Fabric Selections
November 1, 2007 by Melinda
I had an interesting email chat this week with a fellow stitcher and the question came up “What do I think of Aida cloth?” It was in reference to its use in a cross stitch design when the pattern calls for an evenweave or linen fabric. Great question! I’ve been mulling it over and felt a blog post coming on!
I like Aida cloth in many respects. It is a sturdy fabric that has many good qualities for the three dimensional work that I like to do. It holds a creased edge well when you fold it, which in turn, makes it easier to lace to a form or shape like plastic canvas or cardboard. The weave of Aida is such that the holes are very easy to see and thus stitch on. If fractional stitches are used within the design, Aida cloth is flexible enough to accomodate them by allowing your needle to pass through the woven threads in the center of each stitch.
On the downside, I am not keen on Aida for the very same reason why I like it. It holds its shape VERY well. If you use an embroidery hoop, the edges will crease a round shape into your fabric and it tends to stay. I have had varying luck getting the creases out on different projects. This is one reason why I have gotten into the habit of taking the embroidery hoop off when I am done stitching for the day. I had the misfortune of working on a detailed cross stitch design on white Aida and found that there was a halo left around the edge from an embroidery hoop. I washed and washed and the ring remained. The ring is faint, but I can still see it. I have since wound bias tape on the edges of all my hoops and have become meticulous about washing my hands before I begin any stitching.
When it comes to substituting Aida cloth for a design that a linen or evenweave was chosen, well, I’m on the fence with this one. I think that it depends greatly upon the needlework design. If it is a simple cross stitch design with no specialty stitches and few fractional stitches, you’re probably okay. Also, if it is a different color such as off-white, Antique white, vintage or some other very similar shade, again, you’re probably all right. If the needlework or cross stitch design has a variety of specialty stitches and fractional stitches in it, I think you might want to reconsider and stick with an evenweave.
As a designer, I carefully consider the fabric that will be used as part of a design, as other designers do as well. The fabric was chosen for a reason for the particular qualities that it lends to the finished piece. For instance, a neutral brown or gray fabric will cast faint, soft shadows on the individual stitches. When viewed in a particular light, this will increase the illusion of shading adding to the effect already created with color selections. Sometimes substituting a different color or weave other than the one chosen can have some unexpected results. You have to use your best judgement when substituting colors or fabrics.
