How to Correct a Mistake in Counted Cross Stitch

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Image Credit: cross-stitch image by Lytse from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Creating beautiful designs with embroidery thread stitched onto special cross stitch fabric keeps many people busy. With counted cross stitch, you carefully count and then create cross stitches into the fabric to create designs. In order to create the correct designs, you must count carefully to place the cross stitches in just the right location on the fabric. If you make even one mistake in counting, your entire project could end up wrong. Correct a mistake in counted cross stitch as soon as you discover it for best results; otherwise you might need to remove large areas of stitching.

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Step 1

Assess your mistake to determine the extensive nature of the mistake. If the mistake involves only a few stitches that you just finished stitching, you will only need to remove these stitches. If the mistake involves a big area, skip ahead to step 4 for different instructions.

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Step 2

Remove the needle from the embroidery floss and allow the length of floss to extend from the cross stitch fabric.

Step 3

Turn the needle around in your fingers so the eye end faces out. Slide the eye portion under the stitch you just completed and pull out the stitch. Remove as many stitches using this method as necessary to remove the mistaken stitches.

Step 4

Set the needle aside. Insert the tip of the seam ripper or the embroidery scissors through the top of the mistaken stitches. Cut the stitches to remove them. Continue sliding the point of the scissors or the seam ripper through the stitches to cut them and remove them until you have removed all of the stitches that are wrong.

Step 5

Remove all the fragments of embroidery floss to clean up the cloth and prepare it for sewing the correct stitches into the area.

Tip

As you cross stitch, you must count carefully (often counting twice to ensure you do not make mistakes) to ensure you do not make mistakes that will cost you time and effort. Avoid distractions as you cross stitch so you can focus on counting the stitches and placing them in the proper place on the fabric.

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