Some cross stitching questions from a newbie.

[Shogun]

Hey. I just registered here because it seems like the right place for what I'm looking for.

I've just recently been introduced to the idea of cross stitching nes/snes scenes. I've taken some time to practice stitching, and so far it's been going well. I've just done some small characters to see if it's something I'd enjoy doing at all; and I've decided I want to do something bigger now. My wife thought it would be cool if I made bigger ones to frame and have on our walls/on the kids' walls. I've got quite a few questions, though, and I was hoping I could get some help here. I apologize if this isn't the correct place for this, or if I'm missing these answers somewhere.

1 - where do you find some of the less important sprites in better detail? For instance - my first scene is going to be a made up mario screenshot, but I'm having a hard time finding the sprite for the ground tile in decent resolution; it makes it hard to get it looking right. Finding characters tends to be easy, but other things like that, and say the bush in the background, tend to be harder.

2 - is there a list anywhere of the best DMC color choices for NES/SNES projects? For instance - what's my best choice to get that goomba or mario's overalls looking right? There are so many color choices, and I want to try to make things look as accurate as possible, but I've got really poor eyes when it comes to picking the right color.

3 - what do you do for the background - let's use mario again for the example... Purplish/blue background - do you find a cloth that matches that color closely, or do you use white and actually cross stitch in the entire sky? Would one look better than the other? It seems like a lot of extra work - but if it makes it look better, then I think it's worth it.

4 - how clean do you keep the back of the fabric? As I was doing it, I would generally work a color first, and sometimes I'd have to skip say 3-4 squares and come back, and it would make a lot of x's and ugly threads on the back. Am I better off just making the squares that are next to each other, then tying/looping the thread and cutting it off and then starting fresh 3-4 squares later? Does keeping it clean on the back really make a big difference, or is it more work than it's worth?

5 - I've read about not tying it off on the back, but just looping it under some other threads. I have a few concerns about that - do threads not tend to come loose? It seems like they would, especially if you have to wash the thing to get all the wrinkles out. What I've done is taken the 2 strands I'm using and just made 2-3 simple knots. It also seems the looping of the thread makes the back look pretty ugly.

6 - any suggestions for a beginner? Things I might not think of when starting this new hobby?

My first goal is a simple Super Mario Bros screen shot from the NES game. Most of the sprites seem fairly easy to find and to plan out. I've also got a program I can use to design the entire scene and keep it to a certain size, etc (I think just making up a scene is easier than trying to do a real screenshot). I want to be able to frame it and put it on our wall. Eventually I want to work my way up to making something like the Link to the Past map that I've seen. but I want to keep it more simple now with NES style stuff. I also want to do some angry birds / tmnt / super hero things for my kids to put on their walls.

This place looks like the perfect place to get some information on this; wish I'd found it earlier.

[Kareesh]

1 - where do you find some of the less important sprites in better detail? For instance - my first scene is going to be a made up mario screenshot, but I'm having a hard time finding the sprite for the ground tile in decent resolution; it makes it hard to get it looking right. Finding characters tends to be easy, but other things like that, and say the bush in the background, tend to be harder.

Spriter's Resource is a great place to find sprites. Also, you want to find pictures in .png as opposed to .jpg. The way jpgs are compressed mess with the look when you want to zoom in and look at the details. That's also the best way to save a picture you're going to import into a program such as KG Chart or PC Stitch.

3 - what do you do for the background - let's use mario again for the example... Purplish/blue background - do you find a cloth that matches that color closely, or do you use white and actually cross stitch in the entire sky? Would one look better than the other? It seems like a lot of extra work - but if it makes it look better, then I think it's worth it.

I personally stitch all the backgrounds (unless it's black). I think it just makes everything look neat and that way you know the color will be right. Sometimes, though, a dyed piece of aida might look nice as well. It all comes down to personal choice, methinks.

4 - how clean do you keep the back of the fabric? As I was doing it, I would generally work a color first, and sometimes I'd have to skip say 3-4 squares and come back, and it would make a lot of x's and ugly threads on the back. Am I better off just making the squares that are next to each other, then tying/looping the thread and cutting it off and then starting fresh 3-4 squares later? Does keeping it clean on the back really make a big difference, or is it more work than it's worth?

I personally don't keep the back of my fabric extrodinarally clean. My rule of thumb is if it's under 7 squares away, then I just go ahead and stitch it. If it's over 7, then I'll come back to it.

5 - I've read about not tying it off on the back, but just looping it under some other threads. I have a few concerns about that - do threads not tend to come loose? It seems like they would, especially if you have to wash the thing to get all the wrinkles out. What I've done is taken the 2 strands I'm using and just made 2-3 simple knots. It also seems the looping of the thread makes the back look pretty ugly.

