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"How to Chart Hardanger & Other Fancy Stitches in a Drawing Program
It's easy to chart hardanger in a general-purpose drawing program like CorelDraw or Canvas. Here's how: First you set up a drawing graph with either the programs' graph paper or grid feature. If you use the grid feature, you might want to set snap-to-grid, depending upon how you want your stitches to fall on the graph. Then you draw a vertical kloster block. You group it. You draw a horizontal kloster block. You group that too. Then you duplicate the blocks, placing kloster blocks on your screen graph just as you'd place them on graph paper. O.K., it sounds like it's getting pretty complicated, but it's not hard.
You can graph other fancy stitches like smyrna knots the same way. It's pretty easy. Is there an easy way to combine cross-stitch with hardanger in a chart? Yes, see Chapter 3 for a tutorial on graphing cross-stitch in a drawing program, then combine those techniques with the method below.
Set up a graph just like in the tutorial in Chapter 3.
You'll need to experiment to determine if you prefer to have snap-to-grid set as you design. Generally it's a good idea to have it turned on as you draw your first kloster block (so the lines are straight). But you might want to turn it off after that, especially if you decide to graph stitches running in the "middle" of graph squares. If you set snap-to-grid you should switch it so that the otherwise invisible grid displays itself on the screen so you can see it as you draw. Lines must be drawn close to the "invisible" grid lines so that they "snap" to the grid. If you draw them too far away they may not come out straight. Some drawing programs give you the option to set snap-to grid divisions. Set snap-to to half a grid.
Go crazy. Duplicate the kloster blocks by first selecting them, then applying the duplicate command. Make lots so you have a lot to play with.
Be careful when you move kloster blocks. Check to make sure none of their lines appear jagged. If they are you haven't positioned them properly on the grid.
 Cats Who Quilt is a trademark of Fruitful Plains. Text on this Web site Copyright 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Judy Heim. May not be reproduced in any form--in either e-mail messages or on Web sites without written permission. All illustrations are copyright 2000, 2001, and 2002 Irina Borisova. They may not be reproduced without permission. Photos and quilts are copyrighted by their respective artists, and may not be reproduced without their permission. | |||
You can also create a library of standard hardanger stitch patterns and geometric groupings to duplicate.
Start by drawing one stitch on your graph. Use the Zoom tool to make sure your stitch is straight. Use the drawing program's duplicate tool to draw more lines, and drag them to their proper positions on the graph. Or draw them by hand if you prefer.
Use the selection tool (the arrow) select the lines as a whole by drawing a rubber band box around it. (You draw a rubber band box around the stitches by holding down the mouse button. Then you let the button go and the little arrows appear around the selected stitches. If arrows aren't around all thes titches you need to select them again.) Now use the program's group feature to group them into a single entity. (If you don't, the kloster's stitches will scatter like straw as you move it.)
It's easier to draw a horizontal block than to try to duplicate and rotate a vertical block. Rotated klosters rarely seem to fall properly on the grid. Once you've drawn the kloster, group it.
