10 Tips to Cross Stitch Faster 

Don't look for sense in the order these tips are presented, there is none to be found. In my defense I was pretty ill while planning it out. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

I've found that the biggest thing that slows me down is making mistakes, so I try to do the things that prevent me from making big mistakes. I measure & re-measure my fabric, I grid my fabric, use highlighters, re-read my pattern, count & re-count, pay attention etc... Not making mistakes makes cross stitching more enjoyable as well.

You said it best when you said, "if you are stitching to relax, then relax!" I stitch slowly but I stitch because I like the design and I'm in no hurry to get it done. I also found that running my floss over a damp sponge before stitching helps keep it from tangling. I'm going to start railroading, so thanks for that tip!

Running each new thread through some beeswax first is a Godsend in preventing tangled thread! I never worry about tangles anymore. Sure, they still happen from time to time, but they're not bad enough or time consuming enough that I worry about it. (And believe me, I'm one of those bull-headed OCD types that would rather spend 20 *actual* minutes untangling the knot than cutting and starting a fresh thread (thereby admitting defeat), so I DO understand!!)

Haha using Dave as the stand was hilarious! 🤣 I'm a relaxed stitcher but the video was still very interesting! 🥰

Your Dave-Stand was hilarious 😂

Big slow down for me is a) when I'm actually stressed about something else and don't know it yet. I make mistakes when flustered and mistakes cost. B) too much kit. Sometimes I get all excited and I have something set up on a big frame - but then getting out the frame\light\scissors\pattern tablet ingnof floss. . . . By that point I've mentally decided to do something else. Big tip from me is not packing away your setup too much. Leave projects out, clamp lights available and everything easier to grab.

Absolutely love the beginning of this video when you talk about the pressure be productive. You nailed what I was feeling: pressure to do better and more. I felt myself instantly relax a bit. That alone makes this video a treasure. Thank you for understanding and for being self aware. 💕

Hey I have more enthusiasm than actual skill!! Yay to not being the only one

Thought I would offer 2 more time savers. The first is: I use a water erasable marker to mark a one-color area that I'm going to stitch. I use a dot-dot-dot pattern for small spaces, or a straight-line method (directly thru the squares) for bigger spaces (not filling it in). When finished you will have to rinse your project in water, so beware of colors that might bleed. Good idea to check before you use them. I found out the hard way when I bought some Classic Color Works instead of DMC. Be especially careful if using reds or blues. Second: I use 12 needles at a time, each with a different color threaded in it, stick them in a pin cushion or piece of smooth styrofoam (write numbers on the foam), and it saves me doing a lot of threading and unthreading when changing back and forth between colors. Hope these help.

OMG your human stand made me giggggggggle!

my first ever cross stitch which i’m working on rn is like this huge 2’ x 1’ or smth and the first ring section thing i did took me around 3.5-4 months and then the second ring of it i did took like 2 months so yea practice rlly rlly rlly truly does make you a lot faster. that and also sacrificing your sleep and selling your soul to the cross stitching gods. that has also helped me ❤

I just started stitching about a month ago and am completely addicted! I just wanted to drop a line to let you know how much I love you and your channel! I've shared it with a friend of mine who also just started stitching. Thanks so much for being your hilarious self! (Tabatha from Canada)

I definitely tend to use too much floss and get a tangle. Never thiught about doing just half stitches! What an idea!❤❤

Thank You! I just yanked my project out of the hoop and started sewing it instead. Game changer. Wow!

I love cross stitching but unfortunately, I don't spend the time as I used to as I am now halfway through a history degree. So to keep my hand in I have found doing small projects is a good compromise and it helps me to switch off so I can sleep and not think about what I have just read. Looking forward to your next video xx

I adore your videos, please never change!

I always cut my floss too long I think. I get knots all the time, but I'm starting to understand how to avoid them better. I realize if I am cross stitching with a longer piece of floss, that letting it dangle and unwind itself helps it stay untangled. I find with the long floss that it somehow ends up twisting a little, which changes the look of the stitch and makes knots more common. But this can be fixed by either letting it dangle, or using a smaller piece of floss. I also cracked up at the last tip of "don't cross stitch" but I did that on one of my bookmarks. I cross stitched only one direction so the white on the background comes through and it looks so cool

I adore your vibe, thanks, I was looking for a method for most effective way to save a floss and halfs are still the best

Stitched for 20 years and I was todays old I found out about railroading, I need to look this up :D - Lovely video !

