Fabric is the foundation of every cross stitch project, and it’s also where a lot of confusion starts. Aida, evenweave, linen, counts, waste canvas, it all sounds more complicated than it is. This guide pulls together everything on the site about choosing, preparing, and caring for your fabric.
Every post tagged below covers some part of this topic, newest first. If you want a specific answer right away, start with the sections below.
Before you pick a fabric for your next project, it helps to know what your actual options are and how they differ. This section covers the basics, from fabric types to which aida brands are worth buying.
Start with cross stitch fabric types for the overview, then who makes the best cross stitch aida if you’re choosing a brand. If you’re trying to match aida to thread, the zweigart aida to DMC thread converter is worth bookmarking.
Not every project sticks to standard white aida. Black aida, oversized pieces, and even printed fabric all behave a little differently, and it’s worth knowing what you’re getting into before you start.
How to cross stitch on any fabric is the best starting point if you’re stepping outside standard aida, and how to cross stitch on black aida covers one of the trickiest variations. For bigger projects, where to find super sized aida is a genuinely useful resource, and DMC’s new printed aida looks at where the fabric side of the hobby might be heading.
A little preparation before you start stitching saves a lot of frustration later, and hand dyeing is worth trying at least once if you want more control over your finished piece.
Why you should wash your aida before you use it is a small step that makes a real difference, and how to hand dye aida and why you should try it is worth reading even if you never do it yourself. Once you’re ready to start, the better alternative to finding the center of your fabric will save you some guesswork.
Waste canvas lets you cross stitch on fabrics that would otherwise be impossible to count on, like t-shirts or existing garments. It has a bit of a learning curve, but it opens up a lot of project ideas once you’ve got the hang of it.
How to use waste canvas for cross stitch covers the method from start to finish, and how to cross stitch objects without waste canvas is the alternative if you’d rather skip it entirely.
Once you’ve got more than a couple of pieces of fabric sitting around, keeping track of what you have and what it’s earmarked for becomes its own small project.
How to organize your cross stitch fabric covers the practical side of keeping your stash usable rather than just accumulating.
I personally love black aida, it can really make a piece sing, however, I've also heard of people scared to use dark and black aida due to the issues involved. Ad while I understand their point of view, dark aida really isn't to be feared. In fact, with some really simple changes, you can make…
Aida selections generally come in white, black, grey or every pale shade of pastel under the sun. But what if you want something that'll pop? What about something with a design on it? Well saddle up, cos we're about to go on a ride. It turns out, your average home color printer can create awesome…
The world of cross stitch fabric types can be a complicated one. Moving on from my history of cross stitch, I've started looking into the various parts of cross stitch and breaking down some of the walls people see when starting. One of these has got to be the fabrics used for cross stitch. Whilst…
I know, right; why would you ever need to know how to cross stitch something without waste canvas? Well, actually the answer is all too prevalent. Be it you're stitching something like the works of Severija, or things that can't get wet such as our example, my recently cross stitched Pikachu Journal. The really great…