English Method or Danish Method for Cross Stitch - What's the Difference?
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- Do you cross stitch using the Danish method or the English method? If you don't know, then let me show you what each method looks like, and how you can use the methods to get neater cross stitches.
I'm also sharing when it's useful to use each method and answering some common questions such as 'does one method use more thread than the other?'
00:00 Start
00:54 Demo of the English and Danish methods
03:18 When the Danish method is useful
03:59 Stitch neatness with English vs. Danish methods
05:29 Why the stitch neatness varies
07:14 When the English method is useful
08:49 Other differences between the methods (including amount of thread used and speed)
11:43 Why are they called English and Danish methods?
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Very comprehensive explanation - I feel like I've just graduated with a Bachelor of Cross Stitching! 😅 🧑🎓
I'd never heard these terms, but I've always used the English method. I like to finish something before I move on, even if it's just one stitch on an aida square! 🙄
I do like to be comprehensive 😂 I can definitely appreciate the 'finishing' mentality! I do like to finish things...but I also tend to flit about between a lot of things 😬
Super useful!!!! Cant believe you took all the time to find and explain the difference of these sitches. Thank you :D i go for Danish most of the time and for single stitches, English. And witv the info, ill perfect my Danish method by always going on horizontal rows 😃
Yay! So happy you found this helpful 😄 I do like to try to cover as much as I can so it's nice to hear it's appreciated 😊 I hope you'll find the rows of Danish works well for you 😄
Wow so true. In the beginning I was doing it the English way. But I found it messy and not even. And that annoyed me big time. So then I just went over to the danish way. And my stitches are much more even and neater. Well done again on explaining it with the visual text and example
I'm glad you found the explanations clear 😄 Many things are a case of finding what works best for you...and fab that you have found a way to get neater stitches - yay!
I’m a stitcher that uses both methods. I really like your videos. Thank you.
Thank you! So happy you're enjoying the videos 😄
I've just started on a simple kit (my first Cross stitch) and was very confused... I thought it'd be easier. Your videos are really helping. I had only seen the English stitching method on videos but then the kit showed what I now know is the Danish one so was puzzled. Now I know! I think I prefer the Danish method as it suits how my brain works, the logic of it. Great explanation of the methods and the whys and wherefores! A lot of us really appreciate this detail 😀 Thank you!
That's awesome that you are just starting your cross stitch journey and I'm delighted if I can be of help as you learn this fabulous craft 😊 It's good to know the detail is appreciated; I just love to learn and share about cross stitch 😄🪡
This was fabulous.
I am Danish and was tought the Danish version. It seems I also all by myself uses the British version when stitching single stitches.
In my mind there has to be verticle lines on the back, although I do turn my work and makes horisontal lines if I have to stitch stitches on top of each other.
Besides it seems I am doing another version of the Danish stitch. I stitch all of the half stitches in a block lines over lines, before going back though all of the stitches... And doing all those sticking out on my way .. If that make sense. I never thought about it, but it might be neater on the back than on the front working both from left and right 😊
That's so great that you've found a way that works for you, and I'm glad you enjoyed my video 😊
Very interesting information. I mainly use the Danish method here in Australia, occasionally use the English method (didn't know there were different terms). Thank you for your comprehensive video.
I was definitely aiming for comprehensive so I'm glad I ticked that box 😂 I'm definitely a big fan of Danish...as you probably worked out!
This was an excellent and quite useful video explaining the differences. I was taught the Danish method long ago and didn't know there was another technique until a few years ago. I can make very neat and tidy stitches with the Danish method but never have gotten the same result with the English method so have usually avoided it. I like the look of variegated threads but usually not enough to work a piece with the English method preferring instead to use blended threads for a unique look (yes, learned that technique via kits years ago).
The biggest problem I have with the English method aside from the messy stitch results is that the tension seems to need to vary so that top leg isn't pulled askew when moving to the next stitch. I'm accustomed to using very even tension while working the Danish method.
Thanks for a great video which explained a lot of my difficulties with the English method which to my dismay aren't actual problems but just the way it is.
Yup, this all sounds so much like I found and at least you have figured out how to work to get the neatest stitching. For me the key to my neatest stitching is just consistency in trying to make all my stitches in exactly the same way and using the Danish method. I'm so glad you enjoyed this video 😊
@@catkinandlillie In the last year or so, i have also discovered a technique called the Victorian method. It's done one stitch at a time but doesn't leave the messy results of the English method. I haven't tried it yet but it looks interesting.
I've tried the Victorian method and unsurprisingly there are pros and cons!
I thought I'd mentioned it in this video but couldn't find it...and then realised it's in a different video...
ruclips.net/video/FaoFwEi0r-0/видео.html
There's a timestamp for it.
@@catkinandlillie Yes, indeed. There are pros and cons to any of the techniques. In the end, we all must choose what works best for our hand and which result we can live with.
And the technique chosen may vary depending upon the piece being worked. I'm working a Dimensions kit (the Berry Wreath) which is 18" x18" and has loads of confetti. Mostly I use the Danish method but sometimes I just go with what's working for the patch I'm at.
