How can I clean up the back of my work?

Don’t look at the back of my work – it’s a mess.

So many stitchers will say, “don’t look at the back of my work – it’s a mess” and then expect you to say “don’t worry about that – nobody will see it and the front looks lovely.” That is true to a point, but neatness does count and what you do on the back of your cross-stitch does reflect on the quality of the finished project. Here are a few hints in that department.

The beginning and end of every thread should be secured under at least an inch of stitches on the back.

The tails of the beginning and ending threads should be clipped off right at the fabric surface, right as they emerge from under the last securing stitch. No “fuzzies” – little quarter inch (or longer!) ends sticking out all over the place. These are easily caught into other stitches and brought to the front. They also will show through the fabric along the edge when the piece is framed giving it an unattractive aura all around.

Given a choice, begin and end all threads in the direction that the stitches are going. If you run out of thread in the middle of a row, “park” the thread ahead in that row rather than drawing it back through the stitches you have just completed. Begin the new thread under the just-completed stitches and allow the new stitches to secure the old tail. (Just make sure to clip off any of that tail that remains after the area is completed.)

Given a choice, begin and end all threads under stitches of the same color. Think twice about securing a dark thread under an area of light-colored stitches.

Given a choice, do not secure more than one thread under any one row of stitched on the back. When ending a thread, run it under the row above the row just completed. Begin the new thread under the row just completed. Begin the new thread under the row just completed. Too many run-unders in one area can make the finished piece look bumpy. Remember to clip off the ends of your threads very short – I cannot emphasize that enough.

Given a choice, begin a new thread at the beginning of the return trip of a row rather than at the beginning of the first trip of the next row. The thread does become worn and thinner as you work, especially if you tend to use a long thread length. If one row is made with thin thread over thin thread and the next row is made with thick thread over thick thread, you may see an unevenness. If the row between the thick thread over the thin thread, it acts as a transitional area and the difference is less obvious.

Information from Cross Country Stitching Magazine columns "Ask Judie" - Judie Solomon, Thistle Needleworks & "Carol’s Crafty Corner" - Carol Rice, The Craft Menagerie

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