How to Organize Cross Stitch and Needlework Fabric; The Parking Method in Counted Cross Stitch

If you are wondering how to organize cross stitch and needlework fabric , this article will be of great help. After you are settled down and are ready to work, you can learn a new technique called the Parking Method.

Knowing how to organize your cross stitch and needlework fabric can make working on your projects more enjoyable.  In order to make your project run smoothly without any snags, good organization of your cross stitch items and accessories is a must. Upon purchasing your pattern and floss, make sure you have what is called a floss organizer. This is usually a wooden or cardboard stick with holes in it that can be labeled for each floss number. Next, separate, sort and place your floss in each hole according to the floss number. An alternative to the floss stick is a small plastic floss organizer with dividers which I call "The Project Box" which holds all of my floss I will need for that specific pattern. When buying the floss skeins, I wind each skein on bobbins, label the bobbins by floss number, and place them in numerical order in the floss box.

A small zip up pouch with a deep pocket can be used to store your seam ripper, markers for highlighting your pattern of finished areas, and other small accessories.

When you are ready to prepare your cross stitch fabric for stitching, if you have a sewing machine, zig-zag around the perimeter of the fabric so that the fabric does not unravel. Next, fold the fabric in half and then in half again to find the center of the fabric, place the fabric on your frame, and you are ready to begin cross stitching. Any unused fabric should be kept in its wrapper for future use.

Another organizational method that is a big time saver is called The Parking Method" used when you have a lot of color changes in your pattern. It is an indispensable technique.

The Parking Method Defined: The "Parking Method" in counted cross stitch is really quite simple. Once you learn it, you will never forget it. The Parking Method is simply a method that is used in situations where you have many color changes and is performed row by row. All of those threads hanging down the front of the canvas can look very intimidating, and you may wonder how the Parking Method can be performed without getting all of those threads tangled up. I used to wonder about this, and now I use the parking method on my counted cross stitch projects almost exclusively or whenever possible. The Parking Method will become an integral part of your cross stitch project, big or small.