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cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 20th 17, 07:04 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Violet Stitches
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Posts: 57
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

About a month ago I started this cross stitch:
http://www.123stitch.com/item/Silver...attern/12-1083

It looked simple and quick, but I made so many mistakes on that big snowflake on the right I ended up having to rip it out three times...the third time I ended up ripping the linen so bad I had to THROW THE PROJECT OUT. In over 20 years of stitching that has never happened to me!

This experience gave me pause, and I decided to looking into gridding my fabric (I've never done it before). It was horrible gridding on linen and I thought I was going to go blind. No matter how careful I was I ended up one hole off, and after five hours of this frustration I gave up.

I think I might just grid the snowflake part and not the entire linen when I try this piece again. I honestly wonder if gridding takes more time and effort than ripping out mistakes or starting over.

Do you guys grid? Do you do it on linen? I used the below tutorial for learning how to grid, but do you have any other suggestions to make it easier?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6mWyo4z10&t=1s


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  #2  
Old February 20th 17, 08:59 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
[email protected]
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Posts: 12
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

I never grid. To me it takes too much time from actual stitching. I am more a "relational" stitcher, that is I check to see that my stitches are where they belong - this stitch is 2 spaces to the left of this stitch and 1 space above that stitch. I also find it helpful to enlarge my pattern, especially if it's a complicated one and to highlight the stitches that I have done. I love the Sampler you're doing. In fact I've debated about getting it, but my Stash is growing out of its containers as it is!

Pat in SJ
  #3  
Old February 20th 17, 09:33 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Violet Stitches
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Posts: 57
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 1:59:55 PM UTC-6, wrote:
I never grid. To me it takes too much time from actual stitching. I am more a "relational" stitcher, that is I check to see that my stitches are where they belong - this stitch is 2 spaces to the left of this stitch and 1 space above that stitch. I also find it helpful to enlarge my pattern, especially if it's a complicated one and to highlight the stitches that I have done. I love the Sampler you're doing. In fact I've debated about getting it, but my Stash is growing out of its containers as it is!

Pat in SJ


Thanks for the reply Pat! How do you blow up the charts? Do you scan it in the computer and use some kind of software to get it bigger? My scanner is so ridiculously complicated to use I don't know if I can manage it.

If only there was a way to enlarge the *linen* holes. I'm doing this piece on 32 count and even with magnifiers on it's tough. I've always been a relational stitcher as well, but sometimes I get into trouble when there's a lot of stitches hanging out in open space (like in this piece).

The first time I sewed the snowflake I put in in relation to the word "spring," but I had that word two stitches off. So I ripped it out and resewed it in relation to the words "its," but then had that word one stitch off. The third time I had the snowflake in the right spot, but screwed up the inner design of it.

Anyone who can manage to grid 32 count linen should receive some kind of award, and probably has bionic eyes.




PS Is your stash getting too big? That's never happened to me.
  #4  
Old February 20th 17, 10:19 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
D J
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Posts: 12
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 1:04:52 PM UTC-5, Violet Stitches wrote:
About a month ago I started this cross stitch:
http://www.123stitch.com/item/Silver...attern/12-1083

It looked simple and quick, but I made so many mistakes on that big snowflake on the right I ended up having to rip it out three times...the third time I ended up ripping the linen so bad I had to THROW THE PROJECT OUT. In over 20 years of stitching that has never happened to me!

This experience gave me pause, and I decided to looking into gridding my fabric (I've never done it before). It was horrible gridding on linen and I thought I was going to go blind. No matter how careful I was I ended up one hole off, and after five hours of this frustration I gave up.

I think I might just grid the snowflake part and not the entire linen when I try this piece again. I honestly wonder if gridding takes more time and effort than ripping out mistakes or starting over.

Do you guys grid? Do you do it on linen? I used the below tutorial for learning how to grid, but do you have any other suggestions to make it easier?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6mWyo4z10&t=1s


I tried gridding a couple of times too. I didn't like it.

I enlarge my patterns now. Try going to a copy place like Kinko's or some place that makes business cards. They will most likely have a printer that will be able to enlarge your pattern.

I also tried stitching on 32 count linen a couple of times over ten years ago, when my eyes were a lot younger. I decided that 28 count was fine enough for my stitching to look like a painting from 10 feet away. So that is mostly the count I use everything, including my long time WIP, TW "The Castle".

The sampler that you picked does look beautifully simple and quick. Don't stress so much over your stitching. Someone once told me that when people look at my artwork that the pattern will NOT be around for them to look at. There fore they won't see any mistakes or changes that I've made to the pattern. They just see the beautiful artwork that I have made with my own two hands.

Stash grows out of the bins!!!
Maybe that's why I'm always buying more bins!!! LOL

Dawn
  #5  
Old February 20th 17, 10:34 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Violet Stitches
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Posts: 57
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?


Thanks for the suggestions, Dawn. I'm sure I'll be able to find some business in town that will have a printer on which I can enlarge patterns. Maybe even Staples or someplace like that.

I normally go with 28ct too...after this ordeal I think I'm going to give up 32ct in the future. It's not worth it if stitching is an exercise in frustration. I love the look of projects done on high count fabrics, but my 43 year old eyes are in the throes of middle age changes, and I don't think it's for me anymore.

