Top 5 Cross Stitch Mistakes to Avoid 

40+ year stitcher here ☺ One of the most important things ever to remember: always, always make sure your stitches are going in the same direction! That is if you start your bottom stitch like this: //// all your bottom stitches need be that way. It does make a difference even though you wouldn't think so.

Thank you for the tutorial "5 common mistakes tor beginners to avoid". You are a angel to think about setting newbies up to succeed.

I just started stitching again after a long break and am so happy with your advice! I was about to start stitching when you got to number 3 and immediately got up to wash my hands :') Thanks girl!

I think that lipstick color looks stunning on you!

Love the cat! A cat will always get in the bizness you're working on! Thanks for the tips. I'm getting ready to start my first project.

Great info and inspiration, making me excited to cross stitch with Maynia in full throttle. When I was younger and my eyes were good I would watch movies and stitch for hours, then age and eyesight not as strong hit, and now retired I see all these videos and the bug has hit me. I was going thru my drawers and found some to die for patterns that I MUST cross stitch. Your cat is beautiful and I loved that he was in the home. Your home is beautiful as well and thank you for sharing that most beautiful blue and white cross stitch project. I love that people turn on cameras and inspire us with their knowledge of a craft that they do, to help us. Thank you Denkai

I haven’t even tried cross stitching my first piece yet and I’m so glad I watched your video! Very helpful and informative!!!!

7:25 if you have a hard time framing that project add another piece of fabric. The seam will be under the frame... If not, add a mat and the seam will be under the mat. 💜🌞🌵

Thanks for the vid, good advice! I’m just new to cross stitch. Literally I just started today lol

Thank you! I will be starting my first cross stitch project soon and I’m thankful for the tips❤️

5: The amount of floss used is based on the fabric count. For Aida: 11ct 4 strands 14ct 3 strands 16ct 2 strands 18ct 2 strands 22ct 1 strand For Linen, Laguna etc depends on if you are stitching over 1 or 2 threads 4: Dragging or Cross Country: You should not continue a thread more that 4-5 stitches 3: If you use DMC or Anchor Floss, the dye is color fast, so you can actually machine wash your pieces. But yes, you should always work with clean hands in a clean space. 2: If you are working with a cross stitch kit, starting from the center is the easiest, but not necessary if you grid your fabric on 10 x 10 squares that correspond with the chart. 1. Setting weekly goals and working on multiple charts with help you stay motivated to finish a project.

Hi Emily I'm a beginner at cross stitch and these 5 tips are very helpful 🙂🙂 Thank you so much for posting this video

#5 was the first thing I did when I tried - good to know about the other mistakes before I make them. :) Cute cat!

Thank you for this video, it's been very helpful. I wish you mentioned mistakes regarding posture--I just started cross stitching a week ago and I woke up with a sharp neck pain today, presumably because I bowed my head for a long time when stitching. Surely this problem isn't so uncommon among stitchers? Anyway I'm surprised that there are hardly any RU-vid videos addressing this subject, and believe it would be super helpful if someone made one about it.

Thanks so much for uploading this video! It was really helpful! ❤️

This is a lovely beginning and easy to follow. Thank you! 💖

Such great advice. Thanks so much!! Love your lipstick by the way. You’re so pretty.

Thanks so much, you touched on something us beginners needed to know about dragging the thread. Appreciate it!

Thank you for taking the time to share what you have learnt.

This is so helpful! thank you so much

Thanks for these tips!

This had made my life a lot easier thank you 🙌🏻

Thanks for the video - I learned a lot! I'm about to start my first project and this was very helpful :)

Thank you for the tips!!

Your lipstick is gorgeous! looks so nice on you!

Useful information! Love your cat; so typical!

Many thanks for the advice. Any tips on keeping your place on the chart and pattern I waste a lot of time locating where I am on the chart

I don't start in the middle. I use thread guide. Which is a plastic thread that you sew into the squares you need. It takes time but it is worth it. Makes life easier

For framing your blue example for #2 "starting in the center", try sewing another piece of fabric to the top. This will allow you to frame or mat your project right to the seam line and the additional fabric will be hidden behind the frame or mat, but allow you to secure your piece for framing. With lots of love from sunny 🌞 Arizona 🌵

Wow I am so happy that RU-vid put your video in my recommendation listing today because I love crafts and I am into diamond paintings at the moment. I taught myself how to knit and I have noticed people are into cross stitching so any advice and help would be very much appreciated by us beginners. New subbie here hello from Ireland. Ps really cute cat.😃👍👋

Thank you you are a good teacher.

