Flosstube - My Modified Continental Tent Stitch

[@lisaalexander9110]

AWESOME!!!! thank you so much for this video. I've tried time and time again to use the continental tent stitch and I just couldn't get the hang of it. I have 7 full coverage projects I want to do and now I have hopes of completing them in my lifetime! Lol!!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Lisa Alexander I know the feeling. I have several full coverage pieces, most of which are full crosses. This modified version of continental is certainly helping.

[@vrnelsen]

This is a fantastic video. I’ve learned more from this video about tent stitch,, basket weave and continental than I ever did before. Thanks so much for broadcasting this and keep up the good work.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thank you. Happy to hear you found it informative.

[@WillWorkForBooks]

Thanks so much for explaining WHY the reverse direction on alternate rows. I have been watching videos that did not address the "why". It makes complete sense, so thanks again for explaining about the pull on the fabric. Logical and clarified the reasoning for me. Love your videos!!

[@joyceohman4789]

This is perfect for using tent stitch in cross stitch; basically reversing the direction of the row in relation to the direction of the stitch opposite of regular continental stitch. The padded effect of conventional continental is great for needle point where you might need it to help with wear and tear, but a framed piece of cross stitch is easier to deal with with less bulk from the tradition row to stitch direction. Since both the regular and your modified method work each row pulling opposite, both will equally prevent warping. I think I will try my first HAED 2 over 1 on 28ct. so I can finish in a reasonable amount of time. Thanks for your demonstration of this technique!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thanks for watching. ❤

[@kellybellstitches3383]

I stitch like this too for tent stitch - but I didn't think about the dot - great idea - thank you.

[@missaney1]

Very well done and valuable tutorial. You are a natural teacher!!! Thank you 👏🏻

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+missaney1 Thank you for the compliment. I enjoy sharing things I've found work for me. I know I've learned a lot from others posting similar tutorials. ☺

[@lisasstitches]

That's really good thanks Pam. Haven't tried tent stitch yet, but if I do this will be the way I will go I think.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Lisa S Stitches Thanks Lisa

[@MizzRowe]

Pam, thank you for doing this video. I have never understood continental tent stitch and I have seen several videos on it. I like that you explained the why of what your were doing. Great job!!!

[@vipajoclto]

Thank you very much for explaining me! I appreciated 👍I love your cross stitching work, it's so perfect!👌

[@karenwilliams6614]

Hi Pam this seems a great way to do it as for some reason I couldn't take to continental tent stitch. I'm having a new start for the retreat so if I get into any problems you'll hear me shouting you lol. Looking forward to meeting you very soon x x

[@janettefulling6784]

i luv your explaination of directions for all your videos..i have add and since i do difficult for me to grasp written directions..videos much better..and detail is so appreciated..ty pam for making my stitching much more enjoyable..you rock

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+janette fulling Thank you Janette for the lovely comments. Happy stitching!

[@ShanaCali]

Reading the HAED Facebook group, I read how this video helped them so much. I never thought I would have done tent stitching on a HAED but I'm almost completing my first page and can tell I need to do something different to fix the tension issue before I went any further (149 pages worth)... Thank you for explaining and using the subtitles as I read along during working on it.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Happy to hear this helped. Enjoy stitching your HAED.

[@nannettmcdougal-dykes2918]

Great video....thanks

[@AndieJxoxo]

Thank you so much. Really clear video. I now understand enough to try this myself :)

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thanks for watching. Enjoy!

[@thelazystitcher]

This is super helpful for me. You had me convinced from your last video that I was gonna try renting on 28ct for my next HAED and I was actually thinking of doing it this way! So good to k is it works out nicely.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+doxamully Thanks. so far it's working out for me. Just be mindful of your tension and not to pull your stitches too tight.

[@halfstitchcrossstitch2456]

Pam, this is a great modification of the tent stitch! I wish I had known this when I did the clown needlepoint last year! LOL. Thank you for sharing how you do this.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+halfstitch cross stitch Thank you.

[@rachelspiteri6366]

Love watching your videos thankyou for taking the time to show your work and teach us my daughter who is 14 watches and learns from you the other day she was pausing you and doing what you said here in Australia it is hot so early in the moring she watches you thankyou for being kind

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Rachel Spiteri That's so cool. Tell her I said hello and to stick with it. I'm glad I could help her out. Enjoy your Australian summer. It's freezing here right now and we're buried in snow. lol.