This and your confetti 🎊 stitches vid are great.👍 Thanks.

I’ve just discovered you and I love your videos! Really looking forward to catching up on all of them. I’ve been doing needlework (needlepoint and cross stitch) for almost 50 years, but I can always learn something new! I’ve actually learned some valuable tips from your videos that I’ve watched so far. I also do graphic design, jewelry and wire-wrapping, crochet, knitting (though I mostly make knots!) sewing, costume design, and just learned to use a bead loom, which I love because I can convert cross stitch patterns! So excited that I’ve found you! Thank you for sharing!

What good idea!

I watched this video before starting my biggest project yet. I had never done the sewing method before and it really did double my speed

I got a stand last year for Christmas, and it certainly helped for more involved projects. Certainly needs to be on your list! ❤

This is the first video of you I watched and you’re hilarious and helpful too!! I subscribed immediately!

You make me smile 😊

Just found this tonight! When it comes to larger patterns, pre-gridded aida cloth helps me to keep track of where I am. I also use a guide line if I can't find a cloth big enough for my project. I haven't heard of pattern keeper, I'll have to look into that one

I learned how to thread my needle SUUUPER fast and easily in one of Handwork Maniac's Flosstube videos (#13)... It has changed my life. I'm not sure how common this method is... but it was definitely new to me!

Thank you Happy New Year

Just found you Love the videos And you are awesome

Good video. I laughed when you had the guy stand in as a stand!😂

Was looking for some cross stitch tips and found your channel! Thank you for the tips! Your a funny gal! 😊

Love this video, useful info and also humour :) subscribed!

Loved it❤

I like your tips thank you 😊

Another great video! 😀 I wish I could stitch faster so I can do more projects. but laziness wins out every time. I never railroaded until finding flosstube in 2020, but now I do and, even though I am sometimes doubtful that it helps my stitches look better, I'm afraid to stop. I really want to try stitching in hand, but I just love my Qsnaps and worry I'm too old (hand cramps are real!). So I loved ALL of these suggestions but I'm probably going to ignore them all anyway. 😂Just always nice to "visit" with you.

Keep up the great videos. ❤👏❤👏❤

I almost didn't watch this cuz I've seen a handful of these videos and I thought I knew what you were gonna say, but I said "what the heck" and I clicked it. So glad I did. I'm a newbie and I only do stamped cross stitch, but still I learned so much. I'm gonna re-watch it and gonna subscribe! I love your presentation style and your fun attitude. Can't wait top listen to more!

your version of a stand is amazing. thank lord for those who help us.... laughing really hard.

Thank you just discovered your channel

Oh my goddess best vid in the history of RU-vid!

I didn't know there were names for all these techniques until I watchd this video LOL so thank you i guess I will now try to figure out what railroading is????

Nice tips, ta 🍎

Cut your floss shorter. Yep. I needed that!

Great tips! I have a list of cross stitch projects I want to do - none of them started because they’re all too big AHAHA. I think I’ll start with TINY patterns - so stitching less instead of stitching faster XD

Pattern Keeper is bloody fantastic! I've only recently discovered it myself and now im obsessed! Sadly the pattern I'm currently doing is a printed paper chart and I'm really disappointed I can't find a PDF of it. I did find the pattern by another seller in PDF form but there's some differences between the 2 charts, the one in Pattern Keeper has some "confetti" stitches that won't fit in with the rest of the colour block.

I clicked on this bc of the title, and now I am forever loyal to this channel XD

1) I'm so tired I'm totally gonna end up watching this again tomorrow like it's brand new. 2) I definitely want to try the sewing method and railroading (speed doesn't particularly matter to me, but efficiency does). 3) Can you talk a bit more about half stitch and/or having multiple colours on the go at one time (like in autumn pattern)? I've never tried either and would love to know more about both processes.

