I decided to have a go at some cross-stitch, and of course chose a difficult and complicated printed pattern! I thought instructions would come with it, but the leaflet only shows how to do a basic cross stitch across two rows of holes, not anything about what to do if there is only 1 or 3 rows of holes at a time, or how to pick out individual dots.

Have tried looking for online tutorials and can't find anything that relates to the bits I'm not sure about.

So, am not expecting a free cross-stitch lesson, but if anybody is experienced I'd be really grateful if they could have a look at the picture and answer two queries:

1. Should the pink and purple rows have the slight gap between them or should they overlap more?
2. Should the single line of green be done in the backstitch as I have or should it be something more diagonal/more similar looking to the basic cross-stitch?

If I've at least got those things right then I can carry on a bit. If I haven't, then I realise it's probably too complicated to explain on the forum what I do need to do, but just to know it's not right will help and any hints as to the name of the type of stitch I should be doing/tips on good online sources of info would be great.


Thank you... sorry if this is a hopeless question, I thought somehow the whole thing would just be logical and easy to follow!

It isn't cross stitch.

But that doesn't matter. All the stitches should be diagonal, from one hole to the next diagonal one. All in the same direction

/////
/////
/////


Like that.

There should be no gaps between colours.


With cross stitch you stitch little X s and in some ways it is easier, because you have a blank canvas with nothing printed on it and a map that tells you what colour to do where. I always photocopy the map bigger and then colour in the squares I have done.

Thank you... well they call the method victorian cross-stitch in the instructions.

However, what I don't get is, in the green line how can you go from one hole to the diagonal one when there is only one row of holes in the green colour?

Hmm - I can't help wondering whether the design has been stamped on the canvas with little thought as to what stitches might be used. Having said that, you seem to have made a rather good start, and I would be tempted to carry on in the same way, using your tapestry wool in the way that best fits with the colours that are there.

I'm not sure cross stitch is what you would do, anyway, with canvas of this gauge. Cross stitch, I seem to remember (it's ages since I've done any) is more often done on a finer linen-type fabric, and makes a series of little 'X shapes. Wider canvas sometimes uses tent-stitch, which is like one half of a cross stitch (ed - this is what Andante described). But I can't see how a series of diagonal stitches are going to sit accurately on your printed design.

Not sure if this helps much. I think I'd be puzzled too, as it isn't clear what is intended. But so far so good - I'd continue doing what fits best, I think.

Thanks Maggiemay - I think you are right about the method of printing the design, I might have to intepret it as best I can! Shame, since the kit cost ?76. I'm also puzzled as to why the've included instructions on how to do a basic cross stitch (and what you describe is what I've done for the pink and purple) but not how to follow the less straight forward bit - anyone who knew how to do that would not need their instructions on a basic stitch!

It's going to be interesting when I get to the dots. I think tomorrow I'll go back to the shop where i bought it and ask if any of the staff there can help me! They are not the same company as the one that made the kit, but at least it is the type of shop where the staff might have hands-on knowledge.

This may not be what you want to hear...

1) All the bars/stitches within the picture should be covered, so you either need to add more pink or more purple. I can't advise which without seeing a picture of the whole thing. If you post a picture of the entire canvas then I might be able to tell which would be better.

2) All your stitches should be diagonal and should lean in the same direction - so those green stitches need to be undone. It looks like some of your other stitches cross in one direction and the rest in the other direction. They need to all go the same way, and it will show if they don't.

What you are doing isn't cross stitch. Without having an idea of size/scale, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be tapestry or needlepoint. In tapestry, all the stitches consist of a single diagonal stitch. In needlepoint, they are done as diagonal crosses (but the use of canvas and non-stranded thread distinguishes this from cross stitch). Do your instructions make it clear which you should be doing? If not I might be able to work it out if you know the thread weight and canvas gauge. It is important that you do the correct one, because needlepoint uses more thread - so if you do needlepoint with a kit that was intended for tapestry you will run out of thread.

