difference than its small share of the work suggests.
One more thing
Work in good light, and wash your hands before you start. Fabric held for weeks picks up more than you would think, and a light hand wash before framing lifts a finished piece considerably.
