Pin stitch one over one

I never flip my work when stitching and I am often asked how I start and finish threads. i have been using a tiny pin stitch to start and finish threads when stitching with just one thread on 28 count for many years. Of course you can't do a true pin stitch orDiagonal pinstitch when stitching one over one but you can can make a tiny stitch to anchor your thread and work the same way as you would if using waste knots. Why bother when you could just use a waste knot? Well sometimes you just might not have enough unstitched area to make a waste knot from, or you might only be making one stitch and so only need to use a tiny bit of thread. On these occasions I go into the fabric from the front a little distance away from where I want my stitch to be, and leave a little tail. I come up close to that tail, piercing the weft of the fabric thread and make a tiny stitch going back down within the weft. Then I bring the thread up and make my first stitch. The little pin stitch holds the tail more securely while the waste thread is stitched over on the back. I snip off the tail when I feel it has been stitched over enough on the back. In the course of stitching all the little pin stitches get stitched over and don't show, as you can see from the cat's eye above. Dozens of pin stitches disappeared. This takes longer to explain of course than actually do. I should have made a video years ago but whenever I have answered questions on message boards, Facebook etc and explained there tends to be a few naysayers who declare it will weaken the fabric, or will come undone, or that it can't be done ( erm, I've been doing it for years!). Anyhow, tiring of typing out explanations every time I thought I might just link to this post which will eventually contain photos and maybe a video. 

The example on the blue fabric above shows some pin stitches waiting to be stitched over once the thread on the back has been stitched over and the front tail snipped off. The example below shows pin stitches at the bottom of the stitching, middle, some parked threads and some waste knot threads at the side. I actually do my waste "knots" a little neater normally, as the later picture shows but on the creamy fabric I did quilters knots just for demo purposes.  I don't actually put a knot in normally but tuck the tails and flick them out later to snip them, as shown on the third photo. 

 

 

Comments

[Liz H]

Thank you! I do all the same things as you: magnifier, tension, and even the gold needles (from Cross Stitch Guild - they're the only needles I use now). I've been practising the pin stitch on my 28 count project and am starting to get the hang of it. And the tip about the warp and weft is very useful. Thanks! :-)

[Franacropan]

You will probably find the weft easier to split than the warp as it is plumper. Maybe check you are splitting the weft and not the warp. The pin hides better in the warp but it is harder to split, as that is the strongest part of the fabric. I use a magnifier to stitch, so that probably makes it easier as well. My needles also have a bit of a point to them, even though they are gold. Some cross stitch needles are blunt and you might need to a sharp one to help with the piercing. Also, my fabric is held under tension on a frame, so maybe all these things, or some of them, help make it easier to split the thread. Or as you said, it might just be practice. If I was asked to pick only one of the suggestions I would say it is the magnifier that makes it easy. 😄

[Liz H]

Thank you so much for this post. I stitch mainly on 28 count jobelan over 1 and have been trying to figure out a way of getting pin stitch to work. I tried your method but found it very fiddly to split the weft. Do you have the same problem or is it something that gets easier with practice?