Julia Wigham

Choosing the Best Fabric For Your Next Project

When you've chosen the cross-stitch pattern you'd like to stitch, the second and equally important step is deciding what type of cross-stitch fabric would best suit that particular pattern. 

There are three main types of fabric used for cross-stitch; these being: aida cloth, evenweave, and linen. This article will show you exactly how these fabrics differ.

Choosing your Fabric:

Aida cloth is what most stitchers start out on when first learning this craft. It's the cloth that comes in most cross-stitch kits as well. It is a stiffer, heavier fabric than evenweave or linen.  In my opinion it's the easiest fabric to learn on.  It works extremely well in a hoop or frame.  And aida cloth has a definite grid-like structure to it making it very easy to stitch on (this is 14-count Aida cloth).

Evenweave fabric is softer and thinner than aida (the sample shown here is 25-count Jobelan evenweave fabric). It is called evenweave because it has the same number of threads woven from left to right, as it does from top to bottom.  Generally on evenweave, you would stitch 1 over 2. This means you use one strand of floss only, and you skip over an empty hole when forming your crosses.  In other words, you would bring your needle to the front of the fabric at the bottom left corner, then you would count the holes and place the needle back into the fabric when you've reached the second hole in the upper right corner. Essentially if done correctly, the center of your X will be over one empty hole.

Linen is a particular type of evenweave fabric. It is probably the most challenging to stitch on because the placement of stitches isn't clearly defined as on other types of evenweave or aida. (the example alongside is 32-count Linen). You would generally use the 1 over 2 stitch method on this type of fabric as well. If you're not quite comfortable with the 1 over 2 method, you can use the 1 over 1 method more commonly used. This is simply going from one corner to the very next one without skipping over any holes. The stitches are very small, sometimes being referred to as "petite cross-stitch". 

When looking at projects completed on the different types of fabric, a lot of times those stitched on evenweave or linen will look more like a photograph.  While on aida, the crosses are more noticeable.  On any type of fabric, your finished piece will be beautiful.  It will be something to cherish for years to come.  In part 2 of this series of articles, I'll discuss choosing the proper fabric measurement as well as choosing a fabric color for your finished cross-stitched piece. 

Calculating how much fabric to use:

Now that we've talked about the different types of fabric available, and how they differ from one another…it's time to figure out the fabric size you need to make sure the stitching fits.  There's nothing more frustrating than putting hours, or even months into a project only to realize that the piece of fabric you're using is too small.

Step one of course is to choose the pattern you want to stitch.  No matter how large or small the pattern is you'll be able to find just the right fabric to stitch it on.  At some point you'll need either a calculator, or for the braver souls a piece of paper and pencil.  You'll have to do some math later on, and these will come in handy.

Step two is to choose what type of fabric you want to work with.  This will greatly effect how big the fabric must be.  There are several different counts to choose from.  For example, aida cloth is available in 8 count, all the way to 22 count.  The most popular aida counts used are 14, 16, and 18 count. 

Evenweave and Linen comes in generally higher counts, usually from 18 to 55 count.  The most common counts used are 25, 28, and 32.  If you're trying a new count for the first time, think about choosing a smaller project.  This way if you're stitching on something you don't particularly care for, it'll be stitched up quickly and you can move on to a new project sooner.

Step three: Now for the math part of the process, boring I know - yet totally necessary.  I'll use random numbers in order to walk you through the process easily.  Let's say your project is 100 stitches wide by 100 stitches high.  You chose 18-count fabric.  Simply take the 100 stitches and divide it by the 18 count.  You get 5.5 inches (13.75cm).  You know your finished design will be 5.5 inches (13.5cm) by 5.5 inches (13.5cm).  Now you have to decide how much empty space you want around your design. 

Typically, if framing the finished piece you want two or three inches (5.1cm to (7.6cm) around all edges of the design.  You simply add this to the finished design size.  If you wanted two inches extra around the design you'd simply get a piece of fabric no smaller than 7.5 (19.05cm) inches by 7.5 inches (19.05cm). To simplify this process you can use the Cross Stitch Calculator we've provided for you.

To access the calculator, go to the "Resources" category at Patterns Patch and select "Cross Stitch Calculator".