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hey I learned something! and got one number
1/10

Interesting info, but no number yet

Good morning from Canada.

I do promise to arrange my time a little differently next week so that the daily numbers are revealed at a time when we are hopefully all up and able to read them. In the meantime, bright and early on this side of the ocean, here are today's numbers:

5 5000BC - 500AD

Fragments of cloth dating from between 5,000 BC and 500 AD have been excavated from tombs and monuments in South America, Egypt and China, and these show crude examples of darning, half cross stitch and satin stitch. Many of the fragments are made of linen; the regular warp and weft of this fabric, one of the oldest of all woven materials, provided the basis for the development of counted thread stitches.
The earliest known Embroidery examples are from 3000 B.C They are hand work over the woven threads on clothing.

The earliest example of a complete cross stitch is a design worked in upright crosses on linen, and the piece was discovered in a Coptic tomb in Upper Egypt, where it was preserved by the dry desert climate dating from about 500AD. Very few pieces of decorated fabric have survived from ancient civilizations, but this does not mean that decorative stitching was rarely used. Natural fibers are perishable and do not survive as well as most metal and ceramic objects excavated from archaeological sites.


11 Danish Method

Stitchers who use the Danish Method to cross stitch their pattern work a row of only the bottom stitches first, and complete the X's as they return across their work. This is different from the English Method, which has stitchers complete each cross stitch (both top and bottom stitches) before continuing on to the next. Often both methods are used when completing a project.

Very interesting thanks Linda

And 2 for me today

One for me today! And interesting info. Looking forward to tomorrow

Carole

Two for me today, so I'm 3/10.

The Danish method is my preferred way to stitch.

fccs wrote:Two for me today, so I'm 3/10.

The Danish method is my preferred way to stitch.

I must also say that I prefer the Danish Method when the stitching area is large enough to do so. Recently someone told me that the Danish Method should be used in only one direction - across the width of your fabric - and not in the up/down direction. Is this true?

Linda Rose wrote:

fccs wrote:Two for me today, so I'm 3/10.

The Danish method is my preferred way to stitch.

I must also say that I prefer the Danish Method when the stitching area is large enough to do so. Recently someone told me that the Danish Method should be used in only one direction - across the width of your fabric - and not in the up/down direction. Is this true?

I've not heard of that - but I also only recently found out I used the Danish Method. I typically stitch in horizontal rows, but sometimes the vertical columns make more sense.

I hope each of you is enjoying a wonderful weekend and are luck with today's picks, which are:

6 Aida

Aida cloth (also or previously known as Java cloth) is an open weave, even-weave fabric traditionally used for cross-stitch embroidery. This cotton fabric has a natural mesh that facilitates cross-stitching and enough natural stiffness that the crafter does not need to use an embroidery hoop. Aida cloth is manufactured with various size spaces or holes between the warp and weft to accommodate different thicknesses of yarn. These are described by the count. For example, a 10-count Aida cloth would have 10 squares per linear inch. Typical sizes are 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 22 count, ranked from the coarsest to the finest count. Traditional colors are white, ecru, or shades of tan and brown, although brighter colors are also available. Aida cloth is sold in pre-cut sheets or in bolts of 40" - 60" width.

The consensus from various discussions on rxx.cxxxxx.txxxxxxx.nxxxxxxxxx (will be revealed later in the game) is that there are two ways to pronounce the word "Aida": either /ɑːˈiːdə/, as in the opera by Verdi, or /ˈeɪdə/. Since the name change occurred around the same time as Verdi's opera was first performed, there has been some speculation that the cloth was renamed after the opera to take advantage of the opera's publicity. (So do you find yourself either humming a tune or bursting into song while you stitch? I know I do from time to time!)

13 Frau Witich

Frau Witich , a Berliner, was one of the first women who sensed the commercial possibilities of mass produced charts/patterns for needlework and encouraged her husband, a painter, engraver, and etcher to produce charts of landscapes, historical subjects and even portraits that were often copies of masterpieces for the general public. (You will have more info on this later; I knew from the start 'random' would likely be awkward with this particular game!)

Linda Rose wrote:

fccs wrote:Two for me today, so I'm 3/10.

The Danish method is my preferred way to stitch.

I must also say that I prefer the Danish Method when the stitching area is large enough to do so. Recently someone told me that the Danish Method should be used in only one direction - across the width of your fabric - and not in the up/down direction. Is this true?

you can certainly go up/down with danish, if you do that for the entire project. the back would just go = instead of |||. if you tried to keep the back ||| while stitching danish up and down your stitches would pull differently and appear skewed on the front of your work.


oh and Im now at 3/10

I've often wondered about the pronunciation of "aida".

None for me today

Thank you Danish (this English woman's preferred stitching method!) and Frau Witich. I now have 2

Thanks to Frau Witich, I'm up to four.

Its good to know that some of these subjects and terms are new to you, too. I have been cross stitching for 4 decades now and was somewhat surprised at how much I didn't know! I hope today's picks add to your expanding knowledge of the craft as well as increase your scores. Here they are:

24 T'ang Dynasty

From the historical and archaeological evidence available, there is not yet enough accurate information to trace the exact origins of cross stitch embroidery. However, some historians suggest that the development of cross stitch owes much to the craftsmanship of the Chinese, since this type of embroidery is known to have flourished during the T’ang Dynasty between 618AD and 906AD and a strong rural tradition of counted cross stitch still existed there during the early twentieth century. It is feasible that techniques and designs spread from China via India and Egypt to the great civilizations of Greece and Rome, and from there throughout the countries of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. (alternate point of view will be shared at end of game)

23 Tambour Frame

An early (or perhaps alternate) version of what we know today as an embroidery hoop. The word Tambour derives from the French word for drum, which the outline of the hooped frame resembled. A Tambour frame consists of a pair of concentric circular or elliptical rings. The larger ring has a tightening device, usually in the form of a metal screw. The artisan repositions the hoop as needed when working over a large piece of fabric.

The National Gallery (UK) has on exhibit a painting by Francois-Hubert Drouis of Mme Pompadour at her Tambour frame. There is an opportunity to view it at as well as listen to a short 4.5 minute National Gallery Education audio clip. Enjoy!

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/pain ... bour-frame" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Tambour embroidery is well explained on this web page http://thetextileblog.blogspot.ca/2010/ ... -work.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

I now have 3

tambour frame gives me one more.

4/10

Finally got to check Day 3 and 4 and was sure I would get all of them. Got one. Frau Witch brings me to 2/10. Learning a lot too!

Carole

I love the history! And I am now 5/10.

Happy Monday! I hope you are all extra lucky with today's picks.

25 TENUI FILO MAGNUM TEXITUR OPUS

This phrase translates to “From one fine thread a work of art is born” and is the motto of the DMC Group, who have been producing quality embroidery threads since the 1800s. (This was my favourite new thing to learn as I put this game together!)


3 1890

The first fabric made specifically for cross stitch was introduced in 1890. It was made by a company in Germany called Zweigart. The fabric is called Aida, it is an even-weave fabric and it is designed in little squares making it easy to see where to stitch each cross stitch. (reference will follow at end of game)

One more for me so I'm at 3/10!! I never heard that Aida was an evenweave. Usually we hear Aida or Evenweave or Linen (though I tend to throw linen in with evenweave, I know its different) and I didn't know Zweigart was the first to manufacture it. Learning a lot from you.

Carole