Beginning from the ground up...

[nintendophile]

Hey guys!

Alright, I am a total, complete, and utter n00b when it comes to cross stitching. I very much want to start it up, but I have one major, major question:
Opinion-wise, what do you feel is the best "Aida Cloth Count / Number of Floss Stands" combination? What have all you users found to give you the best results?

I feel I should mention, that in the finished product I'm looking for, ideally I'd want the "x's" to be as solid as possible. I've seen some beautiful examples in these forums, and in some the "x's" are quite noticeable, and some they're downright invisible, giving a very nice "screen capture" look to the piece. I'm looking for that screen-capture look! ^_^

I know this is basically down to personal preference, which is why I'm asking for the knowledge gained from everyone's own personal experiences.

Thank you in advance to any advice offered.

-(Nintendophile)-

[Stardrifter]

if you want it to look as solid as possible then you should use a small count (18 or higher numbered) and at least 2 strands of thread to cross stitch

18 count with 2 strands of floss works well for me in terms of making things as tight and solid as possible

from a few feet away my trogdor piece looks like i printed it off the computer lol and that's what i did on that one

[nintendophile]

if you want it to look as solid as possible then you should use a small count (18 or higher numbered) and at least 2 strands of thread to cross stitch

18 count with 2 strands of floss works well for me in terms of making things as tight and solid as possible

from a few feet away my trogdor piece looks like i printed it off the computer lol and that's what i did on that one

Thanks! Like I said, I know there's a lot of different options, and I was wondering what one would give me the best "sprite" look. Oh, and Trogdor FTW. (Hopefully he hasn't burninated you yet or anything.)

Anyone else have other suggestions? Other success or failures with different pairings? Or is the 18 Count / 2 Strand rule pretty universal?

[Ellentje]

I like to use 3 strands, but I have no idea what count I'm working on (big bag of leftover fabric from my boyfriends grandmother). Anyway,I guess in a lot of cases 2 strands will work too, but I just really don't want any fabric showing through.

Maybe you could try making a small sprite, like a to test what you like best, before starting on a big project.

[DMLC]

I have always used 2 strands with 14,16,18 and 22.
It really has to do with tension -- and not pulling the threads tight or too loose for that count.
It also helps to make sure all stitches are facing in the right direction because the whole piece will look uniform!!
I have stitched with 3 strands on 14-- I find it looks too bulky. I do recommend if you use a coloured Aida that you use 3 strands because the colour WILL show thru.

All I can say It will just take alot of practice to get your stitches perfect!!

[blackmageheart]

I generally use 3 strands on 14, 16 and 18ct and 2 strands on 22... but I often change that depending on what I'm stitching. I agree with DMLC though, it's all about the tension - as long as it's not too tight or too loose it'll be fine. Also, dunno if anyone else here has had it as a problem but I used to find that if my thread got twisted while stitching it would affect the X's - just a heads up to remember to untwist once in a while

Good luck with your stitching and I hope to see some of your work soon (I'm sure it'll be great!)

[nintendophile]

Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement, guys! I've tried a few sample pieces, and am hitting a few road blocks here and there.

I got a kit that included 14 Count Aida, and tried it with 2 strands. Still saw fabric. Tried it with 3 strands. Still saw fabric. When using 2 and 3 strands, I'm not pulling the stitch too tight, I'm just easing it through with a little bit of tension, so it's not that... So, I tried it with 4 strands, and the stitch was way too bulky, and was crowding the surrounding squares, making it very difficult to make neighboring stitches.

Maybe I'm just being too picky, but it really seems like you guys on here are getting better results with your fabric-coverage than I am.

I also picked up 22 Count Aida, just for kicks, and tried it with 1 thread. Saw fabric. Tried it with 2, and ran into the same problem with the stitches being bulky, making it difficult to make neighboring stitches.

I'll see if I can take some pics, as visual references are always a help. lol. Everyone here is so nice and supportive, thank you all. ^_^

[Servotron]

I nearly always use 18 count with 2 strands of thread. My Zelda Map, my Spider-Man piece and my Sam & Max piece were all stitched on 18 with 2 strands. By the time it is finished you can hardly notice any fabric and when its up on the wall you can't see a thing.

[nintendophile]

I nearly always use 18 count with 2 strands of thread. My Zelda Map, my Spider-Man piece and my Sam & Max piece were all stitched on 18 with 2 strands. By the time it is finished you can hardly notice any fabric and when its up on the wall you can't see a thing.

Thanks Servotron. A lot of the pictures I've been looking at have been yours, and I was wondering what your combination was. I think maybe I'm just being a little too picky, looking a little too closely at the stitching and noticing any tiny little fabric that shows through. -shrugs-

I'm almost finished with a couple examples, and then I'll take some pictures and include them in this post, so you guys and maybe offer some constructive criticism. ^_^

[Stardrifter]

2 strands with 18 count has never been a problem for me with too much fabric showing through but, you could always try 3 strands. i think that would make it.. almost too bulky tho. (hard to explain what i mean). you could also try backstitching around your piece with the same colors as your out lining colors, that would make the x's less noticeable

now, if you're looking at my stuff as examples i work on 14 count with 2 strands of thread which shows a fair bit of fabric through (that's how i like it ;P) but using 18 count with 2 strands makes a remarkable difference because the size difference between 14 count and 18 count is considerable. let me demonstrate:

14 count - 2 strands


18 count - 2 strands