cross stitching

[shellybelly]

I have bought a childrens starter kit (for me ) does anyone else do this and is it easy?

I do but still on the small ones as find it a bit tricky at times .Outline i find the hardest bit to follow.good luck with yours

You can pencil over the chart the bits you have done, to make it easier to pick up where you left off. I find cross stitching very relaxing.

hi, I've been cross-stitching for 4 ish years now. I find it very relaxing. I started with a very easy one but was amazed at how quickly I felt able to move on to more difficult projects. I have about 3 or 4 projects on the go at the moment but I have to steer myself away from buying more kits online.

hi shelly, hope you enjoy it! I design cross-stitch kits (as does lucykate) - very enjoyable pastime!

A few tips:

Fold your fabric into quarters to find the centre and start stitching from there. Your chart should be marked to show you where the centre is.

Was about to say about pencilling in what you have done but panda beat me to it!

Put masking tape round the edges of your design to help prevent fraying.

Always wash your hands before you start.

If the bag it all came in is a bit fiddly to keep it in when you are not working on it, put it all in a grip-seal bag.

Make sure you do it in a good light!

thanks all do i need one of those round things, wasn't sure coz it mentions it in the instructions and I didn't get one

You mean a hoop? If your fabric is bigger than, say, 15cm square, then you'll probably find it easier to work it using a hoop as it will keep the fabric under an even tension. If you do use one, make sure you take it off each time you finish sewing for that session, as leaving it on for long periods can create pressure marks that you can't get out of the fabric.