This is the method my mom taught me and the one I personally use. I've never had an issue with them coming loose, unless I cut the thread too short or something like that. If your stitches are tight enough, then there shouldn't be an issue with them coming loose. And yeah, it probably does mess with the look of the back of the project.


Hope some of these answers help. I know someone else will be able to help with the ones I couldn't answer, as well as give more insight to the ones I did. Welcome, and looking forward to pictures of your project.

[stitchingmama]

I just wanted to add that if I can't find a rip of something on spriters resource I google image it (e.g. Battle Toads sprite rip). And I've read somewhere (probably here) that if you knot your thread it makes your project "bumpy" therefore framing does not go well. I never knot my thread and rarely have had problems.

[Mishatu]

One of the tricks I've learned from here is that if you use two strands, you can instead use one strand, folded in half. If you stitch through the fold-loop, it anchors it down without any extraneous bumps.

If I'm not making any sense, I'm sorry. This is why I'm not a teacher xD

[RMDC]

2 - is there a list anywhere of the best DMC color choices for NES/SNES projects? For instance - what's my best choice to get that goomba or mario's overalls looking right? There are so many color choices, and I want to try to make things look as accurate as possible, but I've got really poor eyes when it comes to picking the right color.

No, and there should be. I've been keeping some of my own patterns as a morgue of what's worked for me. Maybe we as a board can contribute to a Google doc or something similar with what's worked for each of us? I'd actually start that up tonight if I wasn't just taking a quick break from studying for my physics exam tomorrow. >.<

4 - how clean do you keep the back of the fabric?

I've learned to keep it neater than when I started a few years ago, but overall I don't stress too much. Neatness is a habit that can be learned gradually.

5 - I've read about not tying it off on the back, but just looping it under some other threads.

I'm in the looping-not-knotting camp. I usually secure a thread end beneath three to four stitches. I even do this for backstitching. The only time I knot is on the front, in French knots. It really does make a difference when framing. I've only had them come loose a couple of times, usually on single stitches located a distance from other stitches (we call 'em "confetti stitches", and they're a matter of practice) or when I haven't kept my tension even.

6 - any suggestions for a beginner? Things I might not think of when starting this new hobby?

• If you start railroading your stitches early, it really makes your life easier and produces a better result.
• Likewise, you'll find a lot of good ideas in our Techniques / Guides forum, including Eliste's excellent guides to blocking and ironing - these two will make your finished product look excellent.
• You will realize that hours of work are worthless because you wound up offsetting your work by one pixel somewhere. This is the great test of cross stitching that everyone must face. Put down your work. Walk away. But come back to it later with the willingness to spend a single session laboriously undoing what you did so that you can redo it. It's worth the effort.
• If you're stitching as a gift, be certain that the recipient will understand the hours of labor that go into even a plastic canvas cell phone charm or a small stitched magnet. If they can't grasp what it is that you're giving them, they'll shove it behind a box in their attic, and a little piece of you will die.
• Don't let UFO (unfinished objects) accrue. I break this rule all the time. Don't be me.

[yessamaca]

4 - how clean do you keep the back of the fabric? As I was doing it, I would generally work a color first, and sometimes I'd have to skip say 3-4 squares and come back, and it would make a lot of x's and ugly threads on the back. Am I better off just making the squares that are next to each other, then tying/looping the thread and cutting it off and then starting fresh 3-4 squares later? Does keeping it clean on the back really make a big difference, or is it more work than it's worth?

The rule I learned way back when was that if the new stitches are about an inch from where you're currently working, then end your stitching and start over in the new location. That's what I generally do when starting out. Further on in the project, if there are other stitches in between where I'm working and the next location for that color then I just run the floss under those in-between stitches until I get to the new spot. If it's really far between then I don't because it's kind of a waste of floss sometimes, but it is the lazy way to go and I like that. I always thought I kept the back fairly tidy but reading what you wrote I kinda feel like a slob! Neat and tidy is good, but I do like seeing the work someone's put into it. A bit of mess adds something to the back, I think. It's like going to a wonderful play and then peeking backstage to see costumes tossed over the backs of chairs and spilled face powder on the floor. That's when you see the hard work that goes into it.

5 - I've read about not tying it off on the back, but just looping it under some other threads. I have a few concerns about that - do threads not tend to come loose? It seems like they would, especially if you have to wash the thing to get all the wrinkles out. What I've done is taken the 2 strands I'm using and just made 2-3 simple knots. It also seems the looping of the thread makes the back look pretty ugly.

I found that threads came lose when I tried knotting but they don't since I've been looping. I only tried knotting a few times quite a few years ago, though. I like looping because it lays flatter and it's less fiddly. If it's the first stitches in an area then I stitch over the tail. If I've stitched other colors in that area then I run the needle under a few stitches before I begin. I used to be a bit crazy and would run it under 10 stitches or so or leave a loooooong tail when I started and be stitching over that thing for ages. Now I think 4 or 5 is enough.