Emily! Hoy are such a great teacher! I appreciate so much your tips as I am just starting with Cross Stitch. Thank you, nice video and cute cat

Thanks that helped a lot, I just started but I'm trying to do them on Laser Cut wood at 12 per inch.

Wow you are a good teacher.. thanksss to teaching usss.

Gotta love kitty cats! They hate when you are concentrating on anything but them! Kuro our spoiled rotten darling always does his best to settle right in front of my Kindle. He gives himself bonus points I think if he can cover my phone at the same time, the chubby brat! Greatly enjoyed your video and your cat is lovely!

Chocolate spots on your fabric? Got ya beat, I kept getting oil spots on mine. Had NO idea where it was coming from. I was not eating. They just materialized out of nowhere. For several days this went on. As the oil spots showed up, I'd change my design to cover them. Years later, when I replaced my ceiling fan, I realized the oil was coming from. My ceiling fan was leaking.

I need to know when the directions says 1 ply, am I suppose to thread the needle with both ends of the thread together making two actual strands or do I leave the thread uneven stitching with only 1 small thread.

Helpful, thank you!!

Good advice about not eating while stitching and washing your hands. Good idea not to drink either. Beautiful cat!

So helpful - thank you!

Very helpful, thanks!

I have to admit, I have done #1. But that is also because I was still super new to cross stitching when I started it (only made a Camper Van cross stitch kit from Mouseloft before), the one I chose to make had 14 shades of blue and I forgot part of marking what I had done... And with later trying to mark it, I made mistakes. But that was giving up so I can start over with it Thank you for the tips! I will keep them in mind when continueing on my cross stitch work!

Great video Emily. Thank you! Your cat is very cute. I haven't cross stitched in a long time but you've inspired me to finish some of my projects. Great to hear an aussie accent on youtube too :)

You gave some good advice. The only thing I do different is that I start on the bottom and work my way to the top. When I cut my fabric I give myself five inches on each side, and I usually do portrait sized project that covers every square.

I use multiple colors at the same time, is that the right way to do it?

Good job!

thank you, such a lovely video... makes me want to start new projects right away!

Hi Emily ty so much for sharing your videos with us. I loved this video and your cat is so cute where did u get this pattern or who is it made by thanks again brightest blessings Hun

This is a very good video we can tell that you are nervous but you are good at hiding it.

A few more tips for keeping your project clean: The absolute BEST time to cross stitch is just after you've washed your face and hair. We unconsciously touch our faces, scratch a tickle on the nose or sweep a strand of hair from our faces. Faces and hair are loaded with oils. If you haven't just washed your hair, at least secure it from falling into your face. Bobby pins are great and they come in both light and dark hue.

Miss seeing your videos

I would add to the "keeping clean" problem - always remove your project from your hoop when you stop stitching for any length of time. Certainly do so if you're stopping for the day. If you leave the hoop on for long periods you may well get hoop marks even if you wash your hands every half hour.

Your cat is beautiful!

Emily I enjoyed this video and thanks for the tips. Worried about the mole on your hand. Once a nurse, always a nurse lol. Love your cat.

There is also a correct direction as it comes off the skein - if used in the wrong direction, the thread can fray and get worse before the end of the length used.

Thanks for the video :)

Don’t worry my cat eats my thread too 😂 My little assistant o_o

oh god i have been cross stitching for two years after we learned it at school but my teacher never taught me to divide the floss. i have been wondering why there was always too little floss in kits i bought and why the projects got so stiff!! thank you very much for the tips...

Thanks for the tips! ❤❤❤🛎️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks, from Texas.

