I am reaching out to try to figure out a messy little problem i have with stitching..

i have trouble stitching where there is a background block of stiches that another color is stitched in the middle of.

the stitches are all squeezed in and tend to look sloppy. That's why I don't like cross stitching color blend photo-like designs..i'd rather do the more traditional primitive sampler type.,

So..if i have a design that has a date stitched on top of a solid background,what is the best way to keep the stitches neat?Is it better to stitch the background first, keeping spaces for the top design-- stitch over the background? or is it better to stitch the top design first and fill in thee back? Either way my stitche come out a mess if i'm stitching a name or number against a solid background.

Thanks for any tips and advice.

pat in Jersey

You might also try using a hoop, some try without a hoop, and never managed to go hoopless with cross stitch because of personal tension issues.

Sometimes when I have a project where it's kinda complicated and the colors blend in together, in order to keep it neat, I stitch using the floss that is used the least. Then, I start adding all the other colors in on top of that one. So, the floss color that is used the most is the last one and it kind of binds it all together neatly.

I hope that helps.