Do You Stitch Late at Night?

We cannot always enjoy our favourite pastime of stitching whenever we want to. The demands of work, family needs and general household chores can mean that stitching time can often be moved down the list of priorities.

Rebellion does exist however in some camps. Stitching expert, Jane Greenoff sells a wonderful design kit with the words: ‘Cross Stitch Forever – Housework Whenever’ from her Cross Stitch Guild website.

Kit from:The Cross Stitch Guild

There is also an ongoing forum discussion about how to fit more stitching into the day on the wonderful knitting website, Ravelry. For many of us, however, we often stitch late at night, when the clamour of life ceases, and we can relax.

This can present a number of challenges – and solutions too:

Artificial Light

Poor light can produce eyestrain and the possibility of stitching mistakes, especially in colour recognition and counting. A daylight lamp or a halogen light can produce excellent illumination for our projects. It is important not to struggle with a bedside lamp or dimmed lights.

Tiredness

This can produce poor quality work through loss of concentration. Mistakes - such as dropped stitches or miscounting - are increased, and there is the possibility of falling asleep over your stitching. The solution is to know your limitations, and stop working when you know that you are tired. Another way to spend your late-night leisure time is to spend your time catching up on your favourite stitching websites instead of stitching. This is a great way to update your stitching knowledge.

Perils of Stitching in Bed

Some people who have mobility problems, or are disabled or convalescing may have no choice but to cross stitch in bed. This can be done easily, provided you prop yourself up well with pillows or cushions, making sure your back is well supported. Do use a good light, and keep your stitching paraphernalia tidy, in a box. The obvious danger is that scissors or needles can get lost among the bed linen. Tempting though it may be to spread out your equipment on the bed in front of you, it is very important to confine your stash to a box that cannot be flipped over by a sudden movement. Better still, a box of stitching goodies can be kept on a bedside table for easy access.

Happy night-time stitching!