How to Finish off Thread on a Cross Stitch Project

October 22, 2024 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

I’m usually not all that interested in making the back of my cross stitch projects very clean. I know it’s a nice thing to do, but I tie knots in my threads when I start stitching, and sometimes I’ll tie a knot at the end, too.

There are times when you might want to have a neater back to your work, or if you’re just the kind of person who likes to have a clean back even if it isn’t going to show, you might want a method other than tying knots to finish off your thread on a cross stitch project to make it nice and smooth.

Caterpillar Cross Stitch has a great video all about different ways to finish your cross stitch thread that will make your back clean and your stitches secure.

When I’m not tying knots I generally will weave in my ends on the back of the work, but did you know you can also weave in ends with the front of the work facing you? This is super helpful if you’re working on a big project in a frame or stand that can’t easily be flipped over to see the back of the work.

That’s one of the methods she talks about, but she also talks about parking thread so you can stitch over it later, the loop method and the pin stitch method (which is super clever and could be used at the beginning of a thread section as well as the end).

I don’t know that I’ll adopt any of these methods for my own projects since weaving works just fine for my purposes, but I’d love to know if you have used any of these methods and how they work for you. Are you team clean back or do you care as little as I do? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Check out the video from Caterpillar Cross Stitch on YouTube.

[Photo: Caterpillar Cross Stitch]

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How to Railroad Your Cross Stitch

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Designer Spotlight: Design For Cross Stitch

If you’re a fan of detailed and colorful cross stitch patterns, Design for Cross Stitch might have a pattern you want to try. This Etsy shop is based in Spain and has more than 50 designs with a focus on animals, holidays and landscapes.

I’m just going to start with the first pattern that caught my eye when I visited the site, which is this Sakura by the Lake project. This pattern is 200 by 200 stitches and the whole background is stitched, so it’s definitely not for a beginner, but it’s stunning and would be amazing to make for someone who loves Japan. Despite the detail it only uses 24 colors. Worked on 14 count fabric it will measure 14.64 inches, or 37.19 cm.

There are a few other landscape designs, including a canal in Venice and a few cabins in the woods.

The shop also has some cute animal cross stitch, with big, round faces and often holding a warm beverage. Holiday projects focus on Christmas and Halloween. Most of the patterns have a cute, chibi-like feel, but there are some that are more detailed and realistic as well. Take for examples the flower patterns, which are full of details and soft colors.

You’ll also find some fun bookmark cross stitch patterns with a watercolor feel, as well as some that look kind of like paint pouring turned into stitches.

If this sort of stuff sounds like fun to you, check out their Etsy store at Design for Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who I haven’t featured yet? Let me know in the comments or share more about them by clicking on “suggest a DIY” at the center top of the page and let me know the details. I’d love to share the designers you’re enjoying with a wider audience.

[Photo: Design for Cross Stitch]

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