Hello! Your blog is great! I was wondering how it's like stitching on linen? I've tried a few times, but I find it hard to see where to put the needle through and keep lines straight. Thanks!
Oh my! I’m so sorry - I just saw this and I’m not sure how long it’s been sitting in my asks! 😅
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE stitching on linen. Part of it is I’m a very tactile person anyway and linen is soft and flexible compared to the stiff scratchiness of Aida. Because of that, I find that it makes the stitching experience more pleasant for me.
Now, stitching into the correct holes is definitely more of an issue with linen, but you’ll start looking at the fabric and seeing blocks of nine holes for each stitch. It also makes ½ stitches SO MUCH easier. This isn’t to say that you won’t occasionally stitch into the wrong hole, leaving you with a wonky stitch (I did it tonight and thankfully caught it immediately because it looked weird), but it gets a lot easier with practice.
When it comes to moving from one section to another, I try to be *very* careful about my counting - I turn off music, audiobooks, or tv and I try to avoid having conversations with people around me. If I’m counting a good distance, I’ll count it once, mark the spot, and then count again to be sure. I also use the point of my needle to help me keep track of each stitch space I’m counting. For me, at least, moving between two areas on a project is where I’m most apt to make a mistake, so I try to be overly cautious there. I definitely consider it worth it, though, for the pleasure I find in stitching on linen!
I wish you all the best in your stitching and I’m glad you like the blog! 😊