[@sheilas1283]

This is so clear. You are really good at explaining things! 😀

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Sheila S Thank you so much.

[@nadiabarrojo3617]

I'm quite new at cross stitching and this video was super helpful as I have some HAED and other full coverage I'm interested in starting with. I'm a teacher of English as a Second Language myself and I can tell you that you are an excellent teacher. Great video! Thank you very much!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thank you for watching and for the lovely comment. Happy stitching!

[@rosemarieweber862]

I'm getting ready to start cross stitching again after a long break. The half cross stitch is much faster, and your modified tent stitch will be a great help.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thanks for watching. Enjoy your stitching.

[@BeadingBelles]

Hi Pam.Thankyou so much for taking the time to post this video.Very interesting.I am looking at different methods to use on my first HAED design"A Stitch in Time" which is quite a big design.I am now leaning towards your method.I would be very interested to see an update of this piece that you are working to see how your method is progressing.

[@beckytheobsessedstitcher1170]

Pam thank you for sharing your technique. Very interesting. I have recently watched a tutorial on continental tent and had no idea there was a proper method of stitching a half cross. The community really benefits from stitchers such as yourself sharing your knowledge!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Obsessed Stitcher Thank you. A regular half stitch is usually always stitched in the same direction and is only used sporadically throughout a chart meaning you don't have to worry about it warping the fabric. Continental and my version of tent would be used for full coverage tent stitching to avoid the fabric warping or pulling to one side. Glad to hear you found it helpful. ☺

[@archiemaxfield9004]

thanks pam for the help

[@sharronhenry2561]

New to the tent stitch. I've started a HAED project, Dress of Daydreams, on 25 Ct., 2 over 1, and the tent stitch will work perfectly. Your explanation and demonstrations are Crystal clear. Thank you so much. Now I have to figure out how to take out 4 rows in a 10 square done in regular cross stitch without ruining my fabric.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Sharron Henry Happy to hear you enjoyed my explanation. Have fun with your HAED. I just love their charts, so we'll done.

[@mattieprowell2045]

Sharron Henry he

[@maureendownes4209]

One of the best stitching videos I've seen in a long time! Thank you for your clear explanation. I am going to do this for my very first tent stitch, HAED project!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thank you so much for your kind words about my video. Hopefully it helps with your project. Enjoy!

[@sandramarshall7712]

Very clear. Thank you. I am going to try this.

[@kathleenstroddentrail2798]

Thank you! That was super helpful. I'm working on the Mini HAED "Stitcher's Retreat" and I am going to change to this method. Thanks for taking the time to share this info. 😊

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Kathleen's Trodden Trail Thanks. I hope it works for you. Happy stitching!

[@stitchingwithasmile677]

Thanks again Pam, you explained it very well.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Stitching with a Smile Thanks Nina. ☺

[@maryondrejka6004]

Thank you, now I understand how to it.

[@auntieredd4773]

Great video, I will try this on my mini haed. Thanks

[@beverlyevangerandteddy1769]

great video. i really enjoyed it

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Bev & Teddybear Thank you.

[@ssaah59ify]

makes perfect sense...I use this method with my needlepoint canvas work.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Suzanne Saah Thank you.

[@StitchingKitchn]

Incredibly good tutorial!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Stitching Kitchn Thank you.

[@josiefun56]

Thank you. Im very keen to try HAED but scared coz it seems daunting. But with your tutorial I may try it in tent stitch.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Thanks for watching. Good luck with your HAED. I love working on full coverage pieces.

[@jillipepper5353]

Sounds good!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+jillipepper5353 Thanks

[@karenstitchygirl]

Hi Pam, I love this method. How do you park your threads when using this method? Top right, bottom left or both? I am concerned about having two different parked threads in the same hole. I hope thiss makes sense.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Hi. Regardless of where the next stitch should start from, I always park in the bottom left corner. That way I don't confuse the colours/threads.

[@karenstitchygirl]

Thank you, Pam

[@marseillestarot]

Genius! Love the dot reminder for the direction of the stitch. But what about when you are in the middle of the page and the dot is way over on the right margin? Does that work?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+marseillestarot Yes it still works. Sometimes I mark the edges on the left and right of my chart to make it easier

[@marseillestarot]

Pam, i had an idea just now. Why not put those marking on a yellow pos- it that you can put next to the area on the chart that is being stitched. Know what I mean?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+marseillestarot perfect. That would also work.