I'll drag floss and then stitch over the drag on the backside. So, if you did the orange dots first, you could cover the drag with the yellow floss. In fact, when I switch from one color to another, I'll stitch over the tail of the new floss for 5 stitches, then use the new floss to stitch over the old floss for 5 stitches. It's more time consuming and difficult, and it requires a good amount of strategy to map out when and where to transfer, but it makes a huge different in your final project. Also, when I start a project, I always work out how many stitches are in the finished design and compare it to the stitch density in the aida. That way you can work out exactly how much aida you need. And typically, I always start with an isolated color somewhere in the middle. So, if you have a cloud with a gray outline, I would start with the white, tuck that under the gray, then tuck that under the blue of the sky. That way everything is tucked and you dont have to knot anything.

You look so much like Kelly Clarkson! Thanks for the tips!

Is it bad that I mix all of my different stitches. Like I cross stitch, but not for the whole piece. I'll use tons of different types of stitches on a piece. They always turn out really cool and everyone I've shown loves it. Is that a bad thing that I mix different type of stitches?

Very informative

I learnt something. It seems all x stitches have cats except me. I would love some but I have birds. I have a question. I just started a chart. The bird swing requires back stitch for the side of the swing. No x's in this area.The back stitch cuts through the squares/holes of fabric. (14c aida) The catch is if I'm reading the chart right is it requires two strands of two colours for this back stitch. 4 strands in total. You can't get 4 strands through aida where there aren't holes. So do I do this in one length or every square regardless of through holes or not? First time I have come across this situation. Great video.

My cats try to eat the thread, too!!

Hi Emily - super helpful video thanks! x

Cute 🐱!!

Oh no... I have sweaty hands :( will that get in the way? I’m getting stuff for stitching in a few days

EmilyB, mostra o gráfico desse bordado por gentileza.

I messed up and was mindlessly doing a cross stitch instead of a half stitch. I was skipping around because it wasn't in a straight line the whole time so I can't back out of it. Should I cut out the strands?

So adorable 💋

#lifewithacat thanks for the great tips & encouragement with cross stitching.

Cats and thread. It is their special toys 😽

oh my gosh, i used all the stranda in my stitch, that is why im having a hard time, thank you for your help, may be ill just use 4 strands. pity on me.

I used to stitch for commission. Once finished a stitch that had a very old design which was nothing like the picture. It was for the brother of his sister who passed away and started the stitch for him. I also design my own. Some of these tips aren't great. Soak in salt water to remove stains. Also I have always started in the centre and been stitching for almost 20 years (I'm 28) and the amount of strands is always determined in the design. 3 strands makes for a much more defined picture. It all depends on what the project is. As such a simple project as in the video yeah no use in using extra. Yeah keeping the back neat is great. Not something I do too much though. As long as you don't force the colour through the aida if it's framed you really can't see as no light shines from the back. I miss cross stitching since my daughter was born. I am on doing a photograph of my dog and my mams dog. About 300 different colours. Will be class if ever finished

I think you play piano. Very nice video. Thanks

the shining

black dot??

I have run out of Aida at the bottom of my project. Big mistake. Hiowdo I add more Aida to the bottom?

I would just cut it off because it's kind like a waste of your DMC floss

Oh I'm sorry your Emily!

Step one lose your needle

💜

Thank you!! My niece and I are beginners - starting our first one today - hopefully!! Please check out www.fullyfreefilms.com. Thanks again!!

Your Etsy shop doesn’t have the design in there anymore. I would love to make it and pay you for the design. 👘

Cross stitch kits say 3.

So long winded

You seem really nervous.

A few pointers of making a video, and keeping people interested. Making talking points on cards, you had ALOT of dead time where you weren't talking at all. That made this video so long when it didn't have to be. Also have everything you need for the video in front of you so we don't have to sit while you are walking around to get your stuff. Lastly I'm sure your cat is adorable but I wanted to watch a video on cross stitch not your cat. Otherwise great video, keep it up!

You don't skip spots and jump over like that even with the flowers. Waste of thread and messy. I only jump maybe max 3 squares. Never more. Or if I do I thread them through the back stitching. Oh and I never start in the middle. If you figure it out properly, you'll be fine. Or get thread guide lines and stitch them in with squares of 10x10. Makes it easier to start wherever you want.. Your video is stupid..

Very helpful, thanks!