easiest/most efficient way to stitch

[Ceitidh]

Have been stitching for about 19 years and my style depends on what I am stitching, on smaller items I use one hand and if large blocks of colour I tend to do all the bottom arms of the stitches and then go back doing the 2nd arm. For larger projects in a frame I tend to stitch two handed and in projects where the colour jumps around a lot I stitch two handed and complete one stitch in its entirety at a time incase I forget to go back to it.

I count everything several times if its jumping around a lot as I think more counting now means less ripping out later (hopefully). Don't think I could ever get to grips with marking out grids incase I got it wrong and then stitched wrong relying on grid.

[Granny]

I must say that marking grids makes it easier for me to stitch my obviously preferred method, one color at a time and in blocks. I need to do far less counting and also far less backtracking. I'm so glad I have learned that method from this forum. I prefer bottom leg, followed by top leg in, in sections with individual stitches finished as I do them. As I was working last night I marveled at how much more relaxed I was stitching with griding than before.

[Dazbo666]

Gridding my projects is a recent addition for me. However I only tend to use it to keep an accurate count of where I'm stitching, rather than completing one block at a time.

I ususally try to stitch the largest areas of solid colour first, either until the area is complete, or until the thread runs out... then go back over it and fill in the "blanks" and confetti stitches later. The backstitching is a bit of a pet hate of mine, so it's usually left until ALL the other cross stitching is complete.

I tried two handed stitching using a floor standing frame in the past, but I didn't feel comfortable with it, so I reverted to holding the roller frame in my hand and stitching one handed

[Granny]

I do back stitching as soon as I can in a section. That way the least desirable is not staring at me in the end. It is no different in any of my other activities. I like the feeling that when I am done there isn't thie statement "except----" which is usually the dreaded part. I use the grid for cross checking with the pattern grid. I no longer have to be able to keep track of more than 10 stitches at a time even if it is a stretch of 20 , 30 or whatever.

[koko]

On smaller projects, I like to start in the middle and work out. I usually do as much of one color as I can without counting too far out, then move onto the next color & so on. But for my first big project I just started, I gridded the fabric and am going page by page, starting in the upper left hand corner. Now that I've done the grid once I will DEFINITELY use it again, it's made my stitching so much faster!! I use a Q-snap so I stitch one-handed. I'm not sure that I would like a big frame and stitching 2-handed, I like to be able to hold the fabric. I would say just try out different ways and see what you feel most comfortable with - there are lots of ideas here on this forum, so just pick some and see what works best for you! And above all ENJOY

[andrea42]

Nuttystar,
I always grid now and when I figure out my fabric size I either add 2" or 3" all around then I measure say 3" down from the top and 3" in from the side and that is where I start. I grid one page at a time and when I do the HAEDS i had someone explain how to blow up the pattern so I blow up a half page at a time and tend to stitch all of that half then work on the bottom half it has worked for me so far and I feel like I accomplished more (even if it is in myown mind lol)

[daydrmsgrl]

I think after doing a bunch of projects you kinda just conform to what is easier for you. I have never tried the gridding one but I guess that can be good. I usually just find the center of the picture and my fabric and then just work out from there changing colors as I go. I dont really have any certain direction I always take or anything. Kinda just go around with one color until that color is used up in that little section and I need to use another color. I dont think there is any "best" way to do it- theres only what you like and what your confortable with.

[kerbear879]

I'm not a gridding and I don't mark my charts..and surprisingly don't make too many mistakes..I tend to work off just one page at a time but will do as much as the same color within that area and then move to the next color. That's basically the way I've been doing it for years and it seems to work. The key is just to try some different ways until you do find what works and as you can see soo many people have different ways of stitching.

[Suzanne]

Hi, Greywolf

I start with one colour and do "tent" stitching for as far as that colour goes on; allowing up to 2 blank squires to get to the colour, if you know what I mean?! Then I go back and do the stitch to create the cross stitch. It may sound difficult but I find that I work much better than way! Also, it gives my eyes and head a bit of a rest from going back and forward from the chart to my pattern! And, I then can relax a little because I know that I have it right!

[sammy_v]

As loads have said already theres no right way or wrong way to how u feel most comfortable stitching.

I tried a few different way and i feel more confortable starting in the middle and doing as much as that could as i can really. I tend to carry on with that colour for awhile and then if i can come back to the middle again after working about with the same colour i will do that and then change colour again. Its kinda like going in a circle each time with a colour. If u watch my SAL of elvis u will see what i mean. I have no idea how i got to doing it this way but it seems to work for me. I can also be a chanter LOL.

Now when i come to do a HAED or one of my huge ones i have waiting for me to do i think i will try gridding n try start in the left hand side but then again i may grid and start in the middle i have no idea, its all trial n kinda error really.