Ann Logan

Before washing your cross-stitch project, just check the fibers for colorfastness to prevent dyes from running. It is simple: dampen a piece of white cloth with water and gently rub it over each different color in your piece. If there is any color transfer to the white cloth don’t wash your piece if you want prevent your work from discoloration and fading.

Tension in your stitching is by far the easiest thing to correct, especially if you’re using a hoop – pull tight but not so tight that you stretch the hole at all. If you stitch in hand you have to be more careful.

I find that pulling the thread mostly through and then using my little finger in the hand holding the needle to “flick” the tail the final bit gives perfect tension and is reproducible for each stitch. Pay attention to the tension you’re applying as, if you stitch in different directions or do “patches” of stitching over the piece, you’ll pull it in weird directions.