Thank you to everyone for complimenting my work!
Latrinka, Please post photos of your wedding gift. I would love to see it.
Petite cross-stitch uses tiny, fine stitches. It shows more detail than traditional cross-stitch. I used Hardanger 22. Hardanger is a cotton fabric, and stitching on 22 Hardanger will make you go buggy-eyed... It is more difficult to see your squares. A magnifier helps. Stitching on it is like picking up a piece of cotton and cross-stitching in the weave. Most people cross-stitch on Aida 14. The number on both the Hardanger and the Aida refers to the number of stitches per inch, but you probably already know that. I have never entered a competition, but I have heard that one of the things that the judges look for is how well the stitches are buried on the back of your work. I am self-taught with almost everything that I do, and I learned to cross-stitch by reading. From the beginning, I tried to practice burying my thread. It is validating to know that you understand why I showed the back of my work. Sharon