Cross-Stitch Tips and Tricks

• Remember the larger the number the smaller the stitch will be.  For example, 14 count fabric refers to 14 stitches per inch and 7 count fabric refers to 7 stitches per inch so the stitches are bigger.

• Be careful when washing your pieces.  I always use cool to cold water to help reduced the chance of the embroidery floss fading or running.  Then lay flat and let it dry.  You can iron your pieces and use a little starch to stiffen them if you are framing them. I would iron on the wrong side in case your starch flakes.

• There are mounting boards available now to mount your finished piece to that will make framing much easier.

• Be mindful of darker colors strands that may show through to the front when finished stitching an area and moving to a different area to stitch with the same strand and there are going to be no other stitches over it help hide it.  Take a piece of fabric that matches (or as close as possible) your cross stitch fabric and fuse a piece of  double-sided fusible interfacing to the matching fabric.  Place the fabric UNDER any of the dark embroidery floss strands that you DO NOT want to show through to the front and fuse to the back of the cross stitch fabric.