I was thinking just last night about how I like seeing stitching projects on this forum but how I'd like to see more backs. Maybe this is a good opportunity for that? I'll snap some pics when I get home (I'm not slacking off at work! It's my lunch break...honest!).

[RMDC]

A bit of mess adds something to the back, I think. It's like going to a wonderful play and then peeking backstage to see costumes tossed over the backs of chairs and spilled face powder on the floor. That's when you see the hard work that goes into it. [...]

I was thinking just last night about how I like seeing stitching projects on this forum but how I'd like to see more backs. Maybe this is a good opportunity for that? I'll snap some pics when I get home (I'm not slacking off at work! It's my lunch break...honest!).

I love the theater analogy!

A lot of us seize up when we think about showing the backs of our projects. I wonder if it's a kind of self-esteem thing? The back is more personal and perhaps more prone to criticism - the front is like your house when you're preparing for company, and the back is like your house the rest of the week. There are a few stitchers here with the courage to show off their backs (Miss Clawful, for example), but most of us don't have the guts. Maybe we should start overcoming our inhibitions.

[yessamaca]

A lot of us seize up when we think about showing the backs of our projects. I wonder if it's a kind of self-esteem thing? The back is more personal and perhaps more prone to criticism - the front is like your house when you're preparing for company, and the back is like your house the rest of the week. There are a few stitchers here with the courage to show off their backs (Miss Clawful, for example), but most of us don't have the guts. Maybe we should start overcoming our inhibitions.

Ah, maybe that's why I don't mind. My house is a bit messy all the time!

I never even realized people didn't like showing their backs, but I guess that's because I don't know so many stitchers. I didn't mean to suggest something that would make anyone uncomfortable. I'll see if I can get a good picture of some of mine to post, but there's no pressure for anyone else.

[Yurtle]

A lot of us seize up when we think about showing the backs of our projects. I wonder if it's a kind of self-esteem thing? The back is more personal and perhaps more prone to criticism - the front is like your house when you're preparing for company, and the back is like your house the rest of the week. There are a few stitchers here with the courage to show off their backs (Miss Clawful, for example), but most of us don't have the guts. Maybe we should start overcoming our inhibitions.

It's not about guts with me. I just don't see what the big deal is. Most of the stitching I do is framed. No one is ever going to see it. If it's going to take me less time to just stitch however I want to stitch and not worry about the back, that's what I'm going to do. When I first learned to cross-stitch the person who taught me emphasized the neatness of the back of a project. I worked my very hardest to focus on that for so long. Looking back, I realized what a waste of time that was! Unless I'm going to make something like magnets or ornaments where the back is exposed, I say just don't worry about it!!

[Yurtle]

2 - is there a list anywhere of the best DMC color choices for NES/SNES projects? For instance - what's my best choice to get that goomba or mario's overalls looking right? There are so many color choices, and I want to try to make things look as accurate as possible, but I've got really poor eyes when it comes to picking the right color.

I wish!!

3 - what do you do for the background - let's use mario again for the example... Purplish/blue background - do you find a cloth that matches that color closely, or do you use white and actually cross stitch in the entire sky? Would one look better than the other? It seems like a lot of extra work - but if it makes it look better, then I think it's worth it.

I generally stitch all my backgrounds as well. It is a lot of extra work. It's weird because I'd rather do this extra work than go through the trouble of dying fabric so that it's the right colour. If I can purchase a fabric that's the colour I want for the majority of the background, I will do that but often, you can't find the colour you want/need and end up stitching it anyway.

4 - how clean do you keep the back of the fabric? As I was doing it, I would generally work a color first, and sometimes I'd have to skip say 3-4 squares and come back, and it would make a lot of x's and ugly threads on the back. Am I better off just making the squares that are next to each other, then tying/looping the thread and cutting it off and then starting fresh 3-4 squares later? Does keeping it clean on the back really make a big difference, or is it more work than it's worth?

I already did my rant about the back but like someone already said, I generally keep my skipping over stitches to 5 squares or less. More than that and I start to worry about wasting floss.

5 - I've read about not tying it off on the back, but just looping it under some other threads. I have a few concerns about that - do threads not tend to come loose? It seems like they would, especially if you have to wash the thing to get all the wrinkles out. What I've done is taken the 2 strands I'm using and just made 2-3 simple knots. It also seems the looping of the thread makes the back look pretty ugly.

I always loop under other stitches. You don't want a bumpy back. People have mentioned that it affects the framing and it kind of does. I find that if I loop under at least 4 stitches, it's fine. I don't think I've ever had one come loose.

6 - any suggestions for a beginner? Things I might not think of when starting this new hobby?

Just have fun with it!! Pick images that you WANT to do!