[@monicacassell2438]

Hi, thank you for this tutorial. Very informative, you also have a excellent manner of presenting the tutorial. Can tent stich be done on any design? What will happen if there are fractionals in a design?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

I have never tried tent stitch on any design. If there are fractional that would post an issue I think with tent stitch. It seems to work best for full coverage pieces in my opinion.

[@5CuteKittens]

I've been wanting to stitch Starry Night using a tent stitch, but was cautioned about warping, so decided to just go with full crosses. I haven't kitted it up because I wasn't really excited about it. Now I can't wait to stitch it as I'd planned originally. I think tent stitches will really complement van Gogh's short feathery brush strokes and make the piece more interesting.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

I agree. I think it would look good if done on the right count fabric.

[@5CuteKittens]

I've been waffling. 25 count 2 over 1 is safe, but over 2 would really show off the stitch. I'd also considered using 14-18 count and 3-4 threads. It's a good size chart at 300 x 239. Any thoughts or advice?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Personally I like 2 threads over 28 for tent stitch but I've seen 2 over 1 tent on 25 count as well that looks good. I think that's just a personal thing. I don't like stitching with more then 2 strands so I've avoided tent on 18 count.

[@pattygardner231]

Thank you! I was able to follow your explanation really well. I’m so glad you did a demonstration. It brought everything together for me. This is probably a question I should be able to figure out on my own, but why can’t the loop method be done on one strand? Why does it always have to be divisible by 2? Thanks again.

[@lisak78]

The loop method is actually done with 1 strand of floss doubled on itself so it then technically becomes 2. If you have 2 separate cut pieces of floss you wouldn't be able to do this method. Well unless your piece called for 4 strands then you'd double the 2 over to make 4. What you need is that loop to lock your thread in place. Hope this helps! 😁

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Lisa actually explained it quite well in her response. 1 long length of floss is folded in half and not cut to create 2 strands of floss with a loop on the end.

[@NeedleBugg]

This is probably a silly question. However...since each row alternates the direction it is stitched. Where do you park your thread...do you always park in the lower left regardless if it is a dotted row or not and then adjust when you get there ....or do you park according to the row you will be stitching like when it is a top right row do you park in the top right...tia for your input.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+K Bugg yes I park in the lower left still and just adjust when I get there.

[@emmaswartz3808]

This is how I stitch my half cross stitch, but I believe it's because before I cross stitched I did wool tapestries.

[@deborahducker2069]

Emma Swartz and m

[@vipajoclto]

And also, what's continental stitch? Thank you! I love all your work!👍

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+vipajoclto t Continental stitch or Continental Tent Stitch is a stitch that looks like a half cross stitch from the front but is worked differently. There are a lot of needlepoint videos explaining this stitch. Also Carolyn Mazzeo has a good video explaining how a proper continental stitch is done.

[@jasminecustombags]

That was an amazing video. After working more on this project, did you find you still liked this technique? Did it warped? I'm thinking of trying it for my next full coverage start in about 1 month. Thanks so much!!!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

I haven't had issue with it warping but my tension is not super tight either. I think it helps to have consistent tension on your stitching.

[@jasminecustombags]

@@PamsCraftyCorner Thank you!

[@jomelhuish1378]

This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for! Thank you!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Hope it helps

[@stephaniefoster2899]

This version of the tent stitch would save a lot of thread in the long run, especially on a full coverage HAED! However, I believe an additional purpose to the tent stitch is to provide extra padding & protection on the back, which is apparently where most of the wear occurs on a piece. Have you (or anyone else in the FlossTube community) noticed anything to that effect, or is that just an old wive's tale?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Stephanie Foster You're probably right about that but I haven't looked into it. Once my full coverage pieces are complete I typically wash and iron them and then get them framed under glass. The floss isn't exposed and isn't subject to much wear and tear.

[@148kmartinez]

so new to cross stitching. I understand I think ? it's just doing half stitch starting first row bottom and next row start stitch from the top... right? thanks for sharing... learning here !

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Katherine pretty much but this is sort of a combination of half stitch and continental stitch.

