How often have you stitched a needlepoint similar to this one; one with a single colored thread going all around the design?
It’s very tempting to think of this little border as the edge of the needlepoint as well.
You’ll stop stitching with it, just as you would stop stitching at the edge of a painted background.
Do this and you are likely to be disappointed with the finished piece. That’s because to preserve that one-thread border on your needlepoint, your finisher will have to work extra hard.
That unstitched canvas you left outside the border should not show on the face of your finished pice, but you haven’t given the finisher any additional stitched needlepoint to use.
You need to add 3-5 rows of stitching outside that one-thread border. This allows that border to become part of the design, not its boundary. It also gives your finisher plenty of stitched canvas used to make sure the one-thread line can be seen.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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