Gridding- how to do it

[Arianwen]

I know, I know there are a lot of topics about gridding on the forums (I used the search yesterday and spent all evening trawling through the threads ) but I couldnt find an answer to me question.

I've just bought a sewline pencil for gridding and I want to get my head around how to do it properly before I start my big important projects.

Now I know how to grid with thread, having done it sort of before but how do you do it with a pencil? Do you just draw the pencil down the fabric crossing over each of the holes at the required point? or do you take it just to the side of the holes? Do you draw right across the fabric top to bottom, left to right, or do you just make little + signs at each corner of the 10x10 box? Does that make sense?

Is gridding on evenweave more difficult than gridding on Aida? how do you draw the lines on that because you haven't got a 'patch' (for lack of a better word) of fabric to apply the pencil to. (clear as mud anyone?) like Aida has little squares and patches where all the threads combine, evenweave is much finer and doesn't really have that

I tried a little on my little miss muffet project and it seemed to work ok, but that is on Aida, on a small scale. I'm going to continue practising on different types of fabric and different counts but any tips, websites and advice are much appreciated
thanks!

[MaggieM1750]

I draw the full line- top to bottom, left to right. Or as much as I feel is necessary- estimating the extra around the peremiter of my fabric. Starting from the middle of my fabric and counting out from there. I'll mark my counts at various spots, line it up against a straight edge and draw my line. The holes are sort of in the middle of my line- so as to not confuse it with other blocks. My outter most line is the edge of my pattern- not necessarily a count of 10.

If I screw up, or the lines are getting in my way.. I'll wash it out and start over. Or I use a different pen. I have 2 different blues. As to full lines or + at the intersections- its all whatever you would prefer. I do the full line because I think its faster than counting each block of 10. Theres nothing that says which is the "correct" way- like most everything else with this craft, its whatever works best for you.

Over the weekend, I gave up trying to draw a marker line on my evenweave hardanger project. I don't know if its because my marker is dried out, or if its because my fabric is dark but it was difficult to mark the line. I was just having a hard time with it. So I stitched my line instead.

[rcperryls]

I tried to explain but it got confusing so I edited one of my pics and hope that explains it better as to what I do. I usually grid page by page and draw the whole line. I do it in sections by 10 so that the line is actually the first one of a square of 10 x 10 lines. The tricky part is remembering that the blue line is the first not the last of a section, but I started that way and it would be too confusing if all of my projects weren't the same.
So in this section of the grid the blue line corresponds to line 211 on my chart. The line right above it is 210. Same for the verticals. If I make a mistake I wash the line away and redraw it. I tried using thread but I couldn't get my eyes to adjust. Hope this doesn't confuse you. (Gave me a chance to practice with my photo editing program anyway, which I don't use that much)

Carole

[Arianwen]

No I think that helps

So basically, you draw your line right underneath where the 10x10 square ends, so the blue line is under/on the first stitched line of the next box? same for the verticals - your end of grid line is just to the left of the line you have drawn? Have I got that right?

that makes sense and seeing the pic helps - I've been trying to find some online but all I've come up with are grids done with threads

thanks carole and Maggie!

[kimkat_tkl]

When I use my sewline pencil I tend to grid the full lines creating the 10x10 boxes and outer edges working out from the centre both the fabric and chart (so if the centre is three stitches from a grid line I'll count those out and create the line there and the piece is then centred on the fabric). I've found that if I have the fabric on a flat surface and using my other hand to create a bit of tension I can just run the pencil down the row of holes without too much difficulty or it jumping rows too much.

This is how my gridding looks (fabric is 28ct evenweave):

[rcperryls]

[quote="Arianwen"]
So basically, you draw your line right underneath where the 10x10 square ends, so the blue line is under/on the first stitched line of the next box? same for the verticals - your end of grid line is just to the left of the line you have drawn? Have I got that right?

that sounds like how I do it, yes.

Carole

[321]

I use a clover wash out pencil but be sure at the end to wash out in the correct heat some say cold and others 40 degrees.

[jacindal]

I do my gridding with quilters pencil which washers out as it is chalk. I have a pale blue, yellow and pink one. i draw my grid in 10 x 10squares running down the holes in a line and this works well on even weave too I find. I used to grid using a cotton basting stitch but this was time consuming I found to do and also to cut and unpick as the stitches approached these lines. I use warm water and detergent and a toothbrush gently on the areas not cvd by stitching. Gridding with chalk pencil is sooo quick and gives me heaps more stitching time. Pinn, Mermaid Heaven and many other designs.