What you wish someone had told you...

[concraftidor]

Yeah I mean you may need to re-iron a few times, and depending on the brand it may be permanent. But for me I don't mind since my edges get tucked or trimmed away during framing anyhow. And I hate tape with a mad hot vengeance.

[icedragonj]

This is good! I am learning new things that I had never heard about. Although I am not sure about this whole railroading thing... sounds like it would take a lot longer/be harder to hold everything. How much of a difference does it actually make?

Now a few of my own!
If you fold a cross-stitch for storage or transport, in the sampe place, for a long time, it will be very difficult to get rid of the crease at the end. Even with washing and ironing. Nowadays I preffer scroll frames which remove the need for folds at all.

As for knitting, I just learnt about the magic loop method! You do not need double pointed needles to do small loops, long(ish) circular needles will do the trick. Wish I knew that before buying a big set of double pointed needles...

Doubling a single strand is much simpler than using two separate strands in the long run.

I might have to dissagree on this one. I preffer using two seperate strands. First, you can adjust the length you need to pull through (by positioning where your needle sits on the thread). This can save time, by keeping the length you need to pull to a minimum, and I find I can stitch longer lengths each time, reducing the time spent on starting and finishing. Although, the needle never falling off the thread can be very nice. Each to their own.

[ambie719]

For cross stitch I wish I had known from the beginning about using 1 thread doubled up and starting with the loop method. It was like a giant light bulb the first time I read about it haha. I've never heard of railroading before, I will definitely try it on my next project. And having a big scroll frame that I can rest on my arm so I have one hand on top and one underneath my work definitely has sped up my stitching.

[funkymonkey]

I might have to dissagree on this one. I preffer using two seperate strands. First, you can adjust the length you need to pull through (by positioning where your needle sits on the thread).

I will disagree with your disagreement I think the way you are talking about is the way I started as a kid, where you tack down the end with the two threads, and have your needle on the "loop" end. This was nice when I was learning because I didn't have to worry about losing my needle, or having to rethread it.

The way RMDC is talking about though, you tie the loop end to your fabric (like a slip knot) when you start stitching, and you have the two loose ends on your needle. You are able to adjust the amount going through the eye at any point, just as if you were using two separate strands, but you avoid half of the tacking down.

I swear by this method now; saves time and thread. Especially if you're stitching on a purse or other item with waste canvas that tacking down is tricky, skipping half of them is great. I even get a little disappointed when I have to use an odd number of strands that I can't use this method

[icedragonj]

The way RMDC is talking about though, you tie the loop end to your fabric (like a slip knot) when you start stitching, and you have the two loose ends on your needle. You are able to adjust the amount going through the eye at any point, just as if you were using two separate strands, but you avoid half of the tacking down.

Oh, I see. Yes that does make it easier to start. However I find that any time saved in starting is lost by spending extra time unraveling the thread. I like to use around 80cm, so if I use a single tread that means I have to unravel 1.6m which gets a little difficult to manage. If it works for you, go for it! If you haven't tried it, give it a go before deciding what method suits you better.

[SuperKJ]

Cross stitching:

- Don't worry too much if one little stitch isn't 100% perfect...Nobody else is going to notice.

- Don't pressure yourself to get X amount done every day/whatever - it isn't worth stressing yourself out.

- Downloading and saving patterns is much better than printing...But make sure you back them up somewhere. (Something I learned the hard way!)

- Don't be afraid of trying bigger projects...You CAN do it! (This is what I am telling myself every day as I have started my first ever biggie. Having a very enthusiastic hubby helps, of course.)

[icedragonj]

- Don't be afraid of trying bigger projects...You CAN do it! (This is what I am telling myself every day as I have started my first ever biggie. Having a very enthusiastic hubby helps, of course.)

Exciting! You CAN do it! But don't de discouraged if you need to take some breaks from it either. My pokemon gen 2 took a total of 2 years, but there were months at a time where I didn't touch it at all. Then there were other days I was so engrosed I forgot to eat... Point is, you will finish it, eventually

[funkymonkey]

- Don't pressure yourself to get X amount done every day/whatever - it isn't worth stressing yourself out.

So true. No faster way to get burned out than to try to complete a huge project on a deadline. Slow and steady wins the race, and keeps it enjoyable

I will add my own:
- Never underestimate the power of dirty hands. Wash your hands before you start working, try not to hold a large project on the fabric itself, and move your hoop/frame often. Roll a scroll frame "backwards" so the rolled sides have the back of the fabric facing out, and the good side protected. I've had a couple projects "ruined" by permanent stains. I say ruined in quotes because they are totally still framed and on my wall, but I regret not taking better care of them while I was working on them.

- Print perler bead patterns at 5 squares per inch, and put them under clear bead trays. Then it's like a paint-by-number.

- Wash and iron finished projects, even if you think they look good already. It will only make them better (assuming your floss doesn't bleed; DMC doesn't, but some that comes in kits does if you don't prewash it before stitching). If your frame is deep enough, mounting the stitching on foam board looks much better than framing it flat.

- If you have the extra cash and like to have projects framed, buy a mat cutter. So easy to use, and SO much cheaper than paying for custom framing. Buy a standard frame, and cut your own custom mat!

- Quilting - I second the comment of use a rotary cutter and mat. Scissors, even if you think you're precise, are never as good. I have an 18 inch clear quilting ruler that I bought for rotary cutting, but use it for EVERYTHING.

[SuperKJ]

icedragonj - Yes, I'm expecting it to take me an insanely long amount of time, but I've told myself, it's okay. I know when it's finished I will gift it to someone, but I don't have a recipient in mind, because I know otherwise I'll pressure myself. I know I'm not going to have as much time to work on it the next few weeks because of work, so at the moment I'm practically treasuring my stitching time. But I know I'm going to finish it, because I can be so stubborn!

funkymonkey - Since I came back to cross-stitching a few months ago I've realised how important it is to not stress out over progress. The first thing I made was a bookmark for a Secret Santa gift, and I drove myself nuts over it.

[Aegidia]

Reviving this thread to add:

No, you don't always have to make a muslin, no matter what those perfectionist ladies on the internet say. But yes, you should always make a muslin for a pattern you draft yourself. Seriously. You should.

(guess whose entry for this month's challenge is not going exactly as planned...)