[@PRMoody78]

Thank you!

[@MizzRowe]

Ok, I thought I had it but then I watched the video of Carolyn's that you have linked and it looks like y'all are doing the same thing. I'm gonna have to study this some more.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+MizzRowe Carolyn's video is of the proper way to do Continental Tent Stitch. Mine is a modified version of tent stitch slightly different but for me I found it easier and I seem to be yielding the same result.

[@gilanigilani]

Hi Pam! Would really really appreciate for an update on this method! My Question is: I’ve seen you have parked threads with this method. How do you know if the parked thread is for the top row or the bottom row?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

Hi 👋 I always park my threads in the bottom left regardless of which direction I'm traveling on that row. I park as if I'm doing full cross instead of tent. Then when I start with the thread I'll do that first tent stitch bottom left to top right and then continue the remaining stitches in what ever direction I'm going. Hope that answers your question and isn't too confusing.

[@gilanigilani]

@@PamsCraftyCorner thank you so much! That makes perfect sense! I love this method because the back is so much neater! I'm trying tent on 28ct and you're the only one who made sense of this stitch for me. And thanks for the super fast reply! Your tutorial videos really help me a lot!

[@autumnsmumpnw6955]

OMGosh, I also found the Continental Tent too bulky and without realizing it modified my stitches exactly. Hahaha, great minds think alike. :)

[@autumnsmumpnw6955]

Oh and I wanted to add for those who use PDF - I highlight every other row, so I know which direction I'm in. My poor tired eye need all the help they can get. Thank so much!!!

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+AutumnsMum PNW Awesome idea for PDF users. Great minds do think alike. ☺

[@archiemaxfield9004]

hi pam can I ask when you got to move your work on your qsnap will it be ok to snap over your worked stitchs or do u put somethink over them before you snap it hope u understand what I mean sorry I new to cross stitch and qsnaps thanks

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+Archie Maxfield Hi. When I move my q snap clamp I'll clamp right over my stitches. I've always done that and have never has any damage done to my stitches. Sometimes you may get a line across your stitching from the edge of the clamp but that will go away after the clamp is removed and I usually wash and iron my pieces and the stitches have never been damaged. I've been using q snaps for at least 20 years.

[@pennyfisher3329]

When doing this on 14 count how many strand are you using ? Also is it only on full coverage projects? Or can it be done on any project?thank you

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

I've only used it on full coverage pieces and I'm not sure howmany strands you'd need for 14 count. I typically use 2 strands when doing full cross on 14 count so I think you might need 4 strands to get the coverage in tent stitch. I'd suggest doing a test block of 10x10 to see.

[@ginaashby6782]

I'm a new starter for cross stitching and find printed aida kits are easier for me in either 11 count or 14 count ... will this tent style work for this ?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

It may. I don't see why it wouldn't.

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

You will have to use more strands of floss with each stitch yo get better coverage though so the only concern might be running low on floss.

[@annward3231]

Would have liked to see what this looks like on the reverse.

[@suelarose4246]

The fabric is showing through but wouldn’t be if actually cross stitch how is that fixed?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

If you're doing tent stitch but are still seeing fabric you could stitch with more strands of floss to increase the coverage.

[@vickiellisorlemere4369]

Have you had a problem with lines in your work? If so how did you fix it?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

No, can't say I have issues with lines. It's probably because I stitch each page cross country instead of in grids and when I come to the edge of a page I will work a few stitches here and there across onto the new page so there isn't a defined page line.

[@fitfilful]

This is really a half cross stitch as the stitches at the back are straight lines, right?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

That's correct. I'm just alternating the starting point of the stitch row by row.

[@vipajoclto]

What does two over one or one over two exactly mean?

[@PamsCraftyCorner]

+vipajoclto t Hi. So I'm referring to the number of strands of floss I use to stitch with and the number of threads or holes in my fabric I'm stitching over. On Aida for example you would stitch with 1 or 2 strands of floss over 1 hole. On evenweave or linen you can change the number of holes you're stitching over and for more delicate tiny stitches you would only use 1 strand of floss. Thus 1 strand of floss over 1 thread/hole in your fabric or 2 strands of floss over 1 or 2 threads/holes in your fabric. There are videos on KZbin I think explaining this as well. I just can think of one exactly to link to for you.