Cross stitch tips

I learned fairly early that starting small was the best thing to do. A small project allows you to learn how to do cross stitch without the fear of a mistake ruining many hours of work. I have done larger projects that I have had to redo hours of work because of a mistake. When you are just learning how to do cross stitch, by starting small you don't end up redoing as much work to fix a mistake. If you move to a large project before you are ready, you may end up not finishing it for years like I did. There are many kits for sale that are small, and they are the easiest to start with since most include everything that you need, except the frame, which some include too.

I have made many mistakes when working on the different projects that I have done. The easiest mistake to make, and fix, is not reading the directions and pattern carefully. When you are just starting out, reading the information included in the kit can help you do things right. Reading the pattern carefully can help you avoid putting a stitch in the wrong spot. Another mistake that goes along with not reading the pattern carefully, is not counting correctly. This mistake can cause a lot of problems later on if it is not caught early. I recently had to take out an hour or more of work because I had miscounted. If you count twice, both on the pattern and on the fabric, it is less likely that this mistake will happen. If it is a large area that you have to count, it is best done without distractions, that is how my mistake happened. My kids were fighting and I wasn't paying attention, so even counting twice did not help me. If I would have waited until they were no longer fighting I may not have made my mistake. Most of my mistakes have come from either not reading the pattern correctly or not counting correctly. If you do those two things, most mistakes can be avoided.