Gettysburg Address fabric suggestion
What fabric would you suggest for this?
Posted by: judyamos82165 on 06/22/15
Hello,

This pattern calls for a 32ct. Lambswool Linen. I have added this to the supply list on the website. Thank you :)

~Kristi @ ECS
by: Kristi @ ECS on 06/22/15
I have this pattern because I am a Civil War "junkie". I plan on doing mine on 16ct. Aida over 1 thread with 3 strands of floss so it stands out. Enjoy your project.
by: syagel on 06/22/15
My son teaches high school social studies (U.s. History included) and I know he'd love this. He is a Civil War reenactor, so, of course, he too is a CW junkie. BUT, I am wondering about the Aida cloth !!! I am also concerned about the size. Will the writing be clear enough over 1 thread with 3 strands of floss? Lots of questions, I know.
by: judyamos82165 on 06/22/15
So,syagel...would you use the Lambswool aida or something else? I am thinking on using 16 count aida in the color Touch of Gray.

Anyone else? I just thought that the gray might be better coordinated with all the red and blue. Definitely not white aida. I, too, am a Civil War buff. Amazing conflict that could have truly ripped this country in half for a very long time. Too many dead and wounded.

My great uncle marched in an Ohio infantry unit (he was their bugler) from Ohio to Tennessee and fought my DH's family there (they were rebs). Then they marched/walked and fought across part of Georgia with Sherman's "march to the sea". He did not get to see the Atlantic at Savannah, though. He was wounded in the neck and taken to that infamous horrid POW camp at Andersonville. So many died of their wounds/starvatation/typhus/dehydration, etc. When the war ended in 1865 (he was a POW for nover 2 years), he walked home to Ohio, begging or hiding. His NINE brothers, including my grandpa,.all played musical instruments. I actually found the civil war re-enactor who plays my great uncle for their "battles". He had hoped that I had the bugle, but it was gone at Andersonville or on the way there..TMI, all!
by: Su Pitt on 06/23/15
Su Pitt I too am going to use a light shade of grey 16ct. Aida for my stitching. I am going to try 3 strands of floss on a practice piece to see if it will be all right or if I need to drop down to 2 strands. My son is a Confederate Re-enactor with the Kentucky Orphan Brigade. I got to see my son re-enact at the 145th Gettysburg. It was fantastic. There were 16,000 Confederate and 9,000 Union re-enactors plus 35 cannons. There was even a Union unit that came over from England to be in the re-enactment. It was very interesting talking to them. I have been to several other smaller re-enactments. I have so many books on the Civil War and I am always learning more all the time. My favorite soldier is Confederate General Lewis Armistead who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. I have found that the more interesting people are from the Confederate side.
by: syagel on 06/23/15
I am just wondering about the aida choice at all. It seems rather stiff and rough. I have been advised in the past that aida is a fabric not preferred by most professional stitchers (shop owners, teachers, classes on stitching, etc.). What is your experience/feeling with aida?
by: judyamos82165 on 06/23/15
I have only used Aida cloth and have no issues with it. I use a large scroll frame so the stiffness doesn't bother me. Using a hoop or nothing at all might be different. If you find it stiff, it can be laundered before stitching. Also, different brands will have a different feel.

Most of my projects have been stitched solid with no fabric showing. For this, it is merely your choice of what is easier for you to work on. If the fabric shows, many people prefer to use linen or other fabrics for a particular look to accent the project.

Experiment and use what YOU like best. It is your project, just have fun!
by: Bruce STL on 06/23/15
I wash all my Aida fabric in my washing machine and add fabric softener before I use it for a project. I hang it to air dry on plastic pants hangers. Makes it very manageable and easy to work with. Have done this for over 30 years. Aida fabric is my fabric of choice on most of my projects.
by: syagel on 06/23/15