If you are using a stand, get double pointed needles and have one hand on each side of the fabric. No more turning the needle. Make sure to grid large projects. It will save so much time in counting. If you are doing a smaller project and hooping, put the work area closest to the stitching hand so the hand doesn't have to travel as far. For less knots you can pull each strand from the skein, then group them back together. This reduces the twists within the strand that tries to tangle. If you just split the floss, keep tension on the third point so it doesn't double back on itself. Then let each section untwist itself by clipping a weight to the end, hold it up, and let it spin.

omg the freddie mercury meme ;D

I'm personally veryyyy AGAINST rail roading 🤣 never done it, never tried it, could not be bothered. My life changed when I learned to stitch in hand. Even if the fabric is quite starched, it just goes faster. I still use my q snaps for big projects. But yeah.

Pattern Keeper is a game changer.

I have always handsewn and thought I just did it wrong but now validation after cross stitching for twenty years! I need to watch other videos especially on starting and ending floss. Is knotting a big no no?

I have a standing tabletop hands free hoop, I don't know what I'd do without it, I'm never going back to holding one again lol the best part is that it's made up of two sizes of hoops :-)

All excellent tips! Great job Dave, have you ever considered doing theatre?

Number 3 change my stitching life. Never going back. Shame I had just brought loads of hoops and stands

Hello, dear lady. Greetings from Bulgaria! I have found you channel about two or three days ago. I watch a couple of your videos for cross stitch. I feel the courage to buy a q snap ( I am wondering about it for a year and a half). Can you make a video for what kind of instruments you use for stiching (needles, scissors, threader ......)? I will be very grateful about it :) Have a nice evening!

Thanks for the tips. I guess I am more a process stitcher and only wish I stitched faster so I could do more projects. I'm still not sure what railroading is. I tried sewing in hand and did not like it. I can stitch two handed now though after practicing it when using my lap stand. I only use the stand with my scroll frames.

I am intrigued... with the same white/cream wool in the background. What are you going to make?

Went back to the like button at least three times. You know what, I'll jsut subscribe to make up for not being able to like 3 times!

Why would you want a stand when you've got a Dave??? 🤪🤓

I'd add that using the loop method to start threads is my preferred method. For ending threads I've been using a method where you end on the front in an area that will be covered up, so I never have to flip my work. I use a frame and lap stand.

I stitch to relax but going slow frustrates me. The faster I can finish the more fun projects I can do. I learned to cross stitch many years ago then got away from it. I was around no one to craft with me at that point. I would loosen my hope enough that I could do the sew stitch in the hope lol. Then I started skipping the hope because moving it was a bother. Oh I do sew method on Aida cloth also. As you work the Aida becomes softer and easier to do it that way. Having no one to stitch with allowed me not know there were rules. Although recently watching videos I am learning tricks I had never heard of. Having not learned the rules until now I just say I will do what has always worked for me.

Its not a contest its for joy if it not a contest and rushing through it it shows

I need tent stitch / petit point content. The stitching bandwidth is flooded with cross stitch, but I can't find anyone talking about tent stitch.

I hate using any sort of frame 🙈 I do full coverage, 150+ colours, still haaaaate using frames. I frequently have older folk telling me I'm doing it wrong and then I show them pictures of my finished projects and they look just fine to me :) (and usually them)

I have yesterday decided to zig zag stitch around my work, as I am a newbie and qsnaps I am still confuzzled what size to buy

Hope you get your Christmas wish. 🌸

I just can't get into the sewing method but yeah, probably because I need to use a hoop. (Because I go insane after more than a letter of free hand stitching). Never thought that's why it doesn't work for me 😅

I... have never seen someone do full stitches at a time for cross stitching... I learned to do it by way of rows of stitching at a time, left to right then back right to left. I wouldn't have ever even considered it as it just seems wasteful in both time and floss. But yeah, I am definitely guilty of the "using too long floss because I hate changing strands so frequently" and then spending that same amount of time undoing knots. The sewing method, however... that looks like it has potential, lol.

Where can I buy a Dave stitching stand?

Been wondering if and why it's better to do full stitches at a time, or do half stitches one way and then come back and finish the stitches 🤔

is there any apps like pattern keeper for iOS

I am guilty of long floss. I was actually going to ask around if anyone had tips for avoiding knots. I'm working on the Peppermint Purple SAL and it kicks my butt sometimes.

Are you related to Steph from Doodledate?

WAIT just doing half stitches is a legit technique?? I have to look into that

Old lady hobby? Wow, comments like that make me think you have contempt for this art form.