Figuring spacing

Seanette Blaylock wrote:

Ericka Kammerer had some very interesting things to
say about Figuring spacing:


You don't have to copy the whole chart. You just have
to chart the lettering so you can accurately figure how much
space the lettering will take up. Once you know how big a
block you need for each line of text, you can count and center
it vertically and horizontally in the blank spaces as you please.


The lettering, I've got. The problem is vertical spacing, including
space from the building, and everyone's saying "oh, just copy the
whole about 2200 stitch chart and go from there". Does no one have any
way to figure spacing based on sizes of lettering *without* drawing
the building all over again?

Oh, I wouldn't copy the whole chart for that. Personally,
I'd actually draw on the chart myself. So, for instance if my
line of text was 6 stitches high by 30 stitches wide, I'd draw
a 6x30 stitch rectangle on the original chart to see how it
looks. If it was tricky and I wanted to try out a bunch of
different positions, I'd cut out a rectangle the appropriate
size of colored paper so I could move it around until I was
happy.
As far as spacing between the lines of text goes, it
depends on whether I want things spaced out or compact. If
I'm going for compact, I'd leave only a stitch between the two
rectangles (which sounds like not much, but you're talking between
the bottom of the lowest descender and the top of the tallest
letter, so it's usually plenty of space visually). If I want
to take up more space, I'd go up to as much space between the
rows as the height of a single row (does that make sense?) for
a double-spacing effect. I'm usually short on space, so I
usually end up going for something compact. Next most common
for me would probably be to leave only 2-3 stitches in between.
I tend not to like it too widely spaced, but of course that's
totally a personal preference thing.
While you obviously have to take the size of the
lettering into account, I don't think the spacing is *that*
sensitive to the lettering size. If you had really huge
letters (e.g., if they were cross-stitched rather than
back-stitched), then leaving only a stitch or two between
lines would probably look too cramped, but I've never run
into a back-stitched alphabet that couldn't take being
that close together. I go more based on how it all fits
with the design more than calculating based on the size of
the lettering. That's why I cut out my little rectangles
and lay them on the chart ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

I'm doing this on 28-ct over 2. The names [going at the top of the
piece, above a steeple] are 12 stitches high. Three distinct lines of
additional info are going below the building, in lettering 4 stitches
tall.

Can anyone offer useful advice on figuring out spacing those lines of
text? I'd really rather not go the trial-and-error route doing the
lettering in antique burgundy Kreinik braid on light blue Jobelan,
with only a month to get the project done. :-)

Get some graph paper and make your own chart for the lettering. Just write out
the words...count the number of stitches for each work then decide how to space
the words. It takes a while to do this, but if you are careful, it works
beautifully and it is so nice to stitch and know you will have everything end
up where you want it. Boo

Seanette Blaylock wrote in message . ..
I'm doing a wedding piece for friends of mine. I have a chart for the
building in which their wedding will take place, but am adding info
such as their names, the date, the location, etc.

I'm doing this on 28-ct over 2. The names [going at the top of the
piece, above a steeple] are 12 stitches high. Three distinct lines of
additional info are going below the building, in lettering 4 stitches
tall.

Can anyone offer useful advice on figuring out spacing those lines of
text? I'd really rather not go the trial-and-error route doing the
lettering in antique burgundy Kreinik braid on light blue Jobelan,
with only a month to get the project done. :-)

What about writing the text on transparencies and laying it over the
chart? If you have a blank area of the chart with the graph
available, you should be able to write out the names, etc. in the
appropriate size for the graph. Then you should be able to place the
transparency over the chart until you find a pleasing arrangement.
That's what I've done in similar situations.

Hope this helps!

--Mickey
Mansfield, MA