BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

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BizzieLizzie
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BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by BizzieLizzie »

As some of you know, I'm a confirmed parker. Lately, however, I've been feeling the need for a change and am going to try cross country stitching. :shock: :tizzy: This goes against all my OCD tendencies towards working in rows, having a neat back, etc. but the key to learning is trying new things, right? So, those of you who cross country - how do you do it and are there any pitfalls I need to avoid? Any advice gratefully received.
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rcperryls
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by rcperryls »

I tend to think of myself as more of a cross county than cross country stitcher for most of my projects. And I think most of my updates would show that. I stitch in sections and now that I use my iPad rather than stitching off of the paper, I've been "routing" my paths by actually either drawing a line path or numbering the order of the stitches or doing a little of both. (I hope that makes some sense). I highlight the finished stitches so can easily see what is left in a 10 x 10 block. I usually save big blocks of color for last (or for when I'm watching something on tv that is going to require serious attention) so that strands of the other threads are covered. If you are worried about the back, then weave the thread in the back for longer strands. I generally don't do stitches that are more than 10 spaces apart (in any direction) but have been known to extend it. I also usually save the confetti till the end of a section to make sure there are enough stitches already completed so I can weave a small thread through the back to secure the stitch.

I hope this makes sense. (For someone who was a trainer before I retired, I should be much better at explaining things :roll: ) We have some members who are great at providing instructions, so hopefully some who are cross countryers will make it clearer :x: .

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Allyn
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by Allyn »

First, let me just say that I shuddered a little when I read that you're already a parker, but that you're gonna try cross-country. I get the notion of wanting to try new things, though. I think the only advice that I can offer is to look at the chart in the area where you'll be stitching and pick out the symbols with the fewest occurances first. Stitch them, and then pick out the next fewest occurances. Stitch the most populated symbol(s) last. By leaving the most populated symbol to last, it'll cover the floaters of the lesser used symbols. I think folks do it the other way, and stitch the most populated symbol first and then they're stuck trying to squeeze isolated stitches in among the stitched areas and they have a lot of floaters or they flip the work back and forth trying to tunnel what would be floaters if left hanging out. Salient point, plain your attack so you trap the floaters and aren't squeezing in single stitches.
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by richardandtracy »

If you can cope with parking (I can't with more than 6 colours), stick with it, it's more efficient.

With 35 colours on the go, I'm down to 10 stitches an hour if I'm lucky, so I cross country because I can't cope otherwise.

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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by Squirrel »

I work on the advice of my dear grandmother who taught me "fancy work" aka embroidery. Her advice was never to more than 3 stitches before you loop through the back to where you are going. I find it still works well with cross stitch too.
Angel is going to require some sort of parking through these last 2 'swirls/loops' or else the back is going to be bulk with all the stop starting of rows. It is mostly 1 row of one of three shades of blue so I will scoot under threads down to the next time it is to be used. :)
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by DisneyStitcher »

I've always been a cross country gal - my best advice is to count twice. :wink: Like others have mentioned, look at the pattern and plan an attack before you start. Most patterns have a "feel" of how they will flow best. If I have confetti that is mostly the same color(s), I might do that first because the bigger block of color will hide and trap the traveling. But, if the confetti is 1 -3 stitches of a host of different colors, I'll do it last so that I can anchor the single stitches behind 5 - 7 stitches in both directions. I also don't like to travel more than an inch or so in any direction unless I just don't have any options to securely anchor the thread. Let us know your preferences and what worked well and what didn't.
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by Stitchinkitty »

I've always gone cross country.Parking terrifies me.So many threads hanging waiting to be used.
I always try to skip no more than three stitches.If I have to skip more I thread the floss under previous worked stitches.
I remember being told by Marion Scouler(Blackwork and hardanger, Royal School of needlework)"The back of your work is between you and your maker.As long as there are no knots at loose threads."
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Serinde
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by Serinde »

Excellent advise here. So I hardly need to add anything, but (naturally) I will.

Count. And count again. And possibly again.

If you don't anyway, cross your stitches as you go. It's faster and tidier, I find.
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BizzieLizzie
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Re: BizzieLizzie is heading cross country! Advice please?

Post by BizzieLizzie »

Thanks for your advice, everyone! I'm getting the feeling that I'm better off sticking with parking as I won't have to count so much and there's less chance of going wrong. I'll probably still try cross country on a small project though, if only for a bit of variety. I'll keep you posted! :D
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