The left is my original start on 18 count Aida cloth that came with the kit, and is incredibly stiff and difficult to stitch (it just hurts my hands to put the needle through the holes in this fabric).
The right is my restart on 36 count Edinburgh linen, (over two stitches). Yes, I have to wear my Mag-Eyes magnifying glasses to work on this, but I’m having to do that for a lot of stitching projects lately. The difference in the actual stitching (for my fingers) is incredible.
I started working out on Aida when I began stitching years ago. I’ve stitched many projects on Aida, and have no complaints about how it looks. Honestly, if it were easier on my fingers, I’d probably stitch on it more often. But the needle and floss “pop” as I try to stitch on this particular fabric. It takes much more concentration and hand/finger strength to pull the needle through it. And if something is verging on painful, it’s likely not going to be something I’ll want to pick up and do.
I decided to order some Zweigart Edinburgh 36 count linen so that the amount of floss needed would be the same as for the 18 count Aida. The color is a slightly different shade, but the background fabric isn’t seen much in this design. It isn’t completely full-coverage, but it nearly is, so I’m taking my chances that this light aqua will do just fine.
And I’m doing a combination of stitching in hand and stitching in a q-snap hoop. Sometimes one seems easier than the other, and other times it’s just the opposite. It depends on how I’m feeling that particular day.