Filling in boxes?

[SunkistShiek]

So! I've been "stalking" everyone's projects and I absolutely love them all! <3 But I've noticed that some people, if they're making bigger projects, color/fill in the boxes that they've finished. I've never thought of this nor seen anyone else do it and wondered how well does it keep you on track? I mean, would you suggest doing it that way vs. looking at a color coded pattern? Because I've noticed too that most of them tend to be black and white patterns, not colored.

I'm just asking because if it's easier to do, I so want to try it out, but because I know so little I just wanted to ask about the details/mechanics of it. Thanks you guys and keep on being awesome!

[Kareesh]

It depends on the project, for me. If it has a ton of colors, then I tend to like the color coded patterns. That way, if there are a couple of symbols that look somewhat close, then the color will clear it up. If it doesn't have an insane amount of colors, and the symbols are easy to distinguish, then black and white is fine.

I pretty much always have to mark which squares I've done, regardless if it's black and white or color. A black marker works fine on the color coded ones. I normally use a highlighter for the black and white ones. If it's a smaller project, I don't worry too much about marking every single square, just something that reminds me where I've been. But there have been projects where I have to mark everything I've done so I can see what's left, especially projects that have a ton of "confetti" stitches.

[lcockitt]

I like to fill in as I go along, as I find it easier to find where I'm up to! If it's a small/simple pattern then I don't bother, but with larger patters where there are lots of colour changes and different symbols then I do. I once used a black biro to colour in all of my 'done' squares - then realsied I'd gone wrong somewhere and couldn't see the symbols underneath to trace it back. I now use coloured pencils so I can still see the symbols! For my Epic Gen 1 pokemon stitch I try to use a similar coloured pencil to the stich colour to make it even easier to keep track.

[QueenBex]

Make darn sure when printing out a pattern in colour that you have a fresh colour ink installed!!! it can make a world of difference! I cross out what I've stitched with pencil as I go, I get so confused and lost otherwise!!!

ps. oo! I do tend to scan and print a couple of copies if I get the pattern from a kit etc, so the original is always kept in good condition to be used again or passed down through the ages! (big dreams of sewing nieces and nephews)

[lcockitt]

ps. oo! I do tend to scan and print a couple of copies if I get the pattern from a kit etc, so the original is always kept in good condition to be used again or passed down through the ages! (big dreams of sewing nieces and nephews)

I do this too! (When I remember) especially ones that are folded up, as opening/closing the pages can make the symbols very tricky to read.

[Sheepish]

I always print out my patterns in black and white, if there are a lot of different colors sometimes I'll use different colored highlighters to mark a few different finds, but more often than not it's completely black and white. I use a thin black marker to mark out everything I've stitched, I lose track of where I'm at if I don't.

[blackberrybear]

I don't like to mark up whatever pattern I'm using. I tend to wander around what I'm stitching and any marking I do usually messes me up.

[Eliste]

I usually don't do anything, which I regret as soon as I get to a point where I can't figure out where that missing stitch is and what color its supposed to be. Then I take a highlighter to my page and work as best I can. And then when I can't figure it out, I just use something that's similar that's close to whatever color is next to it that makes sense. I'm lazy, I know. I'm also of the opinion that what I do doesn't require slavish conformity to the pattern and nobody but me is going to be able to figure out what's wrong anyway so why stress over it? I don't usually need mark things off though.

As far as color/B&W patterns go, I don't really mind. I don't particularly want the color of the project in the background as it makes it more difficult to discern different symbols from each other. I definitely prefer to have symbols so I dont accidentally stitch the same color as different colors because I couldn't tell four different shades of light blue apart. I don't mind ones where they have colored symbols that may or may not be similar to their actual color. I'm less likely to highlight anything that's got colors anywhere on it though as it feels like I'm ruining a piece of it (yes, I know, I'm crazy).

[LinkIsMyHomeboy]

I much prefer B&W patterns to colored ones. Since most of my patterns tend to come from here or I make them, I can always pull the pattern up on my computer if I need to check a symbol/color.

Also, I don't usually tend to mark on my patterns. I used to when I was younger, but I found that marking the patterns was more time-consuming than just looking at the pattern and figuring out where I was.

[funkymonkey]

I personally greatly prefer colored patterns to black and white, and I work off my laptop so I can zoom in really big. I think the "squares" you may be referring to are people who print out a pattern and complete one full page at a time, instead of a full color. For patterns that are as big as 20 pages or so (like the epic pokemon) I would imagine that would make it easier/less daunting.

Another good technique I've seen with the epic pokemon is to take a black pen and dot in the center of where every black stitch will be. That way, you have almost a printed canvas and wouldn't lose your place as easily. I haven't actually done this, but I think it would make for an easier transition to counted cross stitch if someone is used to stitching on printed kits or has a tendancy to lose their place.