If you have any questions, or if what I've said is uncleas, please ask - it's the kind of thing which is easy to demonstrate but harder to describe in words.

It doesn't sit acurately over the print, which is why I find cross stitch less frustrating. You just have to tell yourself that it is the overall effect that is important. You do the stitches over the threads of the canvas but they seem to have printed it on the holes. (If that makes sense!) Take the pink dotty flower at the top middle of your photo. Those dots will be one stitch each, in an area of yellow, but they will all be very slightly to one side of where they have printed it, because you are stitching over the threads of the canvas.

Well, I would certainly go back if the shop is local, and ask for advice. I've done both tapestry and cross-stitch pictures in the past (although not recently: it's knitting at the moment!) and I would be equally mystified. I agree with your last question though about the single row of green.

I guess it would be possible to do it in a non-conventional way (which was the tack I was following earlier) But I see Flossie has given you much more detailed advice. I do still think though that if you are going to use diagonal tapestry (tent) stitch, the colours are only an approximation of where they will end up. (ed Andante has described this rather better than me!)

I think the green is meant to be a single row of diagonal stitches round the edge


/////////
/
/
/
/
/////////

Like that, but you are quite right dolcebaby it won't be exactly where it is printed, and will look fine as long as you are consistent in how you interpret the print. ie move everything to the thread to the left of where it is printed. The pink and purple look like they should be a double row of stitches.

Your fabric cannot be used for cross stitch. It's a tapestry fabric, so your stitches will all go diagonally from top L to bottom R, and will all be parallel. Do not put a knot in the floss. Put the needle through the chosen hole from the back of the fabric to the front. Go back through the front to the back in the hole diagonally down and to the R. Leave a tail at the back. Then , making sure to catch the tail so that it is covered by this next step, put the needle through the hole above the bottom hole, and then through front to back diagonally down and R. Keep repeating, and to finish, take the needle to the back, and through a few stitches to secure. Your stitches will be diagonal on the front of the work, and vertical on the back. The work will distort slightly as the canvas is worked, so a good framing shop is needed, as it will have to be stretched before framing.
Hope this helps. If not, go in to a craft shop, and ask them to demonstrate.
PS. As this is tapestry, you should be using tapestry wool, not embroidery silk, as silk is not thick enough, even if you do not separate the strands.

Thank you everyone - I can always count on the forum! It's starting to make sense, and to be clear that the kit I bought wasn't that well concieved.

I think instead of counting holes, I should be counting the bits in the centre of each group of four holes, if that makes sense, so I think I should have started my purple one row further out, and there should be a second row of it. And yes, I shouldn't have let the direction change when I went round the corner with the pink.

So, some unpicking to do, and then I will start again looking at the diagram a bit differently. But I may be back with more questions.

Am very grateful for all the responses.

I don't think it's embroidery silk - it looks like tapestry wool in the picture - in any case if you bought it as a kit they should have provided the correct yarn! I agree the fabric looks like tapestry canvas: it's odd they call it a cross-stitch kit.

(ed again - slow connection here tonight!) yes, the crossed canvas thread in the middle of four holes is a good way of looking at it.

When faced with printing like that, I simply approximate - nobody is going to know any different for the pattern you have there - so I'd work the background first probably, then add in one stitch per blob for the blobs, keeping whatever I do reasonably consistent. You have little squares of colour but if the same size of blob were slightly down and to the right, or up and to the left, there'd be a + of the contrast rather than a cluster of four. Does the kit have an illustration of the finished work? That's another tactic I resort to...looking to see what has been done before . The border again is two rows wide, needless to say also badly placed, so I'd be doing two rows of stitches. And yes, not cross stitch, tapestry, and don't pull too tight or you'll get a parallelogram even if you do stretch the canvas as advised.

With cross stitch, if this one doesn't traumatise you to the point that you'd never want to do one again - the crosses would all be crossed over the same way as each other, and that stitch is rather better for avoiding distortion because there is a compensating tug on the fabric for each diagonal.

