Where to start a big project?

[french cat]

Well, I start at the bottom left, just like Moonchild, but I've never done a big project, so if ever I do (when time allows) I could find that doesn't work. Even on small projects I only fold in half and fold again to find the middle but I do use a thread line vertical and horizontally, just to get the centre cross. I generally pull it out as I go along before it disappears under the floss.

[tragedyackt]

If you use a water-soluable fabric pen (made specifically for this purpose), the lines come out 100%. I grid all of my projects with my blue pen and after washing, it's totally gone.

Interesting. If I ever find myself tempted to start in a corner of a project I will have to look into that. I doubt I would draw all the 10X10 squares but I occasionally DO wish I could put a little dash here or there as a guideline particularly when I'm centering words or something, and having a safe way to do it would be nice.

[CheyennePony]

For large designs such as HAEDs I start at the top left hand of the chart, but for everything else I start in the middle. I would be terrified of starting a HAED in the middle, think it would make things much worse if I made a miscount somehow. Starting in the top left of large charts just seems natural, like reading. Plus I use a hand held frame and am right handed so it means I'm moving away from what I've already stiched, if that makes sense.

I have just stared gridding using a fabric pencil that washes out, and on 25ct fabric it dosn't even shoe through the stitches before it's washed. I would be so worried if I used just floss to grid. What if it didn't pull out? I've heard people mention using fishing line or Sulkey metallics for gridding which sould a little better ans they are shiney and must pull out better but seems it would take much longer to sew in grids than draw them on. If I'm working a big chart I just double chack that I have cut the fabric with a 3 inch boarder and then measure in 3in from the top and 3in from the side and start where they meet.

[grzezoch]

On site (language is polish but look on the pictures) http://www.cohenna.yoyo.pl/188.htm You can see "mixed mode" method. Starting from left top side but first: griding fabric using a water-soluable fabric pen. Lines separate 10x10 areas and pages of pattern.
On photos 3 and 4 one colour is dotted on fabric to simplyfying stitching. This pattern have ca. 90 colurs.

[XandraS]

I tried to grid with a fishingline for 'The Wedding' but the fishing lines I found here were too thick so it didn't go too well. Instead I gridded with normal sewing thread. I'm careful not to pierce the thread and I remove it as I go along as once I've put a few stitches in an area I really don't need a grid anymore.
Next time I do a stash order though I'm splashing out on a fabric pen