Making X's

I have question that I can't find an answer to. Most cross stitch
instructionals tell you to do Xs from bottom left to top right and then
bottom right to top left. And if you need to do a row, do all the bottoms to
tops and then back doing bottom to tops. I remember reading somewhere ( UK
maybe) a way to do each X separately. I know that it uses more floss and
creates a thicker back, but to me it seems more graft/chart friendly. Does
anyone have an explaination why the X's are done the way they are. I hate
then a row sends you to where you don't really want to be.

Darlene

Darlene - One way is Danish, and the other way is English. Usually, we just
cross stitch whatever way is comfortable, and make sure that the tops go the
same direction. I've found that if the tops go bottom right to upper left,
that the sheen of the usual cotton floss is on the top, and the bottom is
duller. Just my experience. Trust me - as long as the tops are going the
same direction, the "cross-stitch police" grin, wink, wink will NOT bother
you.

Have fun,

Eva in Foggy Kent, WA, US


"D.M.Evans" wrote in message
. ..
I have question that I can't find an answer to. Most cross stitch
instructionals tell you to do Xs from bottom left to top right and then
bottom right to top left. And if you need to do a row, do all the bottoms
to
tops and then back doing bottom to tops. I remember reading somewhere ( UK
maybe) a way to do each X separately. I know that it uses more floss and
creates a thicker back, but to me it seems more graft/chart friendly. Does
anyone have an explaination why the X's are done the way they are. I hate
then a row sends you to where you don't really want to be.

Darlene

"D.M.Evans" ) writes:
I have question that I can't find an answer to. Most cross stitch
instructionals tell you to do Xs from bottom left to top right and then
bottom right to top left. And if you need to do a row, do all the bottoms to
tops and then back doing bottom to tops. I remember reading somewhere ( UK
maybe) a way to do each X separately. I know that it uses more floss and
creates a thicker back, but to me it seems more graft/chart friendly. Does
anyone have an explaination why the X's are done the way they are. I hate
then a row sends you to where you don't really want to be.

Darlene

I have already seen one very sensible answer; let me add a little
bit. Any instructional that tells you what is the "correct" way to do
crosses, IMHO, does not know anything at all about needlework. There is no
right or wrong way to make a cross. Most of the time the end result looks
best if all the tops of the crosses go in the same direction, but even this is
not an absolute. I stitched "Sunday Best", where to get some details in
the face, some of the crosses went "the other way". Some people like to
do tent stitch all the time, which gives a much thicker back. There is a
theory that the more floss there is at the back of the work, the longer
the piece is going to last. So maybe if you are interested in your great-
great- great- etc grandchildren admiring your work, this is a good way to
go. We have a saying here on rctn that there is only one rule in
stitching; the thread goes through the eye of the needle. *Anything*
else is purely personal preference. HTH.

--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

Hi Darlene

I'm one of those who stitch the WHOLE canvas!

The first few I did, I could kick myself in the behind for using the
running X-stitch method (down and back) just because it leaves that
part of the work much thinner than the rest of the work.

Completing each X-stitch does use up more floss, but it blends better
with the rest of the work and actually makes framing easier too.
Material that is stitched with a running stitch pulls differently than
material stitched with a single X-stitch at a time.

So in essence, I learned my lesson the hard way!
It's only single X-stitch for me!

TTUL
Gary

(F.James Cripwell) had some very interesting
things to say about Making X's:

I have already seen one very sensible answer; let me add a little
bit. Any instructional that tells you what is the "correct" way to do
crosses, IMHO, does not know anything at all about needlework. There is no
right or wrong way to make a cross. Most of the time the end result looks
best if all the tops of the crosses go in the same direction, but even this is
not an absolute. I stitched "Sunday Best", where to get some details in
the face, some of the crosses went "the other way". Some people like to
do tent stitch all the time, which gives a much thicker back. There is a
theory that the more floss there is at the back of the work, the longer
the piece is going to last. So maybe if you are interested in your great-
great- great- etc grandchildren admiring your work, this is a good way to
go. We have a saying here on rctn that there is only one rule in
stitching; the thread goes through the eye of the needle. *Anything*
else is purely personal preference. HTH.

