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WHAT IS GRIDDING?
 I
stumbled upon this idea when I was teaching art many years ago. Gridding is
really a method in art for coping or enlarging a picture. I adapted it to
stitching and it works great.
This method marks every 10th grid line (bold lines on my charts) onto the
fabric both across and up and down. Although this takes some extra time you
will find that by doing it you don't miscount as often and if you
do, you will catch the mistake quicker. If you are a stitcher that likes to
skip around and stitch in different areas of the design that are far apart,
then gridding will definitely help you not to make a counting mistake. Gridding
works well with all designs but is necessary for large and complicated
design. I guarantee your work will be easier and faster.
There
are 2 methods for applying your grid. One uses a waters erasable pen
(click
here)
and the second is hand basting. It is a good idea
to test the marker on a small piece of your fabric; then clean it with a
clear cold-water rinse to see if the mark is totally washed away. If
you do sew a grid, use a thread color that is not in your pattern. Baste
every tenth line both vertically and horizontally.
Check you pattern to determine the designs finished width and height. Add 6
inches to both measurements to get you cloth size.
 Measure 3 inches from the top edge down and 3 inches from the
left side of the fabric. Where these two measurements meet is the starting
point for your grid. Check you pattern to determine the number of stitches
by width and height. Count carefully the number of the squares to its right
(width) and down (height), and mark at every 10th square. Work on until you
reach the number of total squares (by height and width). Now you have a
dotted top line and left horizontal forming two sides of you grid. From the
last dot on the top right carefully draw a straight
line to the bottom of your fabric; follow one fabric thread as you do
this. From the last dot on the bottom of the left horizontal line carefully
draw a line to the right side of your fabric stopping where it meets your
left vertical line. Now
you have a 10 X 10 stitch grid with the same number of blocks as in the
pattern.
Now
carefully draw in every tenth line you marked on the top horizontal and left
vertical line. Mark every 10th line in your grid to match every
10th line of your pattern. Dark lines indicate your grid lines.
Each
square on you fabric will match a square on your pattern--one for one. This
will only change when you are stitching over 2 squares on a 28 count fabric.
The match will then be one pattern block to every two fabric squares. Check
your fabric and grid lines frequently matching your stitching to the pattern
diagram. If you get off line you will catch it very quickly.
When stitching don’t complete your pattern box by box.
I
personally complete the pattern by colors and sections.
An
explanation of gridding is included with each of my patterns.
Happy
stitching,
Pat
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