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To Grid or Not to Grid



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 16th 04, 04:23 AM
Suzanne
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Default To Grid or Not to Grid

A few people on here have spoken about gridding projects before, but I
was hoping someone could tell me more about it. Do you always grid
your projects? How do you decide whether you should or not? Does it
matter what the stitch count is or fabric type? Just how do you go
about it? I've been looking online but haven't found many places that
talk about it.
--
Suze

Cat hair? That's just an embellishment.

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  #2  
Old April 16th 04, 04:29 AM
Dr. Brat
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Suzanne wrote:
A few people on here have spoken about gridding projects before, but I
was hoping someone could tell me more about it. Do you always grid your
projects? How do you decide whether you should or not? Does it matter
what the stitch count is or fabric type? Just how do you go about it?
I've been looking online but haven't found many places that talk about it.


I start stitching in the upper left hand corner and work my way down.
If a project is such that I can work it to the bottom, always starting
stitches where other stitches have ended, I don't grid it. If I'm going
to have to jump wide areas of open cloth to stitch the project, then I
do grid it. For example, I am working on Theresa Wentzler's Summer
Fairy. The fairy head is out in an area of blank cloth away from the
border. That's where gridding helps me be sure I've got the count
right. Sometimes, I'll turn a project upside down and work it from the
bottom to avoid gridding, depends on my mood and on the feasibility of
such a move. Essentially, I'll go to the effort of gridding any time a
design makes me count more than 15 stitches of open space on a
consistent basis. I can't do that easily and so it's worth it to grid.

Elizabeth
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  #3  
Old April 16th 04, 04:36 AM
Ericka Kammerer
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Suzanne wrote:

A few people on here have spoken about gridding projects before, but I
was hoping someone could tell me more about it. Do you always grid your
projects? How do you decide whether you should or not? Does it matter
what the stitch count is or fabric type? Just how do you go about it?
I've been looking online but haven't found many places that talk about it.


I only grid on projects where I think I'm at significant
risk of miscounting. I suppose "significant risk" would vary
from person to person ;-) I take into account the size, the
design, the similarity of colors, and other things like that
when deciding. Fabric type or stitch count don't matter much
to me, though I suppose if I used Aida I'd be less likely to
grid on that because it's somewhat easier to count (less
opportunity to miscount than stitching over two).
As far as how I do it, I take sewing thread and
stitch over two stiches, under two at ten stitch intervals (so
twenty threads), making the gridding threads line up
with the lines marked on the pattern. (I like it best
when there are gridlines at the center, but many charts
don't do it that way and I need the gridlines on my fabric
to match the gridlines on my chart or it makes my brain
hurt.) I usually remove the gridlines as I stitch near
them.

Hope this helps,
Ericka

  #5  
Old April 16th 04, 04:50 AM
Rhiannon
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I would never grid a small, simple project as that would take more time
than it is worth. I would grid a larger project (e.g., over 8 x 10
inches solid stitching on 32 ct.) because I'm likely to work on it for a
bit and then set it aside for a long time and the gridding makes it
easier to get back into the project. It is also worthwhile to grid if
the chart is poorly printed/drawn or otherwise confusing since you use
so much effort interpreting the pattern you can't afford additional
confusion when looking at the fabric. Thank goodness hand written
charts aren't so common!

Suzanne wrote:
A few people on here have spoken about gridding projects before, but I
was hoping someone could tell me more about it. Do you always grid your
projects? How do you decide whether you should or not? Does it matter
what the stitch count is or fabric type? Just how do you go about it?
I've been looking online but haven't found many places that talk about it.


--
Brenda
"Sometimes I'd sit and gaze for days through sleepless dreams all alone
and trapped in time." Tommy Shaw

  #6  
Old April 16th 04, 08:19 AM
S & A
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I'm so glad that question was asked because I never really understood
'gridding', when I read it on this group. I've got a Lanarte kit to start
(4 Seasons with a Japanese lady in blue), but it comes with Linen and I've
never sewn on linen before. Would it be adviseable to grid? It's size is
7.5" by 13.5". The chart is massive and at first look, the symbols for back
stitch are not easy to follow. It says something about 1/6 & 2/6 threads?

Anyway, advice would be appreciated.

Sharon (UK)

PS. I'm now putting (UK) after my name as I realised there was another
Sharon in the group and thought it might be easier to tell us apart!

"Rhiannon" wrote in message
...
I would never grid a small, simple project as that would take more time
than it is worth. I would grid a larger project (e.g., over 8 x 10
inches solid stitching on 32 ct.) because I'm likely to work on it for a
bit and then set it aside for a long time and the gridding makes it
easier to get back into the project. It is also worthwhile to grid if
the chart is poorly printed/drawn or otherwise confusing since you use
so much effort interpreting the pattern you can't afford additional
confusion when looking at the fabric. Thank goodness hand written
charts aren't so common!