You bring up something I've been working on for a long time; giving up perfection in my stitching! I've been challenging myself for a few years to leave in some of my errors if they aren't too obvious (this usually entails putting the project down and looking at it with fresh eyes later). The spacing of that snowflake mistake was too obvious to my tastes, but I have to admit, I'm not sure anyone else would have pointed to it and screamed, "error!"
  #6  
Old February 21st 17, 12:10 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
D J
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Posts: 12
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 4:34:15 PM UTC-5, Violet Stitches wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions, Dawn. I'm sure I'll be able to find some business in town that will have a printer on which I can enlarge patterns. Maybe even Staples or someplace like that.

I normally go with 28ct too...after this ordeal I think I'm going to give up 32ct in the future. It's not worth it if stitching is an exercise in frustration. I love the look of projects done on high count fabrics, but my 43 year old eyes are in the throes of middle age changes, and I don't think it's for me anymore.

You bring up something I've been working on for a long time; giving up perfection in my stitching! I've been challenging myself for a few years to leave in some of my errors if they aren't too obvious (this usually entails putting the project down and looking at it with fresh eyes later). The spacing of that snowflake mistake was too obvious to my tastes, but I have to admit, I'm not sure anyone else would have pointed to it and screamed, "error!"


Just because you're off a stitch or two doesn't mean it's an error.
This sampler looks to be quite large, with nice large letters. Maybe that snowflake would look better if it had more room. Maybe you could totally make this piece your own. Enlarge it and frame it in little snowflakes!!!
Relax, look at the picture and let your creativity flow...with the snow. LOL

Dawn
  #7  
Old February 21st 17, 02:38 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Nancy Spera
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Posts: 92
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

On 2/20/2017 1:04 PM, Violet Stitches wrote:
About a month ago I started this cross stitch:
http://www.123stitch.com/item/Silver...attern/12-1083

It looked simple and quick, but I made so many mistakes on that big snowflake on the right I ended up having to rip it out three times...the third time I ended up ripping the linen so bad I had to THROW THE PROJECT OUT. In over 20 years of stitching that has never happened to me!

This experience gave me pause, and I decided to looking into gridding my fabric (I've never done it before). It was horrible gridding on linen and I thought I was going to go blind. No matter how careful I was I ended up one hole off, and after five hours of this frustration I gave up.

I think I might just grid the snowflake part and not the entire linen when I try this piece again. I honestly wonder if gridding takes more time and effort than ripping out mistakes or starting over.

Do you guys grid? Do you do it on linen? I used the below tutorial for learning how to grid, but do you have any other suggestions to make it easier?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6mWyo4z10&t=1s


The only time I gridded my fabric was a "stained glass window" with
How Great Thou Art. It really helped with the half and quarter
stitches. It's the cover piece for my album on rctnp It was only
28 count. Can't imagine doing that on 32. I find at my almost
Medicare age that I'm using my mother's Dazor magnifying lamp more
and more.

So nice to see activity in rctn.

Nancy
  #8  
Old February 21st 17, 03:50 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Violet Stitches
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Posts: 57
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

Thanks Dawn...more creativity and less stress is always a great goal when it come to stitching.
  #9  
Old February 21st 17, 03:58 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Violet Stitches
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Posts: 57
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

Nancy, I saw your piece when I was scrolling through the photos...you did a great job on it!

I sit in my chair with my high intensity halogen lamp blasting light onto my linen, and magnifying glasses *on top* of my regular glasses. (I would like to warn others not to put your magnifying glasses on top of your head with the hot lamp blaring down...I actually set my freaking hair on fire doing that!) I'm so impressed that anyone over 40 can stitch at all. I never anticipated eyesight being such a problem...oh the nativity of youth.

Does anyone here stitch on Aida? I've only used linen for many years, but I wonder now with the eyesight problem if it'd be worth it to take another look at Aida. I've seen some really pretty Aida's online but have never bothered actually buying some and trying it out.

What's your verdict on Aida: cheap and ugly, or a decent fabric for our stitching?
  #10  
Old February 21st 17, 10:17 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Joan Erickson
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Posts: 417
Default cross stitch lovers: to grid or not to grid?

On 2/20/2017 12:04 PM, Violet Stitches wrote:
About a month ago I started this cross stitch:
http://www.123stitch.com/item/Silver...attern/12-1083

snip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6mWyo4z10&t=1s


I don't think I've ever gridded (there's no past tense for grid???
evidently it's not a verb even though we use it as one all the time
here!) aida cloth, since it's pretty easy to count.

I have gridded linen (28 & 32 ct), though, a number of times. That
video, to me, seems a bit cumbersome way to do it. Find the center of
your fabric vertically and horizontally by folding it in half and start
there, gridding outwards in blocks of ten. Check your pattern, too, to
see if your center lines are on a dark line or somewhere in the center
of a block...it might be easier to follow if you put your grid lines so
they match the dark lines of your pattern (ask me how I came up with
that trick! LOL).

If you want to see an example, check out our Firehouse angel project, an
rctn group effort after 9/11:
http://firehouse.heritageshoppe.com/historyA.html

I did not grid that, but it shows a good example of what my gridded
fabric looks like.

The design dictates to me whether or not to grid. If it's pretty full,
then I don't. If it's got a lot of open spaces (like yours), I would.
For me, it's definitely worth the time to grid, rather than having to
pull stitches out (multiple times) later.

One thing with linen, is if you hold the needle right up to the fabric,
you can see it shining through so you can tell if you're going straight
or not. As you've found, good lighting is a necessity.

HTH and good luck! As ever, if you have any more questions, we're happy
to try answering them.

--
Joan

See my pictures he http://ndjoan.shutterfly.com/pictures

If worries can cure your sickness, prolong your life, or replace
happiness, then go ahead and worry! If they can't, why worry?

Enjoy every moment of your life...there is no second chance.

Unknown
 




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