When I stitch HAEDs - which stands for Heaven And Earth Designs, I have found I really like having the fabric gridded. It's so helpful to be able to be very accurate. Plus, on something like SK Courage, I was able to jump around to wherever I wanted to go if I got bored with the masses of 817. Lots of people will use something called Magic Guide which comes in 18 count aida or in 25 count lugana. Or they will grid it themselves with some sort of water or air soluble pen or pencil. I, however, do not trust the pen/pencil to wash out. I've seen where there have been lines left and it's not a pretty thing. Plus, after going to all the trouble of a HAED, I would be devastated to not have it wash out. HAEDs are incredibly detailed charts that usually use 50 - 100 different colors and are large works of art. I've heard of people working on full size HAEDs for 2 or more years. So after all that work and toil, if it didn't wash out . . . well it's just not something I want to face. What does that leave?
Other people will grid their fabric, not with pen, but a physical grid. Many people will use sewing thread or floss. Unfortunately, this can split and then not pull out nicely when the stitching is done. Then you need teeny tiny tweezers and it sounds like a pain in the butt. However, there is a solution. There is a DMC product, which is a red nylon line which won't split and is reusable. However, it's a tad expensive. So, what's a cheap alternative?
Fishing line.
Yes, I said fishing line. I take it, thread a needle, and then weave it in/out every 10 stitches for the horizontal lines so it's fully gridded. I only do the horizontal lines as that way it's not so stiff and it's easy to tell where the vertical lines are.
I am not sure how much I will be charging, but it will of course, be determined whether or not I am providing the fabric. But I am thinking $25 or $50 (or possibly more) depending on the size of the fabric to be gridded. That's not too much to ask for an accuratly gridded piece of fabric which won't possibly have lines. And yes, I have found that you can use a hoop/frame/etc, as I retroactively gridded a White Willow Stitching piece called Legend I started in 2008 and had put down.
This is an example of a piece of gridded fabric. I used tangerene fishing line. This specific piece of fabric is not for sale, as it will be used in my upcoming HAED QS rose Fairy (in memory of my granny).
This is a closeup of the gridding.
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