Needlepainting Tips Part 13: Fixing A Shape

I was stitching a pansy here and the shape turned out to be different from what I initially planned: either I transferred it incorrectly or something went wrong when I started stitching it. In any case, I didn't notice that the shape got "cut" on top. 

Moments like these are quite sad because usually that means you have to unpick your stitches, and that's always a burden :D

However, sometimes you might find that the fix is possible without re-doing everything from scratch!

You just need to add that new area by stitching over the previous one. 

First of all, add outline in split stitch or split back stitch. Use the same number of strands as before so that it doesn't stand out.

Then start working long and short stitch over the area that's already complete. Be careful with the direction of stitches - use the stitching below as your guide and lay them accordingly. 

When you finish, most probably, the new stitching will look padded and raised and it will stand out. 

 

That's why we need to make a couple of extra stitches from the middle of the new area to the middle-end of the initial area so that they connect the two parts and make the joint invisible. 

The end!

So don't despair! Sometimes there are ways to fix our blunders without unpicking old stitches :)

For other needlepainting tips check this tag.

And here's the Ultimate Guide to Long and Short Stitching if you need one!

Take care!