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Can anyone chime in with their opinion on pre-gridded fabrics. Is DMC the only company that makes them? I just looked on their site and the 14ct and 18ct fabrics had a thin line for the grid but the 25ct fabric looked in the picture like it had a fatter line. I wonder why the higher count has a fatter line? Maybe it's just how it's coming across in the photograph. That's why I humbly ask everyone's opinion before I buy any.

I've been searching for this too and I've only seen DMC brand. I haven't noticed a difference in the lines on my computer, maybe it's just the photos you're seeing.

One thing I have noticed is that the 25 ct. grids are 20 sts wide and the others like 14, 16, 18 ct. have 10 st grids.

I noticed the same thing. And the grid does look thicker to me for the 25 ct. I am going to work on my own gridding. If I do a little bit at a time it seems to work well. And as I get used to doing it, it gets easier.

Carole

I gridded (is that a word, lol) my first time last week. I was very careful and methodical and still managed to mess it up.

That washable ink pen wasn't cheap and it doesn't seem like it'll last very long. I'd like to buy the magic guide for when I need white/ecru and save the pen for other colors.

I got the ink pen at Walmart and I think it was only a few dollars. and i tested it and it does wash out. I had to practice quite a bit, but I am doing the grids little by little rather than the whole fabric at one time. I also saw the pen at an A C Moore store, but not at Michaels. I don't remember the brand, but it was the same one that I got.

Carole

the grid lines on the 25ct fabric cover 2 rows which could be why they appear to be wide in the pictures. I'm using it and have no problems with the fact the grid is 20 x 20 rather than 10 x 10.

I'm using 18ct magic guide aida for my Starry Night WT, as the colours are dark enough that the red line will not show through (as I hate washing my work - afraid after months of stitching it will unravel or comething stupid!!). I doubt I would use it again - in order for the lines to be disappear it has to be washed at 40C so if I was stitching something with lighter colours it definitely wouldn't be an option for me! Also (and this reallly doesn't matter, just my opinion!) the quality of the fabric doesn't compare to Zweigart, its stiffer and not as soft. For my other projects (HAEDs) I have gridded the fabric with sulky sliver metallic thread which you can stitch over and then pull out when the project is complete.

That said, a lot of people swear by magic guida aida and use it for all their projects!

Well thanks everyone for all that information. I think I will hold off on getting any for now. I have the blue washable quilting pen and I am using that to "grid as I go" in my 25ct (don't know what company) evenweave and I might also pick up that new red "gridding thread" that nordic needle sells. Thanks again.

When I thread grid, I use fishing line that I got from my dad
Shows up on any fabric, you cant stitch through it, easy to pull out when done, cheaper, and available everywhere

I do have my eye on the heat erasable markers at Nordic Needle though. You use a hair dryer to erase the lines. I wish they sold a light colored pen as a single not just in the full set for marking dark fabrics. I'd try it for $3 but don't want to buy the whole set for $30.

didn't know there was anything besides the light blue gridding pens. This is all new to me. the heat erasable sound nice but I agree a whole set for $30 when I don't know if I would like it doesn't make any sense. right now, my stitching is covering the grid so I don't even need to think about washing anything except the "outside" lines and they should be easy to wash out. I think I will stick with this for now. But I keep my eye on this thread for new ideas. Fishing line (of which there is a lot in my garage) is an interesting idea I might test out.

Carole

MaggieM1750 wrote:I'd try it for $3 but don't want to buy the whole set for $30.

Here http://www.nordicneedle.com/prod/E27-00-00/6641C.html they sell them individually for $3.99.

Those sound interesting. I checked on my HAED QS Cats to see if the gridding from the washable pen would actually wash out. I got concerned after doing a few days worth of stitching because you could see the grid lines under the threads, as they are very pale in color. Washed out perfect so I was pleased. I had to regrid which wasn't too bad since this is a small pattern. Gave me a chance to do a few more black squares on my LOTR project while this one dried. the heat erasable (and an eraser on the pen) sounds promising though, especially since I make mistakes gridding. Has anyone used it yet? or just thinking about it?

Carole

need to find a uk stockist cos the shipping for that on is stupid!

I have done a couple of pieces on pre-gridded aida 14ct and have not had a problem. It doesn't seem to be very popular with a lot of stitchers I know but I haven't had a problem with the lines washing out at all and both pieces left some areas unstitched. What it does do is allow you to stitch without all the gridding and it is great for keeping count. I would say try a small piece first. Be good to know anyone else's experience with it. Maybe I have just been lucky.

i'm using the 25ct (which appears to be rare) at the moment and had no problems with my test pieces that i washed. Doesn't seem to be that many positive comments about it so its nice to hear from someone who's had no problems with it cos i do stress about the grid coming out on my current project.

I grid one page of chart at a time with a coloured cotton leave the needle in it then i can carry on to the next section

In regard to the heat removable ink, I haven't tried it and it may be perfectly fine, but there is something to keep in mind I learned at a quilting show. In the quilting world, we're kind of obsessed with preserving our work for future generations and I was watching a demonstration of a heat "removable" ink for marking quilting patterns and someone asked, "Where does it go?" The person doing the demo said she didn't know. That got me to thinking that whatever the ink is, it is still probably there lurking in the fibers and may show up or discolor over time or something. I may just be paranoid, but I passed on it.

destructiveernie wrote:need to find a uk stockist cos the shipping for that on is stupid!

I found mine on ebay.

Or there's this site http://www.sewingworld.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss ... TB=A&SHOP=" target="_blank

I've yet to have the marks not wash out. In fact the whole grid for my current project was washed away when Easy Jet apparently made my suitcase swim from the UK to Germany No idea what happened but my suitcase and everything in it were soaked. Thankfully my charts were all in a folder so didn't get destroyed.

That is awful. I guess they didn't have any explanation? Was everything else ruined? I can't even imagine how something like that can happen. Even if they left it out in the rain. Thank goodness the charts were saved. I think it is probably easier to replace clothes than charts.

Carole

Everything in the case was fine apart from being soaking wet. Thankfully I'd carried my laptop on as hand luggage and my DS and games were all in my laptop bag so it was literally just clothes and my cross stitch in the suitcase. No explanation and I waited AGES for my case to arrive. I'm guessing it fell into a puddle and got missed or something.