Doesn't the needle have to go through the fabric, too? ;-)

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

Seanette Blaylock wrote:
(F.James Cripwell) had some very interesting
things to say about Making X's:


I have already seen one very sensible answer; let me add a little
bit. Any instructional that tells you what is the "correct" way to do
crosses, IMHO, does not know anything at all about needlework. There is no
right or wrong way to make a cross. Most of the time the end result looks
best if all the tops of the crosses go in the same direction, but even this is
not an absolute. I stitched "Sunday Best", where to get some details in
the face, some of the crosses went "the other way". Some people like to
do tent stitch all the time, which gives a much thicker back. There is a
theory that the more floss there is at the back of the work, the longer
the piece is going to last. So maybe if you are interested in your great-
great- great- etc grandchildren admiring your work, this is a good way to
go. We have a saying here on rctn that there is only one rule in
stitching; the thread goes through the eye of the needle. *Anything*
else is purely personal preference. HTH.


Doesn't the needle have to go through the fabric, too? ;-)

Not if one is doing stumpwork! *BEG*

Elizabeth (ok, maybe at some point)
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So Eva,
Is it a good thing for the tops to shine or not? I also remember reading
that there was a right way to thread the floss that the thread should be
twisting a certain direction? I could never see the difference-it said when
you ran the floss through your fingers one way would be smoother.

Darlene
Details, details. . . life is in the details.


"Threaded" wrote in message
news:1096086679.9UCkUOZRsMx5JplWEb67rA@teranews...
Darlene - One way is Danish, and the other way is English. Usually, we
just
cross stitch whatever way is comfortable, and make sure that the tops go
the
same direction. I've found that if the tops go bottom right to upper
left,
that the sheen of the usual cotton floss is on the top, and the bottom is
duller. Just my experience. Trust me - as long as the tops are going the
same direction, the "cross-stitch police" grin, wink, wink will NOT
bother
you.

Have fun,

Eva in Foggy Kent, WA, US

Jim,
I think I am going to have to make time to go to an Ottawa Guild meeting,
remind me next mouth,
Darlene

"F.James Cripwell" wrote in message . We have a
saying here on rctn that there is only one rule in
stitching; the thread goes through the eye of the needle. *Anything*
else is purely personal preference. HTH.

--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

Thanks Gary, I had started a project a while ago that I would do the single
stitch method, but it also said to start lower right to upper left. I just
didn't know if I should start it over before I got to far into it or to
continue on. I think I will finish it the way I started and figure out from
there if it is the way to go. I am not one to follow the rules unless there
is a good reason behind it.
Darlene


"Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr." wrote
in message ...
Hi Darlene

I'm one of those who stitch the WHOLE canvas!

The first few I did, I could kick myself in the behind for using the
running X-stitch method (down and back) just because it leaves that
part of the work much thinner than the rest of the work.

Completing each X-stitch does use up more floss, but it blends better
with the rest of the work and actually makes framing easier too.
Material that is stitched with a running stitch pulls differently than
material stitched with a single X-stitch at a time.

So in essence, I learned my lesson the hard way!
It's only single X-stitch for me!

TTUL
Gary

Hi Darlene,

A third way is Ukrainian. The stitches are done in columns from
bottom to top and back down again. The folklore is the needle should
never point at your heart. I usually stitch this way but use whatever
is easiest for the design. For horizontal borders I use Ukrainain so
I needn't stitch long horizontal rows and on vertical borders I use
either Danish or English depending on the width of the border. I also
choose to have more coverage on the back for items which will be
"used" such as pillows, afghans and embellished clothes.

You might want to try a small piece, bookmark or ornament in each
technique to see which you find most comfortable.

Anne


"Threaded" wrote in message news:1096086679.9UCkUOZRsMx5JplWEb67rA@teranews. ..
Darlene - One way is Danish, and the other way is English. Usually, we just
cross stitch whatever way is comfortable, and make sure that the tops go the
same direction. I've found that if the tops go bottom right to upper left,
that the sheen of the usual cotton floss is on the top, and the bottom is
duller. Just my experience. Trust me - as long as the tops are going the
same direction, the "cross-stitch police" grin, wink, wink will NOT bother
you.

Have fun,

Eva in Foggy Kent, WA, US


"D.M.Evans" wrote in message
. ..
I have question that I can't find an answer to. Most cross stitch
instructionals tell you to do Xs from bottom left to top right and then
bottom right to top left. And if you need to do a row, do all the bottoms
to
tops and then back doing bottom to tops. I remember reading somewhere ( UK
maybe) a way to do each X separately. I know that it uses more floss and
creates a thicker back, but to me it seems more graft/chart friendly. Does
anyone have an explaination why the X's are done the way they are. I hate
then a row sends you to where you don't really want to be.

Darlene