Mabel's Hardanger

[Mabel Figworthy]

Good idea!

[Rose]

It is a gorgeous piece!!!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'm working on a square on 28ct at the moment, slowly gathering courage to do the miniature stuff . I found a few more "intermediate" count fabrics, so I'll be doing little squares on 32ct, 36ct, 40ct, and then the big step to 55ct because I have nothing in between.

Here are a few Kloster blocks on 36ct, to try out different threads. Intuitively I would have said pearl #12 for the blocks on this count, but I find they look a bit thin

Anyway, from left to right, this is Caron Wildflowers, Caron Impressions, DMC perle #12, DMC perle #8. What do you all think works best? (you can click on it for a larger view)

[Cecilia]

Your work is inspiring as always.

[helbel]

The third one does look thin, I prefer the coverage on the 4th example.

[Serinde]

Perle 12 is too thin for this count, but the others work well. What's the Impressions like to work with?

[Mabel Figworthy]

What's the Impressions like to work with?

Lovely! I've used it for several Madonnas and it's a dream to work with, and lovely and smooth to the touch. I think for Kloster blocks it may be a little matt though.

[Serinde]

I'm thinking of trying some out with the NS Masterclass designs, you see.

[Vani]

I think that the Caron Wildflowers is ok, the Caron Impressions gives moderate coverage, the DMC perle # 12 is not that great, and the DMc perle #8 gives the most coverage. So based on that I would suggest that if you want great coverage in that you don't want to see any fabric I would go with the DMC perle #8, but I feel it takes away from your stitching a little because it has so much floss that it just looks like a block section of floss. If you want coverage but be able to appreciate the beauty of your stitches I would suggest Caron Impressions or Caron Wildflowers.

[stitchingmae]

I like the coverage the best on the 4th one...and just incase my second choice would be the first one.


if that makes sense LOL I feel like I made a riddle

[Nachstenliebe]

I think they all look great, but agree the 3rd one doesn't have great coverage...
Faith

[kell]

I like #4 best for both coverage and colour.

[Rose]

I prefer #4 as the best for coverage and then #2. THe 3rd it way to small for nay good ceverage.

[Mabel Figworthy]

All right, all right, I'm obsessive and need to make lists or sets of everything -- so now I've come up with something to compare coverage and detail using various combinations of fabric and threads.

By the way, remember that red-on-gold-fleck which had such terrible coverage? The fabric was parrt of a present so I didn't know exactly what it was, but I assumed it was gold-fleck Bellana because the count looked about right and I hadn't heard of other gold-fleck fabrics except 28ct which this certainly wasn't. But to be sure I measured it this morning and it's actually 18ct, so that explains it!

Anyway, I drew a sort of basic little Hardanger square:



which I will go and stitch on lots of different counts of fabric (CWC = Caron Watercolours; CWF = Caron Wildflowers; CI = Caron Impressions; CWL = Caron Waterlilies):

20ct brick red Bellana; CWC / CWF 240 Stucco
20ct light grey Bellana; #5 / #8 white
22ct antique white Hardanger; CWC / CWF
22ct antique white Hardanger; #5 / #8
22ct cream Fein Ariosa; CWC / CWF
22ct cream Fein Ariosa; #5 / #8
25ct white Lugana; CWC / CWF
25ct white Lugana; #5 / #8
28ct opalescent white Lugana; CWC / CWF
28ct bone Jobelan; #8 / #12
32ct antique white cotton/modal evenweave; #8 / #12
36ct antique white linen; CWF / 1 str. CWL
36ct antique white cotton/modal evenweave; CI / 1 str. CWL
36ct antique white cotton/modal evenweave; #8 / #12
40ct ecru linen; #12 / 1 str. CWL
40ct ecru linen; #12 / 1 str. cotton
40ct ecru linen; 1 str. Splendor silk / 1 str. Eterna silk
55ct cream linen; 1 str. Eterna silk / Pipers silk

And here's the first one I did:

[Nachstenliebe]

Your list looks very extensive! When you do hardanger, it doesn't have to be on hardanger fabric? Or am I misunderstanding in my pre-coffee state?
Faith

[Mabel Figworthy]

no, your pre-coffee state is clarity itself -- the technique "Hardanger" can be done on any evenweave fabric, provided your threads match it. I read that originally, it used to be done on very fine linen (40-60ct) using linen threads -- and all of it spun and woven by the women themselves before even getting down to stitching ! So Hardanger fabric, though commonly used and very good for it, is in fact only one of many fabrics that can be used. (For example, the piece I'm doing on 28ct opalescent Lugana at the moment is turning out really nice, quite fine but still easy to see and with that added sparkle of the fabric.)

[Serinde]

Crickey, Mabel! OCD isn't in it! But that's the beauty of the forum: you do these things, so we don't have to.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I've identified one problem already -- cutting a piece of 28ct, I just know I'm going to get into trouble cutting 36ct and onwards; my scissors are just not finely pointed enough ! Any ideas?

[Zeb]

Mabel I am in AWE of your skill.

I've tried to give hardanger a go once, but the thought of CUTTING fabric scared me silly!

[mig-3]

I've identified one problem already -- cutting a piece of 28ct, I just know I'm going to get into trouble cutting 36ct and onwards; my scissors are just not finely pointed enough ! Any ideas?

What scissors are you using? Have you checked out Dovo brand? They have the sharpest point I've found and very fine blades. I have two pair of Dovos and truly love them. http://www.thesilverneedle.net/scissors ... 7e3505a732" target="_blank Scroll down to the fourth item. I need to go look at those for you. I haven't looked at the Silver Needle's scissors for a while. Got to stay up on these things.