MY SECRET OF NEAT CROSS STITCHES.

Have you ever had the strands twisted around each other while stitching, with one strand hiding behind another? I used to have it all the time. The coverage was bad, and the stitching didn’t look neat. I was trying to solve the issue by stitching with more strands, but it was still far from being ideal.

A friend once told me about a technique called Railroad stitching. I looked it up on Youtube and discovered the way to make my cross stitches as they are now. The trick is to use the tip of your needle to separate the strands such that they lie side by side like the rails of a railroad track. When you bring your needle down place it in between two strands.

It may take a little more time to work railroad stitching in the beginning, but with practice, it will get much faster. Plus, the smoother stitches mean better floss coverage, so you don’t need to use more strands. Also, railroading ensures the strands are flat against the fabric, so your work looks more professional.

On the photo, fragment of the cross stitch pattern “Green aquarelle”. Find it here

Take a look at all our cross stitch designs here