Black's not so bad...

There is just something stunning about cross stitch on black linen...the colors just pop against the dark background.

Are you one of those who steer away from using black linen because you find it hard to work on? Or maybe just because your eyes don't see as well as they used to?

Here is a little tip that really works girls!

(this is a 30 count hand dyed linen by Weeks Dye Works in my hoop)

Items needed:

A good light placed above your work or above your shoulder

A hoop. If you're not a hooper, become a hooper! (I never used to use a hoop until I found this sweet little wooden hoop in an antique shop...i love it as there are no little metal screws to get my threads hung up on and it just has a nice lightweight feel to it.)

White sheet of paper

Place your black linen in a hoop, making sure your linen is drum tight. The tautness of the linen in the hoop will help separate the threads, making it much easier to see. Place a white sheet of paper on your lap, the white will show through the holes in the linen and WOW does this help! You will need a good light source above your work to allow the light to show through the linen onto the white paper.

Oooppss, forgot one more thing...reading glasses or a magnifier! There is no need to strain the eyes ladies, they allow me to stitch for more minutes (or hours) at a time without eye strain & the stitching goes so much faster when you can see what your a stitchin'!!

With thy Needle & Thread,

Brenda