Backstitching Tips

Tips, Tricks & Techniques - anything to help fellow cross stitchers.

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ChelseaStitches
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Backstitching Tips

Post by ChelseaStitches »

If anyone has any backstitching tips, I would be so grateful. Backstitch is by FAR one of my worst skills. I think my first venture into it didn't go so well because after stitching my pattern, the fabric was way to dense to get a needle through, making it absolutely painstaking. Also, I find it overwhelming when the backstitch in the pattern doesn't go straight hole to hole - does this make any sense? For instance it goes through half a stitch? Do you just do the best you can? I'm sure most of my issues would be eliminated on linen and most of my current work is Aida, but I would still like to try and get a nice finished product with backstitch done even if it isn't stitched over 2. Any thoughts?

:cry:
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fccs
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by fccs »

Back stitching isn't my fave thing to do, so I do it as I go (most of the time). For back stitches that are longer and not a straight or straight diagonal line, I go hole to hole rather than trying to split the fabric threads.
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Carole
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by Carole »

I find it helps to use a sharp needle instead of the blunt cross stitch needles.
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Nicola Main
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by Nicola Main »

Hi Chelsea! I love to do backstitching! I've done this little diagram (hope it makes sense) to show you how I backstitch.

Image

The thick black line to the left of the symbols is where the chart wants you to go with the backstitch. The thinner line to the left of that is your needle and thread showing where you would come in and out of the holes. E.g. you would come up at 2 and go down at 1, then come up at 3 and go down at 2, if you see the line on your chart going over several symbols and joining the corner further up I wouldn't split the aida block I would come up at 4 and down at 3. Does that make sense? And then continue with up at 5 and down at 4 and so on. I think the longer stitches going over several symbols are called longstitches. I've always just used the needle I cross stitch with to do my backstitch and find that it works ok. Hope that helped, Nicola.
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ChelseaStitches
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by ChelseaStitches »

fccs & Carole - I totally agree. I think the use of my dull needles really doesn't help my situation at all, and I do think I need to backstitch as I go so that it's not so overwhelming at the end of the project. That's exactly what happened to "Pondering Pup"...then I got to the end and was like forget it! Thank you for the suggestions!


Nicola, honestly - this was probably more helpful than you could even imagine. I never really thought of skipping the half stitches. Does it look ok when you are finished? The only time I have been successful backstitching was when I used this technique on my Village of Hawk Run Hollow weeds by the river...and it actually turned out stunning. Maybe I should have just listened to my instinct. I think sometimes I just get caught up in "following the pattern perfectly" so this may have felt like a cheat...but like I said it did give me my best result.

Thank you for taking the time to do this diagram! I can really appreciate the depth that backstitching brings to a piece, so I would love to be able to do a nice job of it!

Nicola Main wrote:Hi Chelsea! I love to do backstitching! I've done this little diagram (hope it makes sense) to show you how I backstitch.

Image

The thick black line to the left of the symbols is where the chart wants you to go with the backstitch. The thinner line to the left of that is your needle and thread showing where you would come in and out of the holes. E.g. you would come up at 2 and go down at 1, then come up at 3 and go down at 2, if you see the line on your chart going over several symbols and joining the corner further up I wouldn't split the aida block I would come up at 4 and down at 3. Does that make sense? And then continue with up at 5 and down at 4 and so on. I think the longer stitches going over several symbols are called longstitches. I've always just used the needle I cross stitch with to do my backstitch and find that it works ok. Hope that helped, Nicola.
WIPs:
"Woodland Sampler" - Frosted Pumpkin - August 2015
"Village of Hawk Run Hollow" - Carriage House - October 2015
"A Marriage Is..." - Janlynn - February 2016

Finishes:
"Pondering Pup" - February 2016
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Serinde
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by Serinde »

Well done, Nicola. A model of clarity there.

I find myself counting 'one up two over', 'two up one over' and that sort of thing. :oops:
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Nicola Main
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by Nicola Main »

No problem Chelsea I actually enjoyed doing it. You asked if it looks ok if I miss the half stitches. Well here's a photo of a daisy design I did last year. There's a lot of backstitching in it, some going over single blocks but others are slightly longer. I think it looks ok but what do you think?

Image
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ChelseaStitches
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by ChelseaStitches »

I think it looks fabulous!

But on another note, I FINALLY figured out what I was doing wrong and why it looked so crappy. After ALL THIS TIME I just never noticed what I was doing.

Let me try to explain. In your sample diagram, I would have gone up at 1, down at 2, then up at 3, down at 2, then up at 3 down at 4, then up at 5 down at 4..... so sort of looping it... instead of always going back one, does that make any sense? It seems like the smallest thing but it has made an ENORMOUS difference to my stitching!

Image

Proud! :dance:
WIPs:
"Woodland Sampler" - Frosted Pumpkin - August 2015
"Village of Hawk Run Hollow" - Carriage House - October 2015
"A Marriage Is..." - Janlynn - February 2016

Finishes:
"Pondering Pup" - February 2016
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Nicola Main
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by Nicola Main »

Excellent work Chelsea! Happy stitching ;)
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rcperryls
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by rcperryls »

:applesauce: :applesauce: Very pretty A!!! And a very good description Nicola of back stitching.

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cairee
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Re: Backstitching Tips

Post by cairee »

ChelseaStitches wrote:I think it looks fabulous!

But on another note, I FINALLY figured out what I was doing wrong and why it looked so crappy. After ALL THIS TIME I just never noticed what I was doing.

Let me try to explain. In your sample diagram, I would have gone up at 1, down at 2, then up at 3, down at 2, then up at 3 down at 4, then up at 5 down at 4..... so sort of looping it... instead of always going back one, does that make any sense? It seems like the smallest thing but it has made an ENORMOUS difference to my stitching!
Proud! :dance:
Glad you found what was wrong! it does make a huge difference what direction you take a stitch!

oh and some lovely stitching you've got there, cant wait to see the whole thing! :wub: :whoop:
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