A couple of days ago, I came across Jean Farish Needleworks on Youtube/Flosstube. That lady is a breath of fresh air. She’s been designing needlework charts or 20 or 40 years . . I can’t remember . . not much difference in 20 or 40, right?
I love Flosstube and I probably start 10 or 15 videos every day. So many I don’t get through. Giggly, cackly videos just don’t work for me. I know a lot of people like them and who knows . . some day I’ll change my mind maybe but for now, I want to see projects and charts and hear about how they chose fabric and floss and how the stitching went and what they did with it after it was stitched.
Heck, if all you have to do is buy 100 charts, put 10 stitches in a piece and call it a start, I could be a Flosstube star. No, I have no interest in doing a flosstube. I don’t even know what I’m doing . . but you already know that.
Jean shares lots of knowledge . . LOTS of knowledge about so many stitching topics.
I was listening to her #25 last night and she was talking about people getting their info on the internet and how many times she cringes when she hears advice being given on Facebook. She said something like “everyone with a keyboard is now an expert” and that’s so true.
So, not only do I want those of you who cross stitch and like flosstube to go watch her videos, but I want to re-iterate that I do not know what I’m talking about when it comes to cross stitching. That means that because I do something . . you definitely should not do it the way I do it.
I know that standard operating procedure is to start in the middle, not on a corner and definitely not do the border first but if you remember my quilting days, I always made my borders first. All I ask is that you shake your head in disbelief, say to yourself “she’s going to be sorry” and then laugh with me when I’m having to redo it all. But, never feel like I’m telling others to do it the way I do it.
Janet Orr says
I always , always start in the upper left and work my way across and down. Been cross stitching for 40 years and haven’t regretted it yet!!! Knock on wood:)
Kim Webb says
I will definitely look for that Floss tube. I always started in the middle of a project when I bought kits before as it was easy to find the middle of the chart and the fabric. Now some of the charts I have bought have as many as 9 pages so I have been starting in the upper left corner and that is working for me now. Being left handed may be why I start on the left side as some of the floss tuber I watch start everything on the right side. I say go with what is comfortable for you and makes you happy.
Laura says
I went to cross-stitch shows/classes in the ’90s that were put on by Jean Farish. She was definitely the queen of cross-stitch back then … and I’d guess it’s closer to 40 years that she’s been designing. Those classes seem like so long ago!
Laura says
And I always start in the middle because that’s what works for me. I feel more confident that my placement will be correct that way.
Teri says
OMGosh Jean is a pleasure to watch…and she has so many great ideas….I was on her 3rd floss tube and our power went out for 6 days….I’m getting ready to start number 4….
Liz says
When I was doing needlepoint, most canvases were painted, so where to start depended on the pattern, colors, and stitches used. The background was always last to be done and I would start at the upper left and worked diagonally (basketweave stitch). When I do cross-stitch, I usually start at the upper left and try to do the upper and left side borders to be the reference points for the pattern in the middle.
Don’t forget that one of your first projects was the marriage rules and stitching the way you read the words makes sense. You might have a sampler that has the largest design (house) in the middle and starting there makes sense. I think it depends on the design and how easy it is to count threads between stitches, whether you grid the fabric, as well as interruptions.
Judy Laquidara says
Yes! That one would have been torture to stitch sideways. I think anything with a house or tree needs to be stitched with things oriented in the “normal” direction.
JackiesStitches says
I don’t know many people at all who start in the middle! I start in the upper left typically. On the rare occasion I start in the top middle.
Whether or not to do a border first is also personal preference. Nicole of Nicole’s Needlework frequently does the vine portion of the border first. She is a favorite flosstuber of mine. I typically stitch the border as I go along but sometimes I do it all – I most recently did that with Red Deer Sampler.
There really is not a lot of rules and not only one way to do things and that is ok!
Judy Laquidara says
Thanks for mentioning Nicole. I’ll check out her flosstubes.
Nelle Coursey says
The first kit I bought was by Bucilla and the canvas was blank! I almost fainted! I read the instructions and it said to start in the middle and work your way out. It was easy to do but only if you followed the instructions. You know me, I tried to make it harder than it was! LOL
Jennifer Breitenbach says
Gee… I’m so out of touch. What is FlossTube? I just barely know what YouTube is now…LOL
Joy says
I agree with you about the giggly, cackling videos. We have limited internet and I prefer videos that get to the point as well. Although I haven’t cross stitched in over 20 years, I always started at a corner and more than once had to rip everything out and start over.