I want to ask you how many threand are you using for your cross stitch? I always use 3 to be satisfied with

the picture. Good luck.

Hello, i know what you mean about flat and full
cross stitches , its kinda boring. But you can put
in quarter and three quarter stitches around curves
and put back stitches to make things pop. I use
french knots and other unique stitches and also
you can change some colors and use beads. Its
up to you, make it your own and have fun. Use
your creativity.

Thanks Sherry. But I'm afraid to try. I'm not creative much but a good pattern-follower. Been sticking to those designers that I know finish their job. I DO LOVE all those extra added things.

Well you can start out small things
and if you dont like how it looks
you can always take it out. You will
be very surprised in what you can do.
Happy stitching.

I know what you mean about being a good pattern follower, mcelhaney. While I consider myself creative, I also consider myself inhibited. I'm "scared" to go outside the box even though I have a very open imagination. I decided some time ago that I would do what sherrydrais suggested to you...try out my creativity on small things. I like doing small patterns when I finish with a page on my large patterns. I plan to try out different colors, threads, styles, etc on the small patterns. I'm thinking that will help me to be able to move outside the box.

I've started replacing colors, but that's about all I do. I tried one of those big patterns and it DID NOT WORK OUT, lol.

If you want something that's not "flat" I would suggest getting a book from the library on stitching, some old stitching thread you have left over from something and some fabric you have left over from something. That way you can try new stitches as many times as you want until you feel comfortable using them on something.
You can probably find something online to teach you different stitches too.

khtreasure: Don't know if I'm inhibited or very OCD. Just can't bring myself to change the pattern! :)
Good ideas about trying altering small patterns.
I've been doing this long enough to know which designers I can depend on too.

On patterns that only have full cross stitches I have been adding my own quarter and three quarter stitches for years. It is not hard and you can add them wherever you think that they would help the design. I also add my own backstitch outlining on projects that have none when I thought it would add to the design. That is what is nice about cross stitching there are no "hard and fast rules".

mcelhaney--Haha! I understand! I have issues with things that are not structured, symmetric, original, etc. Yes, I can function perfectly without them, but if I can help it, I'd rather not deal with it. Case in point--one of the reasons (but not the only reason) that I don't color my working copies of xs patterns is because I don't like messing up what the pattern originally looks like...and, no, I'm not talking about the original copy. I can make copies all day long, but once I color a copy, the chart itself is no longer in its original form! It's crazy! I know it is!! :)

I have a small pattern that I'm going to work on after I finish a page from one of my large patterns. It's very, very simple, and I can change the colors to anything I want. Nancye G helped inspire my resolve to do that when she posted her picture of her purple cow, which she said was originally green in the pattern. (Thanks, Nancye! Haha!) :)

As for the original post, I find it interesting that we all have such different tastes. When I was in my first "phase" of stitching and didn't yet realize you could buy patterns off the internet, I did patterns which required specialty stitches and backstitching. I didn't like it. Since taking a break and starting up with stitching again, I realized I have such an array of patterns to choose from online. When I found out I didn't "have" to do backstitching and specialty stitches anymore, I was thrilled!!! But that's also because I like doing medium to large patterns that look like paintings. In my opinion, those patterms are served better by having only full crosses and not having the specialty stitches and the backstitching.