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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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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
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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 |
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#5
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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 |
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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