Step 3 of the process
Stitch the design
Start without a knot, keep every top leg slanting the same way and pull each stitch just until it lies flat. Most problems seen later (gaps, puckers, a lumpy back) are made at this step.
- Starting a thread
- loop start, waste knot or held tail
- Cross stitch
- a row of half crosses, then back
Knots on the back make lumps that show through, so a thread is started without one. With an even number of strands the neat way is the loop start: fold one strand in half, thread the two cut ends, and catch the loop on the back with the first stitch. Otherwise stitch over a short tail or use a waste knot. Cross stitch loop start covers each method and how to end a thread.
Cross stitch is worked in rows: a row of half crosses in one direction, then back along the row to complete them. What matters is that every top leg slants the same way; mixed directions catch the light differently and look messy. Pull each stitch until the floss lies flat on the fabric and stop there. If fabric shows between crosses, see why cross stitch has gaps.
Tension is the other half. Stitches pulled too tight draw the fabric in, and it stays that way: why is my embroidery puckering lists the causes for hand work. Let the needle hang now and then so the floss untwists, and do not carry a thread far across the back. A miscount found late can usually be unpicked: how to fix cross stitch mistakes.
Ready to move on when: Every stitch on the chart is worked, the top legs match, and all thread ends are woven in on the back.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Crossing some stitches left over right and others right over left.
- Pulling each stitch tight instead of just flat.
- Trailing a dark thread across the back behind light fabric.