Suzanne wrote:
A few people on here have spoken about gridding projects before, but I
was hoping someone could tell me more about it. Do you always grid your
projects? How do you decide whether you should or not? Does it matter
what the stitch count is or fabric type? Just how do you go about it?
I've been looking online but haven't found many places that talk about

it.

--
Brenda
"Sometimes I'd sit and gaze for days through sleepless dreams all alone
and trapped in time." Tommy Shaw



  #7  
Old April 16th 04, 08:41 AM
Xstitchla1
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Default

How do you decide whether you should or not? Does it
matter what the stitch count is or fabric type? Just how do you go


Hello, back from lurking
I grid my large projects but instead of 10x10 I grid 20x20. On smaller
projects I baste in the center lines and if I have thread left over (at the top
or sides) i count over 20 stitches and grid an extra line. I don't usually take
the grid lines out as I stitch over them, but a few times I had to really work
to get the basting thread out. I am switching over to remove basting threads
when the pattern gets up to the basting.

Barbara in LA
  #8  
Old April 16th 04, 11:46 AM
F.James Cripwell
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Xstitchla1 ) writes:

Hello, back from lurking
I grid my large projects but instead of 10x10 I grid 20x20. On smaller
projects I baste in the center lines and if I have thread left over (at the top
or sides) i count over 20 stitches and grid an extra line. I don't usually take
the grid lines out as I stitch over them, but a few times I had to really work
to get the basting thread out. I am switching over to remove basting threads
when the pattern gets up to the basting.

Barbara in LA


I dont grid my work, but I have seen tips over the years, and a
couple of these have not been mentioned yet. It is advisable to grid with
thread that cannot be pierced with your stitching needle; a waxed
quilting thread, or monofilament like Dreema. This pretty well guarantees
you can pull the gridding thread out later.
Another suggestion was to use different colours, and then mark the
appropiate places on the chart with the same colour; e.g. a green line,
a blue line, a red line etc.
--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.
  #9  
Old April 16th 04, 01:08 PM
SGC
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"Suzanne" wrote in message
news:200404152223481575%suzette40@comcastcrossnets titch...
A few people on here have spoken about gridding projects before, but I
was hoping someone could tell me more about it. Do you always grid
your projects?


No, but usually I do.
How do you decide whether you should or not?


2 Factors I consider, and I ask the same question for each one: "Will
gridding make it EASIER for me (in the long run)?"....
* complexity of design, is it easier to keep my place if I grid?
* urgency to finish object, will I be working on other projects in the same
time frame?

Does it
matter what the stitch count is or fabric type?


For me, not really; but I do find that I'm less inclined to grid on 14ct
aida & more inclined to grid on 16ct, 18ct, etc aida and evenweaves and
linens

Just how do you go
about it?


I start in the center of the fabric horizontally & vertically. I thread a
needle w/ a light color of sewing thread that will be 'see-able' on the
fabric, I use a long piece of thread. I leave about half hanging out the
center and use a running stitch (2 'blocks' under, 2 'blocks' over) to grid,
then I go back and pick up the tail and go in the other direction. I've used
10x10 (stitches) grids & 20x20 grids. For Flower Power - Crossed Wings - I
did a 20x20 grid in pale pink and then went back and did a 50x50 overlay in
a darker color. MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GRID MATCHES THE GRID ON YOUR PATTERN
when you start stitching or else you'll go bonker &/or need to re-grid your
pattern w/ a colored pencil. You're design most likely won't be exactly
centered, but I've never had them come out *really* off enough to affect
finish-work (framing, pillow making, etc). Also, you clip the grid threads
out of your way as you go. Don't stitch over them -- please -- I've made
that mistake and sometimes they're sewn into the cross-stitching.

I've been looking online but haven't found many places that
talk about it.
--
Suze


Susan


  #10  
Old April 16th 04, 01:17 PM
Joan Erickson
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Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Like Barbara from LA I do under 20, over 20; that always seemed to be
enough for me. I don't grid aida and do linen only if there are lots of
open areas. My Bull Elk had lots of trees in the background and that
would have been near impossible to count! It's also useful if you are
stitching something with a long verse. BUT

... making the gridding threads line up with the lines marked on
the pattern.

This is very important! I didn't think about that when I did my first
gridding project and it kept messing me up! I finally had to draw new
lines on my chart to correspond with my gridding lines.
Good luck!
--
Joan

See my first-ever design he
http://www.heritageshoppe.com/joan.jpg

"Stitch when you are young and poor, frame when you are old and rich."
- Elizabeth's (rctn'r) sister's MIL (Barbara Marr)

 




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