I enjoy your videos. Always so much to learn no matter how long one has been doing this.
I use both of those methods plus a 3rd method of the Victorian stitch which you end up with horizontal stitch lines on the back. Jean Farish demonstrates this in I believe it was flosstube 16.
That's so interesting! I had to go and watch the video...and then have a little Google of it! It seems it was developed as more of a technique for working cross stitches on canvas for needlepoint/tapestry rather than counted cross stitch but of course it works for that as well. I guess I'll have to try it out for real as well 😂 Thanks for the info; I really enjoy learning new things 😄
@@catkinandlillie you are most welcome 🤗 lol I used it with variegated floss because I didn’t want to do the English method in huge color block area. So I would flip my work over and fly to the other side with it. I like how it gets you from a right corner to the left almost as quickly as the Danish. 😂
I just checked that out. The Victorian stitch looks wasteful of thread, and that makes me wonder why you particularly like it for variegated thread. Does it force the color change more quickly?
@@sleepycalico yes to both those answers on the variegated. Yes it does use the most thread between all 3 methods. I am a right handed stitcher and moving right to left with Victorian is an easy quick stitch using the sewing method while stitching in hand. It’s also best for large blocks of color. High confetti it would be a pain to use and in my opinion not bring much benefit.
@@sunnykat2762 Thank you!
I love your explanations. It helps me a lot. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it. 😊
Aw, that's so lovely of you, thank you 😊
Interesting! I like the details. 👍
Great, I'm delighted you enjoyed it 😄
Just love your videos, some very informative. I look forward to watching more in the future. I use both but i prefer the English better , it looks neater to me . When I do horizontal rows I see definite lines in the row . someone told me thats a tension issue but . When I do English I do t see the lines . Take care and happy stitching. ❤
Thank you and I'm so glad you're finding the videos informative. Really interesting to hear how the English method works better for you, and this is why I always say stitchers need to test things for themselves and find what works best because we are all different!
I use both but Danish mainly. I have neater stitch with Danish method but it's frustrating when I make mistake in the middle of a block 'cause I have to detach almost all the stitches. With English, I'm bothered with the diagonal in the back (which actually doesn't matter, you don't look the back of the stitches, right?) 'cause I tend to calculate the length of the floss I use, I mean, when you can do it more efficiently, why not? And without diagonals on the back, the cross won't be in the same direction. Not that noticeable in a few stitches but in a block? The stitches will look like they're fighting each other
I absolutely agree that consistency in stitching, however you do it, makes the overall finished piece look neater 😃 It's definitely more frustrating unpicking Danish method stitches but hey, you can't have everything, right?!
@@catkinandlillie yep, and I oftentimes modify the pattern if possible when I make mistake, haha... It feels like cheating but sometimes I just can't handle the frustration
@@leftchopstick9141 Oh yes, I have definitely modified a pattern instead of fixing a 'mistake' if I think I can get away with it 😂
Wish the camera was closer to the cloth, I have a hard time seeing some things on RUclips. But from what I could see it looked nice.
Aw, I'm sorry I wasn't zoomed in quite enough for you but hopefully you were able to get the idea and thank you for watching.
Great explanation. I use both methods. Are the shelves behind you in this video used to store your flosses? If so, could you give me the info to purchase them please? Take care
It's great to hear you enjoyed the video 😊 Three of the cube spaces behind me are for drawers that hold thread skeins and they are available from Creations by Rod creations-by-rod.co.uk/
I love them! I'll perhaps have to show them off in a video sometime 😃
This is very interesting! I do have a question: you use four actions to make one cross, I use only two, as I stitch by hand and I do not use a frame. Does not that make a difference? Thank you!
Correct me if I'm wring, but I'm guessing what you are describing is using the sewing method whereas what I do is what I've heard called 'stab and stitch'. You can do both English and Danish methods with either of these; you would still be stitching either single full stitches or a row of half stitches and then going back across them but in my case with 4 actions and in your case, 2. So there would be no difference really between the sewing method or stab and stitch; that's just personal preference. I'm planning a video on the sewing method soon(ish!) so watch out for that as it may help explain this better too 😄
@@catkinandlillie you are right , I only didn’t know it was called the sewing method! Thank you!
Out of curiosity, what is different about the way you use the Danish method in vertical rows vs horizontal that would cause the thread to pull in different directions? Wouldn't a vertical Danish row be the same as a horizontal one, just turned 90 degrees? Perhaps it would have helped to show the paths the thread traveled in each of the cases, in order understand it better.
That's a really good question and I nearly tried to answer this in more depth in the video but it was getting very waffly 😂 It's hard to fully work out exactly why vertical Danish is so bad...you still get vertical stitches on the back but the way you pull the thread blocks the holes more. I apologise I wasn't really able to show this in the video and it is REALLY hard to explain, but if you try it you'll see why!
@@catkinandlillie The reason I asked is because I've been using both horizontal and vertical Danish and haven't noticed a difference in the look. I am curious though, you said "you still get vertical stitches on the back", but how is that? When I go vertically, I get horizontal stitches on the back, and vice versa.
