Paula's Needlework Addiction: October 2009

Cross Stitch Fabrics

advantage of linens ----One advantage linen has over aida is the extra holes. Because you skip a hole when stitching, should you have to do a quarter stitch, there is an actual hole available to use - no jamming the needle down through the center of an aida square. Designs that have many quarter or three-quarter stitches are probably more suited to linen than Aida. Some designs intended for linen may call for some "over 1" stitching - very small cross stitches that would then work out to 28 or 32 stitches per inch, to give extra fine detail to faces, etc. Because linen has the extra holes, this is not too hard - but it would be a nightmare to attempt on Aida. It can be done, and people have done it, but not easily! Also, because linen is an "even weave," the background usually appears a little smoother and more natural when working on linen.
Aida ----A kind of canvas with several strands between each hole, often three. This is also known as Java Canvas, Fancy Oatmeal and Toile Colbert. It is usually made of cotton and it comes in widths of 18" to 54". This is sewn in every hole (one over one) with usually 14 to 18 holes per inch (linear) for cross stitch, but there are also 6 to 20 counts available.
different types of fabric ----Aida fabric in 14 count, 16 count, and 18 count;Belfast linen 32 count;Cashel linen 28 count;Jobelans in 28 and 32 count;Regular linens in 18 count, 28 count, and 32 count;Other fabrics (Lugana, etc.)
Evenweave ----This is a description of a fabric which is smoother than Aida or most linens. It is smoother because it is made of half natural fiber and half a man-made fiber like polyester. It usually has one strand between each hole as it is most like to the linens. Cross stitching is usually sewn over two strands of evenweave, in every other hole (over 2), because it has the higher counts - 24 to 32 threads per inch. Faces and hands are often sewn in every hole (over one) for more detail.
Fabric ------The material on which cross stitch is sewn. Often the fabric is linen which comes in many colors and many counts. It can also be made of cotton, man-made material, or a mixture of natural and man-made materials, or even perforated paper or plastic. Only fabric especially made for cross stitching should be used for cross stitching, because the even spacing of the threads is very important. To sew on other fabrics you can use waste canvas
Jobelan ----A fabric made of a mixture of materials usually about half cotton and half man-made. It is more like linen than Aida, and feels softer than either of them. It comes in 16, 20, 25, 28 and 32 counts, and is an 'evenweave'.
Linen ----A fabric made of flax, which has one strand between each hole. The difference between linen and non-cross stitch fabrics is the consistency of the distance between the holes across the whole length of the cloth. It usually has counts of 24 to 36 holes to the inch, but I have seen counts from 10 to 40. Linen is usually sewn over two holes, so that detail can be sewn over one hole for greater definition of the detail. Some linens from Europe are made of cotton.
Linens ---Linens are the traditional cross stitch fabric, and there are several different types of linens. Most are 28 or 32 count, although there are also other counts available such as 25 or 36. Notice that this means the linen has roughly twice as many holes per inch as the Aida. This does not mean, however, that there are twice as many stitches per inch. In fact, when stitching on linen, you will usually skip one hole when making your stitch, so that stitching on 28ct linen gives you 14 stitches per inch, just like stitching on 14ct Aida
Over 1,2 or 3 ---There are several expressions like this that refer to how many holes you skip after bringing the needle up through a hole until the needle and thread goes back down again.Aida is sewn in every hole normally. That means up one hole and down the next hole diagonally from it. This is "over 1".Linens and Evenweaves are normally sewn "over 2". That means bring your needle up one hole, pass over two threads, horizontally and two threads vertically and go down the hole which is two holes diagonally away.

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