Hello friends! I'd like to try some of the wonderful Avlea designs on colored embroidery fabrics, and can't find 26-count ones. Can I use 28- or 30-count fabrics instead of the 26- suggested in the kit? And if not, what rule of thumb should I use for the conversion? And what is the count of Avlea's ground cloth? Thank you for your help!
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Thanks!
I'd recommend the Greek linen--it's really lovely for the Blue Larkspur design. That's a great choice for your first Avlea design--it's a beautiful example of the type of stylized flowers and borders found in many folk embroideries.
Krista, you have SO many beautiful choices that I just cannot decide which one should be my first kit! I was thinking of doing Blue Larkspur (I am not a beginner) and wondered what the difference was between Greek linen and Mikini? Decisions, decisions.
That's great to know. I always stitch with 2 strands on 26ct because I like the way there's a bit of space and better stitch definition. But I'm always really curious about how it used to be done so this is great to know!
In the "old days" --1970's-- a lot of stitching on 26 count material was done with 3 strands maybe for better coverage. It also made the design more "dimensional". Today I don't see this.
I thin it is, or very close to my mother's large piece that I finished over many years! Thank you for your information.
I can't totally tell from your photo, but it looks a lot like the Mikini 26ct. The Mikini 26 ct--it's almost like the threads look like little ropes. It has a smoother finish and more drape than the Traditional Groundcloth, but it is the exact same stitch count (26ct) and can be substituted easily. If you look at the new Cycladean Scroll design closeup photos, you can see the fabric really clearly. It's a joy to work on and I'm loving the wools with it, but DMC floss also looks great on it so you can use either (in Greece, they would use the DMC). I'm not sure how the wools will do for designs with outlining, but that's up next for me to experiment :)
I think this Mikini 26 ct could be what I have been looking for unsuccessfully for more years, since I finished my mother's embroidery. (See image). I'd like to. use it with DMC thread, though. Do you think it will work? And can it be substituted for 26 ct ground cloth? Thanks, again, Krista.
Yes it is! It's the new 26ct Mikini, which I just got in a few months ago (not to be confused with the 30ct Mikini that I've stocked from the beginning). Appleton's Wools contacted me a bit ago about using their crewel wools for cross stitch designs and I loved the idea, so I'm currently working on a design that should release soon. I'll also be stocking the Appleton's Wools so you can substitute it for DMC. So far, I'm finding that the crewel wools work better on the "larger" cross stitch fabrics (like the 26ct instead of the 30ct) because there's a little more room for the wool to breathe :)
Krista, I have yet another question--about Mikini fabric, this time. The FB page yesterday had a post on crewel wool, with a beautiful embroidered fabric of geometric design. Is that the Makini fabric? Thank you for your time.
The traditional ground cloth is 26ct, so it will work up just a bit larger than a 28 or 30ct, so you're fine to substitute a higher count fabric. 30ct fabric works up 13% smaller than the 26ct Avlea fabrics.
The Mikini fabric is mercerized, which means it will take a dye very well in case you want to try your hand at dyeing it with Dylon or Rit dye.