All About Cross Stitch

Archive for the ‘Fabric Facts’ Category

Belfast Linen is the favorite linen of many stitchers.  We’ll cover some basic information about Belfast Linen in this article, including some questions that we are frequently asked about.

Belfast Linen is manufactured by Zweigart and is available most anywhere in the world through a variety of distributors, although some colors are available primarily in the United States.  These colors can be ordered online, however, and shipped anywhere in the world.  Currently, there are around 50 colors.

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For the final part of our Aida article, we’ll talk about when aida is a good fabric choice.

The number ONE reason for using Aida cloth is personal preference! If you like it, use it.   Stitching should be enjoyable!   Stitchers have a variety of reasons for preferring aida cloth, including that it’s easier to see, it’s not as confusing, or that they like the sturdy feel.

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In part I of this article, we talked about the different manufacturers, colors and counts of Aida cloth.  There are so many different types available, some solid, some heathered, some soft, some not!

Typical aida that most stitchers think of when they talk about “aida cloth” is available in a wide variety of counts/colors/sizes and isn’t hard to find for purchase.    This “regular” aida, we’ll call it, is typically 100% cotton and usually has more of  a stiff feel to it.  Most of the time, as it’s being stitched on, it does loosen up some and become softer.   This stiffer texture does make stitching small projects without a hoop much easier for some, but that is mostly personal preference.

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I thought I would start a new category of posts about some of the most frequent questions that stitchers email about. Some you may have wondered about before, and some you may never have given a thought to.

One to the most frequent questions I see:

Question: I saw a solo that I really wanted, but it had sold out before I got to it. Can you make me another?

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Aida cloth is probably the most well known of cross stitch fabrics.   Most stitchers have used or routinely use this type of fabric, as it’s widely available in most needlework shops, craft chain stores, and discount stores.   There are scores of different brands, with each having a slightly different “hand”, or feel.  These facts, along with the variety of counts and colors available, make aida cloth very versatile.

The number (and quality) of brands of Aida cloth can be overwhelming.   To name a few of the more common brands, there is Zweigart, Permin (also known as Wichelt), and Charles Craft.   The latter brand is more well known in craft chain stores and discount stores.  It’s usually available in tubes, which prevents fold lines in the fabric, and typically is only available in a few neutral tone shades.   Zweigart and Permin aidas are more commonly found in needlework shops and are regarded to be of highest quality by most stitchers.  Both manufacturers create a mind-boggling array of colors with descriptive names such as Forest Mist, Jade Stone and Baby Lotion.   With so many choices available to today’s stitcher, it’s no wonder that Aida cloth is so popular.

The “count” of Aida cloth refers to how many “blocks” are in a typical inch.  For example, if you are stitching on 14 count aida, and you stitch one full inch horizontally (or vertically), you will have 14 “x” stitches per row.   The most common counts of Aida cloth are 14, 16, and 18, however there are several other counts worth mentioning.  Counts as low as 6 (stitches per inch) can be found as well as as high as 22.  Remember, when talking stitch counts, the “lower” number means bigger stitches.   With so much variety, how do you know which to use?  The biggest factor in deciding is simply personal preference.   Eight or 11 count might be ideal for teaching children to stitch.  Factors to consider when deciding might be the experience of the stitcher,  whether the desired color is available, finished size of the design, and the eyesight/hand-eye coordination of the stitcher.

In Part II, we’ll explore specialty aidas, fiber content, aida “hand” and when to choose/not to choose to stitch on Aida.

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This will be the first in a series of articles de-mystifying the many types of cross stitch fabric available to the stitcher these days.  There are oh, so many different fabrics – enough to make one feel dizzy-headed just picking something out for their next project.

First, let’s talk terminology.   Most of us are familiar with aida cloth.  Some of us started out stitching on it, but then tried other fabrics.  Others of us love to stick with the old faithful.  In general, aida cloth is considered by most stitchers to have “holes” for stitching, as opposed to more of a woven appearance.

“Evenweave” is a term that can actually have more than one meaning, depending on whom you are talking to.  Technically, evenweave refers to a fabric that has the same number of threads horizontally, as vertically.  Using this definition, most all cross stitch fabrics would be considered evenweave, even aida.  For example, good quality 14 count aida will have 14 squares horizontally, and 14 square vertically.  (There are some linen fabrics available that have 36 threads in one direction and 38 in the other. )  Again, with this definition, fabrics ranging from 7 count Klostern, all the way up to 40ct Newcastle linen would be evenweave.

Another school of thought for the word evenweave is a fabric that has smooth, even threads, and that is not Aida cloth.  Fabrics that are made with linen fibers have threads that vary in thickness throughout the cloth, and also have “slubs”, which look like tiny little knots or lumps in the fabric.  Because of these variations in the cloth, they are not considered evenweave since the threads aren’t smooth and even.

The term linen also can have a couple of different meanings among stitchers.   Some refer to linen as any fabric that’s not aida cloth. Others refer to linen as fabrics that are indeed made from true linen threads.

As you can see, just the basic terminology can even be confusing if everyone isn’t on the same page, so to speak.   While one stitcher may say “I’d like to use linen for this project”, they may mean a fabric such as Cashel Linen or they may just mean anything other than Aida cloth.

We at Silkweaver tend to use evenweave to refer to non-aida, non-linen fabrics as in the second example above, and we refer to linen as those fabrics that are made of linen threads.

To be continued……..

Here are our general recommendations for caring for hand-dyed cross stitch fabrics.  They aren’t as delicate as one might think.  These guidelines are only for Silkweaver fabrics.  We can’t speak for other hand dyed fabric companies (and they probably wouldn’t want us to!)

• We cannot guarantee color consistency between lots, due to many factors beyond our control (ie dye lots, different batches of “base” fabric, water conditions, etc.). We suggest if you plan to stitch companion pieces to purchase all of the needed fabrics at the same time.
• Some shrinkage does occur during processing.
  
• Do not leave on q-snaps, hoops, or scroll rods when you are not stitching. When you are finished stitching for the evening, please remove them, or in the case of a scroll rod – loosen tension significantly.
• Although our hand dyed fabrics endure many hours of washing/rinsing after dyeing, some colors may bleed slightly (especially darks). For best results, rinse before stitching.
• You may wash and iron your hand dyed fabrics the same as standard fabrics.

So if you accidentally got some of that chocolate bar on your project, go ahead and wash it!