The topic of the back of embroidery projects can be a touchy one.

Many, many people in the stitching world have an opinion on the back of work. For lack of a better term off the top of my head, I’m going to use the phrase “Old School” in this discussion. When I think “Old School,” I think of my aunt. She was an Absolute Stickler about the back of her needlework. I was a kid during the Counted Cross Stitch Boom of the mid-80’s, and while Auntie dabbled in other types of needlework in her lifetime, she was an avid cross stitcher in the 80’s.

When she showed me how to do counted cross stitch back then, I remember her emphasizing the back of the stitching more than the front. It had to be perfect. Little parallel lines everywhere…

And yes, I might be older – I’ve passed the half century mark – but I don’t tend to be Old School when it comes to the back of embroidery. Embroidery isn’t done for the back of the work. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always felt that people who flip your needlework over to inspect the back are looking for faults – and this has always annoyed me.

So I’m not here to nag you about the back of your embroidery.

BUT… (think of this as a mighty big but…)