If you have a lot of UFO's (Un-Finished Objects), it may be a little twinge of guilt that makes it fun ("I really shouldn't be doing this...but..."). There are few greater pleasures (for us die-hard stitchers) than getting a crisp new pattern, gathering together full skeins of fibers, preparing a piece of fabric, and starting those first few stitches. I suppose it's the same for a potter starting with a lump of clay, or an artist with a clean canvas and a palatte of new colors. It's the potential, don't you think? There are ways of going about starting a new project that will make the overall experience more pleasant for you.

First, you have to choose a pattern. "Well, duh," you're thinking. But your pattern selection will determine your enjoyment of the piece while you're stitching it and after you have it hung up on your wall. Are you the kind of person who starts huge, ambitious projects, and never finishes them? Consider starting a smaller piece, or something less complicated. (I think this common habit has led to the popularity of designers like Lizzie Kate, Shepherd's Bush, Cross Eyed Cricket, and others who offer smaller, simpler, but eye-pleasing charts.)

Maybe you're someone who has been "just" cross stitching forever. It could be you're ready for a new challenge. Select something a little more difficult, or a little larger than what you're used to.

Or maybe you're someone who has been stitching pieces from the same two or three designers for the last few years. Maybe you're ready for a change, too. There are so many good designers now -- pick someone new, and that designer's use of colors, stitches and subject matter may just inspire you for some late nights of stitching. Maybe you've been stitching pieces from the same two or three designers for a few years, and you're just tickled with their new patterns. Buy one or two and stitch them. (I admit I have a house full of Shepherd's Bush pieces. AND THERE'S NO SHAME IN THAT!)

What I'm trying to say, is pick something you'll have fun doing. In my opinion, it's the "doing" part of this hobby that makes it fun (more so than the "having" when you're done). Inspire yourself with trying a new fiber, a new fabric, a new fabric count, a piece with cute embellishments. You might choose to put your chart in a protective sheet like you can find at an office supply store, or have it laminated.

OK, now that you've selected your chart, you can start gathering your supplies. Anyone who doesn't have a large stash at home? Anyone? Let me see some hands. All right, I didn't think so. Chances are you might have fabric that will work already. But one way this business has really changed my thinking of needlework is in the use of fabric. Before I owned this business, I was one of those who stitched on white, antique white, and if I was feeling really daring, natural linen. Designers have really honed their skills and are using pretty much every color and type of fabric available. If you have a design you'd like to stitch, splurge and get the fabric to go with it. It's REALLY fun to stitch on a color. Or use your imagination -- find a color that complements the needlework portion, and find a shade of fabric on your own. I have a DMC conversion online on my fabrics page. If a pattern has a little bit of DMC 642, for example, find a shade of fabric that is close to that color and use it -- it's sure to match. (Of course you can play around with fiber colors, too, but that's for another newsletter!)

Make sure you give yourself plenty of allowance when you're cutting (or ordering) your fabric. Having a piece of fabric that's too small really makes stitching and framing more difficult. My general rule is to add five inches to the width and then to the height for a smallish piece. For something larger, I add six. But I have customers who like a lot more allowance. As a custom picture framer, there were a few times I had to go in the back and laugh at stitchers who had left themselves something like 1/2 inch allowance on all four sides. Ugh! A healthy allowance will help you avoid crowding an edge should you not center your piece properly. I've done that on more than one occasion. Ugh, again!

Depending on the fabric, you may want to secure the ends so they don't unravel. Now, I'm a busy person, and in no way even close to a type A personality, so I usually don't secure my fabric. If it unravels a little, I figure it will eventually get to a point where it stops unraveling. That's just me. But if I have a fabric that's particularly tricky (Jobelan comes to mind), I zig-zag each edge with my sewing machine. For me that seems to be the quickest and cleanest way to fix my edges. Some people use fray-check, which seems much more messy and painstaking than zig-zagging. Some people use masking tape, which I think makes the fabric pretty bulky and clumsy to handle. It never hurts to quickly sew the edges to make sure your fabric stays relatively intact.

Above I mentioned centering. There are a few things I want to mention about that. I center the easy way: I fold my fabric in half one way, then in half the other way. Then I just kind of crimp the corner that falls in the middle of the fabric so it's marked for a second or two. I put a needle there to mark my spot and start stitching in that vicinity. If you're stitching something that's nearly square shaped (but still rectangular), make sure you start with your fabric facing the right way (horizontal or vertical). Band samplers are a little trickier, because you'll start at either the top or the bottom. Look at the designer's instructions for where to start.

If you're going to stitch a difficult piece, like a long band sampler, or a piece with solid and/or complicated cross stitching, you may want to grid off your fabric. You could do the two center lines (horizontal and vertical), you could mark the edges for a band sampler, or, I've heard that some actually mark their fabric in 10-stitch squares like on the chart. This may be particularly helpful for a piece like a Teresa Wentzler. Simply choose a color of floss you'll be able to see on your fabric. Use a loose running stitch to mark your areas. When you're done stitching in those areas, just pull out these running stitches.

Now wait, before you start, you're going to need to assemble your fibers and other supplies. Make sure you have enough of any fiber to finish the piece. I really recommend this if you're using an overdyed thread like Sampler Threads, Weeks Dye Works, Caron fibers, or Needle Necessities. There's never a guarantee that the dyelots will match. In fact, I pretty much guarantee they won't match. That's the beauty, and frustration, of hand-dyed and overdyed fibers. Some stitchers like to buy a Floss-A-Way 30-bag set on a ring. You can file all of the floss colors you'll need for a project on that ring, so everything is ready for you. You could also use the bags to organize your beads, buttons, and other accessories for the project. I recommed you have everything assembled before you start stitching (nothing is more frustrating than realizing you don't have something at 10 o'clock at night when you're just getting into a project!)

You might also want to take a look at your needles before you start. I stitch with the Platinum ones, and love size 28 needles. They're great for smaller count fabrics like 32, 36 and 40 count. Size 26 works great for 28 and 32, I think. If your needle looks dull or blackened, just toss it. Needles aren't that expensive (especially considering how long you can use them). You'll enjoy stitching more with a needle that doesn't tug on your fabric. Your needle should really just slip through. Extra needles are helpful; I've HEARD that some people lose theirs in the couch. Now, I've just heard this. It's never actually happened to me... Make sure you've got scissors that work with thread. And I think you're ready to start. Now you just have to square away some time to start. And if your signifcant other or friend says, "Are you starting ANOTHER project?" hide the four little stitches you've just completed and say, "Oh, this one? I've been working on this for a while."

Have a great February and Valentine's Day everyone! Save me some chocolates. Caramel and coconut fillings are my favorites... :)

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com