cross-stitch project
By daeckardt
@daeckardt (6237)
United States
February 20, 2011 1:16pm CST
I started a large cross-stitch project when I was in China. I was never able to complete one successfully when I was in America because the canvass was blank and I could never keep track of where I was on the pattern. The ones I bought in China, the shop owner put a grid on the canvass and marked it in the same way that the pattern was marked so I was able to go back and find where I was without having to go and count hundreds of squares.
The first project I finished I took back to the shop where I purchased it and they removed the grid lines and framed it for me. It looked really great! I hope that my niece is either able to sell it or send it to me so that I can enjoy it.
My question is: Do they do that in America and I just purchased my kits in the wrong places? I know they never did anything special at Wal-Mart or any places like that and I never purchased a kit from a craft store. If they do put the grid lines on, are they able to remove them as well or will I have to go back to China to get that done? Thanks.
3 people like this
4 responses
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
14 Apr 11
Do you have a pattern you are wanting to work on? There are several programs out that will help you with the grid on your pattern.
also, if you are looking for some cross stitch projects that will aid you to keep your place, there are ones that do not require you to have to be so articulate to keep concentration on.
they go in 10 across 10 down and you stay within the 100 squares.
there are many types of cloth to use,
Aida cloth that will have an grid like look to it as you work on it comes in 14, 16, 18ct.
Then 22 and some 28 ct is in Evenweave.
then there is a 25 count evenweave.
Evenweave is similar to aida cloth only much smaller.
If you work on 28ct you can do it over two threads and it would turn out the same as a 14ct stitch anyway.
25ct, 32, and up to 40ct which are very small and usually done 1 thread over 1 stitch.
These are usually in linen with the exception of 25ct.
Add me as a friend if you want and I am more than willing to aid you as I love cross stitch too and very willing to help someone with this beautiful craft.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
14 Apr 11
I haven't worked on my project since I got this computer except one time when the internet was down. I have trouble understanding some of what you are talking about. I'm not sure my original post was really clear either. In China, they actually drew the 10 x 10 grids on the cloth so that if you followed the pattern, you could always find your place. The pattern I'm working on right now took up 6 panels and the instructions were included for three sizes of material. There was definitely enough thread to do the size that was included. My question was whether once the project was completed, is there someone that could remove the gridlines they put on the material or if I would have to return to China for that to be accomplished. At the rate I'm going right now, I will never finish the project anyway. It will be harder now that I am in chemo anyway. Talk to you later.
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
26 Feb 11
I cross stitch a lot and have never heard if anything like that except for the stamped cross stitch which has the pattern already printed on it. Which you can still buy at crafting stores and sites. There is such a thing as waste canvass which you can use to cross stitch on fabrics with no grid like t-shirts and such. You remove the waste canvass grid when you are finished with the project. Don't give up on Cross stitching. It's a wonderful craft.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
26 Feb 11
Thanks for the response. I don't work on my project like I did when I was in China. I am on the computer most of the time because there is no one else around to use it. I guess I just got spoiled when I was in China by them putting the grid onto the canvas before I took the kit home (just the squares, not the pattern) so I could find where I was. They also took it off when my first project was finished. I hope I can find a way to remove the grid when (if?) I finish my current project.
@GardenGerty (160933)
• United States
20 Feb 11
You can get stamped cross stitch patterns, or at least you used to. The pattern does come out when the finished piece was washed or dry cleaned. I have not looked for one in years. I cannot do the "counted cross stitch". You could, in fact, buy patterns and iron them on to your choice of fabric.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
20 Feb 11
I guess that I got spoiled when I was in China. I don't mind following the pattern they provide. My problem is finding where I need to be on the fabric. I have completed one project where they put the grid on it and I just had to find the right square. If I lost my place, I just find the square on the pattern and the square on the fabric and pick up where I left off. I remember doing the stamped patterns when I was younger and I couldn't finish those either. The first one I got in China, after she put the grid on the fabric, she showed me how to do it on the first color. She didn't start in the right place, but I was able to get the job done fairly quickly once I realized that it was just a couple of holes off from the pattern. Thanks for the response.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
20 Feb 11
Here you can buy kits that are premarked; but, I have never found any place that will put a "grid" on them for me. What I do is use colored pencils and lightly mark a section of the pattern. Once I have finished that section I mark another section. I have found this helps me follow the pattern and the colored pencil will easily come out (but, if you use a color that is close to the thread color you don't even need to bother).
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
20 Feb 11
I guess that is just something they do in China. But there, the kits have directions for three different sizes of fabric so there is always extra thread which is nice. You almost never run out even if you mess up. I don't know if I will be able to finish another project now that I am back in the states and not able to get that set up for me. I have a lot of trouble with coordinating things like that. Thanks for the suggestion. I will keep it in mind should I start another kit here.
