Help please!

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

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mouselady
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Help please!

Post by mouselady »

I think I am doing something wrong when I place my projects in my Q Snap. I rarely keep the piece in the snaps for more than a week, but I always seem to have an area that has been crushed. The stitches do 'plump' back up after a while, but they never seem to look like they did before. You can see this in my current project. I just took it out after 6 days, and you can see the crushed stitches in the two swans of Day Seven. If you look at Day Two you can see part of the turtle dove and the crown is still crushed after being out of the snaps for over two months. Does anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong? And any way to fix the crushed stitches?

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Thanks for any advice or help you can provide!
Desiree

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Serinde
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Re: Help please!

Post by Serinde »

I put a piece of cloth between the stitched part and the q-snap, which does help with the crushing. If you can manage it, using a q-snap that if large enough to leave enough fabric for the entire design is also good. I realise that's not always possible.

When you come to wash it, you will find that all the stitches will plump up again, I bet. Even dampening the stitching and then ironing (done upside down into a soft cloth, of course) will restore the stitching.
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rcperryls
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Re: Help please!

Post by rcperryls »

I also put a piece of cloth between the fabric and the q snap or the hoop, depending on what I am using. For some of the sizes I use, I have extra grime guards so I started using one between the fabric and the clamp or top hoop and then another one like it is supposed to be. It's a little trickier getting the fabric centered the way I like but it does provide protection. Even without it, I find that the stitches will plump back up with time.

Carole
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mouselady
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Re: Help please!

Post by mouselady »

Thank you. I feel better knowing that you don't think I am doing something wrong. I am not sure I am going to 'wash' this piece as some of the threads are hand-dyed and may not be completely color-fast, but maybe I will just dampen the parts where there is some crushing and see if that will plump it back up. I have till December, so maybe some of the stitches will plump on their own as well.

Thanks again!
Desiree

WIP:
Lobo - HAED
Faces of Joan Elliot SAL
Friendly Felines

2016 Finishes:
Joan Elliot Birth Announcement
Flower of the Month - July
12 Days of Christmas
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Serinde
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Re: Help please!

Post by Serinde »

You may find that a careful jet of steam from the iron is enough (using a soft cloth underneath as usual).
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