It is wool, not silk, and a stiff canvas. The leaflet says 'Animal Fayre kits are worked in Victorian Full Cross, which will not distort the canvas, making the use of a frame unecessary.' So I think I'm right to be doing stitches that go back on themselves, rather than just diagonal one way.

However, I should clearly be ignoring the colours on the canvas, have just looked closer and seen the pattern is not even stamped on dead straight, i.e. it's twisted round a tiny amount as well as off sideways, so one row of colour in the pattern drifts across more than one row of canvas holes.

I should have mentioned before (but I had misunderstood its purpose) that there is also a paper grid pattern. I thought that this was just to double check which colour was which, and I was reading it that the colour symbols within the grid were equal to the holes in the canvas - instead I should see that as inverted, and each square in the paper grid is a stitch, not a hole. I think. If I'm reading this right then the pattern on the canvas is not only skewiff but a bit too small!

So I think I will have to work just off the diagram and count stitches - in which case it would have been easier (and probably cheaper) if the kit just contained a blank canvas wihtout the botched pattern! But it does make sense of why they have only given instructions on the cross stitch and not any other kind of half stitch etc.

Thank you again everyone. Here is a link to what it's supposed to look like http://www.sewexciting.com/products/45/385...art_patchwork// - think it will keep me busy for some time! If I manage it I will post a photo of my finished product.

If you have a separate map, and it really wants cross stitches, then I would be tempted to buy a blank piece of canvas and do it without the printed pattern as it seems to be so far off.

It looks like you have had some good advice. I have done quite a bit of cross stich and this looks like its a big project! Please tell them if you can if its not printed right its a lot of money after all. Agree that it sounds like a blank canvas may actually serve you better. Good luck.

Was going to offer advice but others have beaten me to it. Would echo the advice to return it to the shop if you're not happy with the printing, don't think I would be......... If you decide to keep it then enjoy doing it, I've only done one tapestry, the viaduct at Knaresborough, and really enjoyed it. I love cross stitch but tapestry does 'grow' that much quicker

I think working from the paper pattern is a good plan. Probably best to work outwards from one spot so that you don't miss anything and easy to spot if you have made a mistake.

Ther shouldn't be any canvas visible in the finished pattern, so the bits you have done need more stitches between the pink and purple rows.

Good luck -it looks like a lovely project.

I'm tending to agree that if possible you should return to the shop and show them the quality of the printing. It may be that they are unaware - and after all , it's not a cheapo kit. If I were the shopkeeper I don't think I would be happy with the way it's produced.

Ooh, it looks lovely! According to the website you should have had the option of either a blank canvas with a colour chart OR a printed canvas with a black and white chart. If you buy anything else from them, perhaps the former would suit you better.

Well, I didn't return this to the shop in the end as I got addicted and 3 months later have finally finished it! I learned to live with the slightly wonky printing, and worked from the paper pattern. Here it is...




I really enjoyed doing it, very relaxing occupation during some stressful times, and the colours are so cheerful. Felt a bit sad as I put the last stitch in! Some bits lie flatter/smoother than others so techique could still improve but am getting the hang of it. Still have the task of actually turning it into a cushion.

Next I'm going to try an art deco simple bird picture that will be for framing rather than cushion. And will hopefully be a bit quicker to finish...

Thanks everyone for your advice.

It's lovely dolcebaby

Hope you enjoy the next one, and the next one, and the next one just as much

That is gorgeous, well done to you!

Delighted to see that it finished up so well.

That is really lovely! Well done.

That's lovely!

Beautiful!!! Well done!

That is beautiful - well done.

mega! Well done you.

It's beautiful, dolcebaby - well done! If you're sad to have finished it, why not do another? A pair of cushions would be even better!

New project begun already - another tapestry style cross stitch cushion, design is William De Morgan's Parrots at a Fountain, really beautiful. It's bigger than I was expecting so it will keep me out of trouble for a long time! (Mind you it's half stitch this time so that should speed it up a bit).