Ann Logan

First and foremost, always make sure to have clean hands when stitching. Oils from your skin transfer easily to cross stitch fabric and over time create stains that are not easy to remove. The best way to avoid this is to avoid the problem in the first place. Train your family not to touch your projects unless they have freshly cleaned hands. Better yet, tell them to keep off the fabric and floss!

Cross stitch is a fairly flexible embroidery style. There are not a lot of hard and fast rules. It is imperative, however, that all stitches face the same direction unless otherwise specified in the instructions for the project. Choose a direction for the first leg of the cross stitch and stick with it.