There are 66,300 stitches in this pattern. If you stitched 100 stitches per day (or one 10 x10 square), it would take you about 6 and a half months to finish it if my math is correct.

That is very hard to say. It depends on a lot of factors.

Are you a quick stitcher? Do you get frustrated? Do you lose your place if you get interrupted? Are you comfortable changing colors frequently? Would you have difficulty with four or five or more flosses that are only slightly different in shading.

My last big project was 140 x 140 stitches. That is 19,600 stitches. It probably took me about five or six months to complete. It was kind of an art deco or abstract view of Jerusalem. I saved a lot of time by combining some areas instead of having many color changes. It called for 100% stitching. I stitched the background in one solid color instead of the shading the pattern suggested. I think that it came out better that way.

The pattern you have chosen is 221 x 300 or 66,300 stitches. That is more than three times what I stitched.

The best thing about this pattern is that it is from Artecy. Their patterns are really nice. It is all full stitches and the symbols are quite clear.

This pattern uses floss to cover 100% of the stitching area. You could save a lot of stitching time by using a dark fabric.

So have I answered your question?

The answer is IT DEPENDS ON YOU.

CORY -- your math is correct. I would have had my answer posted before you but my husband interrupted me and it took a while to get back.

One hundred stitches per day sounds like a good plan. That is probably what I had averaged.

KATYE - Remember to purchase material that is six inches longer in each direction so that you have room to have the project framed.

The pattern is 221 x 300 stitches. Using 14ct aida the stitched area would be 153.7 x 21.4 inches. I always round up. You need to buy a piece of fabric that is 22 x 28 inches.

Think about gridding your fabric. It is tedious but I find that it works for me. There are others who don't like the idea.

Keep in touch and let us know what you decide to do. If you have any questions just post it here. The chatters here are not employees of ECS. We just like to offer opinions and suggestions to other stitchers.

I think I can do 100 stitches per day. If I decide to stitch it on dark fabric should I add the moon and stars. Would it take less time?

I would definitely stitch the moon. Don't know about the stars. That might be difficult because they are only a stitch or two each.

Have you stitched on dark fabric before? If you haven't stitched on dark fabric before this might not be the right project to do it on. I know that I am the one that suggested it. I don't like it but it saves a lot of stitching.

Katy. A while back, stars in the sky was what made me learn how to do the pinhead stitch. There are videos showing you how to do that on you tube. Just search under pinhead stitch. It looks awful, but with very little practice, it becomes fairly easy. That way, when you are doing the stars, you can just do them one after the other, without leaving a mess, and use the same length of floss you started with for the snow for a good while. If you have trouble with it, you can thread it in a sharper needle. I mark each square in the section in the "star places" with an air-erase pen, and do them first. That way you can start them in the square you're working with the pinhead stitch (which will hold) and then end with a second pinhead stitch in an adjacent square, and it will be covered by whatever other colors are around it. One can do the stitch such that the stitch is begun and ended in the same square, but that drives me nuts. It's also really handy when you have a whole bunch of colors in the same area, and having to change floss color every few minutes. I have come to find the air-erase pen one of the most wonderful things ever in cross stitch. I use it to grid sections, and to mark squares of one color in a section. The marks fade such that they have completely disappeared in three days. Another opinion from "just another stitcher who is not an ECS employee."

Thanks for all the advice. I've been staying up late and I have 10 pages done. I think I'll get it done. I'll post a picture when it's completed.

I AM IMPRESSED.

By my calculation 66300 stitches at 100 per day would take 663 days to finish. Where am I going wrong?

If you don't want to stitch the stars how about using tiny star buttons? ;) Or french knots using a pearl floss?