An example of how I do vertical Danish: I'll start from the top right of a square and come down diagonally to the bottom left. Then go horizontally on the back to end up at the top right of the square below it, and so on. Then when I've done a full column of half-stitches, I go back up the other way, with the stitches on the back still being horizontal. I'm curious how you do it where you end up with vertical stitches on the back?
Oh goodness...I see the difference now because the way you do it, as you say, would give horizontal stitches on the back and would leave the holes less 'blocked'. I am so set in trying to have all vertical stitches on the back (just 'cos it looks nice to me!) that I was making my stitches top right to bottom left then going straight down to the hole below which would be bottom left and then up to top right and so on. Your way sounds better! I get frustrated that I can't go back and edit the video but hey, I learned something!
@@PrometheusMMIV I do it that way as well and no problems with wonky looking stitches.
Am I right in thinking that when you are stitching horizontal rows you usually start at the bottom of a block and work your way up? Or can you start at the top and work down? Or doesn’t it really matter?
I’ve recently got back into cross stitching after completing a surprise cotton anniversary present for me wife (my Grandma taught me as a child). The bug has caught me and now I’m full of questions, so I’ve found your channel useful 😊
I think cross stitch has a way of pulling you back in eventually 😂 I'm so happy you're finding my channel helpful 😊
Your question about which direction to stitch is a really good one and I've been wanting to answer this in a video but haven't quite worked out the best way to explain it!
Essentially you can work in whichever direction you want but I find that being consistent in the direction you work and the way you make your crosses makes the finished effect neater.
I also find that 'using the empty hole' is a good trick...so it's easier to come up from the back of the fabric in a hole that's empty or has as few threads in it as possible and go down in a hole that has more threads already in it. Following this I find it best for me to work my rows from right to left and working my way upwards, OR left to right and working my way downwards.
I am not sure how much sense this will make written down! I'd better get onto that video 😂
@@catkinandlillie it really does pull you back
in! That explanation really does help, thank you - and look forward to future videos on the subject 😁
I’ve been working on some fairly simple patterns just to get my mind back into
again but I’ve got some fairly large, photo realistic ones in the pipeline that should test me more 🙈
Even popped into our local sewing shop for some supplies - the lady was most pleased I was owning the fact I was in there for me rather than pretending it was for my wife, which she said quite a few men do.
Excellent, I'm so glad that helped 😄
I really don't know why some men feel the need to hide the fact they do cross stitch and I am also glad you owned it. If all the men did then everyone would realise it's not so odd and there are probably tons of male cross stitchers!
Good luck with moving onto the bigger projects 😄
If you have a mixed floss and working on 11ct with 3 strands. How to determine the colour cause 3 is uneven. Hope you understand my question 😂
I am guessing you mean tweeding i.e. using strands of 2 different colours...but with a total of 3 strands that means using 1 strand of colour 1 and 2 strands of colour 2, so how to decide which will be 1 strand and which will be 2 strands. I have never done this but I think I would test on a scrap piece of fabric using the 2 different options (1 strand colour 1 plus 2 strands colour 2 and then 2 strands colour 1 plus 1 strand colour 2) and see which I liked best. It might also depend on what colours it was next to.
The kits always recommend start not only in the middle and work your way out from bottom right to upper left never heard of this
Is this something new???
No, this is simply discussing two methods of stitching, either individual crosses or rows. You can still work a design however you wish, and there's no right or wrong place to start or direction to travel; it's all personal preference 😀
@@catkinandlillie so true lots of new ways to stich i do what works for me and what feels right for me hope i didnt offend you happy stiching to you
When I was taught by my mother many years ago, I learned to start in the middle. So I'd mark my chart to know the exact center and then measure (or fold to make creases) to find the exact middle of the fabric. This works just fine for large pieces such as the Lavender and Lace angels that don't have a border. For samplers, it's best to begin in the upper left corner just as the girls would have done back in the day. When considering various modern designs, it seems like each piece would have to have its starting point chosen to your liking. For instance the "Live on Little" chart by Plum Street, I'd choose to begin at the bottom right but work it upside down for most of the way.
In short, choose whichever way works the best for you and your stitching style.
Its alwsys bottom right to upper keft like a half cross then this isnt righr or danish since im danish
I'm so sorry I don't understand what you are trying to say here. And it's nothing to do with being Danish; it's just the name of the technique.
Could you elaborate, Annevibsmads7366? Are you talking about each individual stitching or the method for the whole pattern?
Were all taught differently i guess i was taught to start bottom right to upper left hand i always start in the middle and work your way out but some start in the botton of the fabric
LOL.... Been cross stitching for over 40 years. Never heard this in my life.
Well I hope you enjoyed learning about it 😃 I've been stitching for around 30 years and still learning new things...which of course I love to share 😄
Not danish sorry
Ok
I understood it differently lost in translation
I was taught bottom right to top left like half a cross then back again ive been stiching since 92