Direction of half cross stitch

[Mabel Figworthy]

This is probably one of those things where there is no right and wrong way, but I'd like to find out what other people do (I must be a secret statistician at heart).

In an old magazine I came across a design that used half cross stitch for the sky, to give a different texture and create depth. Now half coss stitch was explained in a separate box as 'the first half of a full cross stitch', and indeed in the photograph of the finished piece the half cross stitches lay in the direction of the bottom half (I mean the half that is underneath the other half) of the full crosses.

Personally I admit I do it the other way round -- my half cross stitches are always in the direction of the top half of the full crosses. I find it easier on the eye as all the stitches, half and full, appear to lie in the same direction. But perhaps that is exactly what the designer didn't want?

How do other stitchers go about this? Always in the direction of the top? Or of the bottom? Or either, depending on the desired effect? If so, what is the different effect?

[lacemaker2004]

Never thought about it much as I don't come across half stitches very frequently. I have noticed that many of the English designers use them more than the American designers so it may be just what I've noticed and may not be true.

[Rose]

We have had this discussion in the past and came to no clear, right or wrong.

I personally do the half stitches in the direction that they appear on the pattern. I have done a couple patterns that the sky was top right to bottom left and the grass was top left to bottom right. I felt that the designer did it this way for a reason and so followed thier lead. I don't know if this is right or wrong but that is just how I have always done it.

[Jilly]

I would have to agree with Rose, I look at the photo of the completed design and take my lead from there.

[~threadbear~]

Thinking back to my shell seekers picture, I think I did the 'top' of the cross stitch rather than the bottom, because it looked right to me. I can't actually remember whether that was the way it was on the chart or not now, I'll have to go look.

[tragedyackt]

It's definitely a matter of personal preference. To me, it seems that looking at the finished picture is usually the best bet, but as someone who makes their own patterns sometimes, the second half way is more subtle. I usually use it for shading purposes but for things like the sky or grass, the first half makes them pop more.

[mauveme]

I never thought about doing it any other way but the first half of the sitich. I will try doing it the otherway as well to see how differnt the result is.

[coffee_freak]

i do the half stitch first also..

[hada56]

mmm...my half stitces lay in the same direction as the top of my X's, because that's the way I like it, don't care what the instructions say. har!
it's all a matter of personal preferences, there is no wrong or right!

[Serinde]

I've lately been working on a piece with half cross stitches. I worked left to right, because it was meant to be water. Looked ripply.

[Becca]

I was wondering about this lately. My woodland enchantress has a lot of half cross stitches. The pattern said to do them as the first half of the cross, so that's what i've done, but maybe they would look better the other way. Although most of them are for the background so i guess it helps the woman to pop out if they are done as the first half of the cross and so they go in the other direction.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I think you're right, Becca, it would help create an extra contrast by being in the opposite direction.

I read of someone who used that effect to stitch 'hidden messages' into her projects!

[tragedyackt]

I think you're right, Becca, it would help create an extra contrast by being in the opposite direction.

I read of someone who used that effect to stitch 'hidden messages' into her projects!

I've never hidden messages in a cross stitch using half stitches except for my initials a few times but with careful use you can make awesome landscape effects and skies. It takes a little extra thought and is pretty much never actually on the chart so you have to draw it in, but the effect is worth it in my opinion.

[Serinde]

I've seen breathtakingly-real-life reflections created with clever use of half crosses in both directions and also overlapping one another (to make a whole X, obviously) but in two or sometimes four colours (2 sets of 2-colour in the needle). Mind-boggling, but really impressive.

[Mabel Figworthy]

to make a whole X, obviously, but in two or sometimes four colours (2 sets of 2-colour in the needle).

I've been thinking of a design using up some inherited variegated threads, and because the colour changes aren't always as quick as I'd like them for the effect I'm after, I was thinking of threading the needle with one strand, then making every cross by dooing the first half twice, then the second half twice, so you end up with an 'internally variegated' 2-strand cross stitch. I'll post it in the afghan design thread when I get round to bunging something on paper.

[Becca]

That sounds really good mabel, it sounds a bit easier than doing it using 4 different coloured threads.

[Serinde]

That will be really interesting to see. Space-dyed threads easily give a tweedy effect if stitched /// one way and then back over the top, but the greater the colour changes the more bizarre interactions you can get. Not always pleasing. When I did the Shetland map I tried to have all the golden yellow on the Atlantic side, because in the islands the golden sandy beaches are usually to the west. Didn't always work, though!

And yes, there are fabulous beaches in the islands and NW of Scotland. A well-kept secret. I'm not saying they are always warm -- we are up here on a line with Anchorage and Moscow -- but the Gulf Stream helps hugely.
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/l ... index.html A favourite, which can look like something Mediterranean in the summer sun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwood_Bay is probably more famous.

[Jilly]

Ohh! you have me longing for a holiday now, we don't get holidays any more

[Serinde]

Ah, ha! You have discovered my evil plan!

[Jilly]

We have been married for 24 years, together for 27 years, and we only had our first holiday without the bunch 4 years ago, I called it our honeymoon
That was also our last holiday