Old Books and an SBQ

"Old Books sampler" by the Cricket Collection

Stitched on 28-ct. lugana Silkweaver solo

Several hand-dyed floss substitutions

I really got obsessed with this design -- it feels like I just started it, and already it's finished! I was afraid the fabric would be too "splotchy," but now that it is done, it reminds of a worn leather book cover, which seems very appropriate. I can't remember all of the floss substitutions I made at the moment, but I think my favorites are the WDW "Sky" that I used for the word "old" and the GAST "Barn Gray" that I used for the horizontal sampler lines above and below the center design.

SBQ, 2/21/2007: What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used?
I'm not a small-count girl....32-ct. is about as small as I'll go! I may be only 30, but my eyes just can't handle a lot of work on very small fabrics. I have stitched over one, but only on 28-ct. And that was quite an accomplishment, I thought! (It was the hair and skin on Solaria's "Stitching the Standard"freebie...and the fact that I was using a fleshy-colored Jazlyn probably didn't help.)
I think the largest fabric I've used was my trusty old 14-ct. aida. Or maybe there was some 11-ct. waste canvas in there somewhere...I'm not sure. I don't stitch on aida much anymore -- I love the look of evenweave, so I'm saving the aida for the day when even 28-ct. fabrics are too hard on my eyes!