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Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement. It gives me hope as I start to stitch again.

I remember lurking here years ago and I remember everybody as so sweet.

I took my list of floss colors that I needed to Hobby Lobby this morning. My LNS, if it is even still there, is across town, town in being another suburb of Atlanta. I'm in Lawrenceville, the shop is/was in Marietta. Anyway, I had wrote down one of my colors wrong. Luckily, when I got home I find out that I had it all along! Need to get some stronger reading glasses. (I'm 43.)

While at Hobby Lobby, I saw this Monaco fabric. It is 100% cotton. I think I would like to get that and use that for my Goose Woman piece, instead of the Aida. And yes, I did see the Aida there.

When I started stitching, when I was 16, (WOW! the years fly by!) I started on Aida, and then was introduced to linen, bought that how-to-stitch-on-linen book for a tidy sum of money, swore a lot on that first piece of linen, but when I was done with it, I was hooked on linen. Love the stuff.

Even though the model in the book for the Goose woman is stitched on Aida, I'm not so sure. I've gotten to where I like the smooth fabric.

More questions: Has anybody ever stitched on Monaco? I guess I would stitch on it like I would linen, over 2 threads, for the most part.

And while I was at Hobby Lobby, I saw 28 count Aida! Wow! I remember hardanger fabric, which I didn't see at Hobby Lobby. Is the Aida 28 the old hardanger? I thought hardanger was 22 count. I was tempted to get that Aida 28 piece. Do you stitch over one thread or 2? Which would make it 14 stitch count.

So has anybody used Monaco and Aida 28 fabrics?

I got to go figure out a piece of linen for my Bird Tree from the Goode Huswife piece. I can't tell what the color of linen based on the picture, you never could, the photos were always tricky with the color and I can't tell the color based on the color name. I'm just going to go through all my stash and find a piece I like based on the colors of my floss. And the colors of my floss are gorgeous and then some.

Sorry this is so long. I'm kind of nervous right now, so I guess that's why I'm so chatty.

Sandi in Lawrenceville, GA

Reply to
SMark
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Hi Sandi - enjoy your stitching! I've never seen 28 count Aida but I don't have a Hobby Lobby either. The highest I've seen is 18 count which I like to use for solidly stitched pieces.

I don't see any reason why you couldn't substitute linen or other evenweave fabric for the Aida in any piece.

I haven't stitched on Monaco (that's CharlesCraft, right?) My favorite evenweaves are Quaker and Jubilee, both are part cotton and very easy to see the threads.

Best of luck!

Alis>Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement. It gives me hope as

Reply to
Alison

I have bought Monaco in 1-2 yard amounts. I tried it, and really liked it. It hs a body to it. The extras I have sold on auction, keeping back suffient for my stash.

Yup, I go back to 22ct. IT was called Hardanger, but one stitched one over one on it. This was back in 1974??? I still have a completed piece I stitched on it.

Gillian,aka the ancient!

Alis> Hi Sandi - enjoy your stitching! I've never seen 28 count Aida but I

Reply to
Gill Murray

Hi, Sandi!

I've stitched on Monaco alot & I love it. The fabric is thick, soft & has a body to it, but it is never stiff & scratchy. I often dye it for specific projects & it takes a dye bath beautifully. After wetting, the properties are even better!

Sorry - I don't know anything about the aida question. I guess I've only noticed 18 count aida as the smallest in my Hobby Lobby. I only stitch on it as necessary in round robins.

As far as Hardanger fabric, I'll stitch on anything 22 count or smaller that's not aida! If it count's & cuts, I'm there!

You really ought to check out Lakeside Linens, Silkweaver, Enchanted Fabrics, Sugar Maple & Wichelt sites. There are so many hand dyed fabrics available & many are specifically dyed to look like reproductions of the original antique fabrics.

Welcome back to stitching!

Hugs n' Stitches - RoseAnn

Reply to
roseannl

Pretty well any Aida or linen you could wish for is available online in the UK at And before anyone asks - no, it isn't my website! Just a good shop with lots of good stuff therein.

Reply to
Bruce

I've seen the 28 count aida but it has been labeled underneath "Irish Linen" and you'd stitch over two to get the equivalent to 14 ct. aida.

Reply to
ravenlynne

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