Simple Cross-Stitch Tips

Getting some encouragement from Fely, I finally decided to pick up from where I left off with my Cross-Stitch of Sasha two years ago.

This is the picture that I'm making the cross-stitch from. 

Sasha was just a few months old then and she hasn't started growing her 'trademark' beard yet, which is why I decided this would be the best picture to use.  And I have really enjoyed cross-stitching this picture so far. This is how far I've got to.

I know, I've got a long way to go yet!!
You probably can't see it clearly but you can just about make out on the right hand side the contour of Sasha's face with her right ear flapping down. Due to the type of fabric I've chosen, the squares are extremely small and it's quite a job trying to follow the chart and stitch at the same time without losing your place constantly. It is especially challenging when you get to a part with lots of different colours like this.

So I've decided to fashion a marker in which I can use to hold the paper in place, while marking my progress on the chart. I started off with this.

Nothing fancy, just a straight piece of rather thick wire. 

 

Next, bend the wire following the shape of a paper clip.

And then you'll get this.

Simple, right? But be careful you don't poke your eyes out with the sharp ends.

And then, clip it anywhere on the side of your chart like you would a paper clip. Move it accordingly to which part of the chart you're working on.

To make it even more effective, use a black marker and make a tiny mark on the point of the giant paper clip like this.

And not only will this help to make your chart stay more in place, you'll never lose your place on it, ever again!

Another tip I find extremely useful, especially after you have worked a few different colours from your chart, is to keep your loose threads organised and properly labelled. 

Start off with this.

Again, nothing fancy, just a piece of paper folded in half with holes punched on one side from top to bottom. Tie the loose threads each colour to a hole and label them like this.

That way, you'll never lose track of which code the loose threads belong to. Sometimes, because there may be two or three colours with shades that are very close to one another, it is extremely difficult to tell which colour is which without properly organising and labelling them. This will make your life so much easier when you're trying to reuse your loose threads again.

Another tip I find useful is colour marking the chart as I go along. (Assuming that you are not going to use the plan again)

Just get a few gel pens, and mark your progress on your chart. This way, you'll find it easier to keep track of your overall progress.

It might be a bit messy, but I find this method extremely useful every time I want to pick up my project again after leaving it for some time.

These are just a few handy tips which I find extremely useful in helping to keep me organised and to make my cross-stitch experience a bit more fun and hassle-free.

Try them and let me know!!