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.

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
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

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)

From: Suzanne snetstitch

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? ........

If I am working on something that is fairly large and has a lot of open
areas, then I will grid the fabric. I have only felt it necessary several
times.
When I grid I use regular sewing thread in a color that is way different
from the needlework fabric. I start at the center and work my way up and then
down going over 5 threads and under 5 threads. Once I have the center row
done, I start at the edge of the fabric and alternate the over/under with the
previous row.
If I think of it, I will do the center horizontal & vertical grid lines AND
every 5th grid line in a color different than the rest of the grid lines. this
just makes quick counting at a glance easier. It's not really necessary but it
helps to use up any ugly old thread you have laying around :-)))! CiaoMeow
^;;^
..


PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

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

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

S & A wrote:
snip 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.

If the linen is supposed to be stitched over two fabric threads, I would
grid at least the area where you plan to start. If the chart has ten
stitches between major grid lines, you'll have twenty fabric threads
between major grid lines. 1 stitch = 2 fabric threads each direction.

As others have said,
*** Have the gridding match the major grid lines on the chart. ***

I also like to have the bottom legs of the over-two stitches pull
against a longer fabric thread (called "starting next to a vertical
thread"). See item 18 about stitching on linen at our RCTN FAQs:
http://users.rcn.com/kdyer.dnai/faqs/xstitch_tut.html

So after I make my first grid line in one direction, I very carefully
make the second grid line in the other direction so that where they
intersect, I can make a "correct" over-two stitch. This adjustment
moves the second grid line one fabric thread if necessary.

It says something about 1/6 & 2/6 threads?

I don't know what that means.

--
Beth Katz

I don't grid. when I started flower Power, I thought gridding might help. so I
started to do it. I think gridding would have taken me as long as stitiching
it (that is one humongous project). so basically i ended up basting a line up
the fight side of the project and along the bottom edge( I usually start in the
bottom right corner) I had a row fo 20 by 29 grids about a third of the way
across, then gave up on the girdding. I might, on a big project do the right
sinde line and bottom line to make sure I leave enough fabric for framing and
to give me a reference point,but that'sitI usually laeve 4-5 inches of fabric
on each edge anyway so if I am off by a little , it doesn't really matter that
match
and if i miscount in the pattern itself --- can you say "FUDGE IT"?? LOLOL

kathy
san antonio

It says something about 1/6 & 2/6 threads?

I don't know what that means.

maybe that you take 1 thread from the "bundle" of 6 threads
and
that you take 2 threads from the "bundle of 6 threads???

SGC