Craftgrrl

you know your supposed to spereate out the floss strands right??

but as far as you q goes, you just tie off and start fresh.

i think the average use is two strands unless specified by the pattern. i *think*.

You should have plenty of floss but the instructions usually give the colour names and numbers if you need to buy more(They have been known to send you more for free if you run out and ask nicely, they have also been known to send out new charts for free if you lose yours somehow when you are partway through your project).

First sort your floss. The instructions should have a list of the number of lengths and a description of the colours to make it easier. Most of the kits come with a long card with holes punched in it to make the sorting easier. Put a different colour into each hole and write the colour number next to it.

Somewhere in the instructions it should have a guide that tells you how many strands to use and what stitch etc. Each piece of embroidery floss they sent has 6 strands and is twice as long as you need for stitching. If the design calls for 2 strands of the same colour I just pull off one strand and double it instead of cutting it (makes it easier to keep track and seems to waste less thread). When you need to end your thread you just slip it under a few stitches on the back side of your work and snip off the excess, when you start a new one you can do the same thing. Just stick your needle under 3 or 4 stiches on the back and pull til you only have a tiny bit of then end showing and start sewing again.

Remember its easier to start from the middle, you can do that by folding your fabric precisly in quarters and marking the centre very lightly with a pencil. Also a hoop or stitching frame is a big help if you are just starting out since it helps keep an even tension on your stitching and also helps keep your work cleaner.

Happy stitching!