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Here you can find different kind of fabrics, how to stitch on it and how many thread you use to stitch on it.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR FABRIC
Cross-Stitch Fabric comes in 2 basic types: AIDA (photo shown at the left) and EVENWEAVE (photo shown at the right). Aida fabric has actual squares woven into it - so you are stitching your cross-stitches right over the squares. Evenweave fabrics are like fine linen cloth - you have to stitch your cross-stitches over 1 or 2 threads of the fabric to make your "squares".
Cross-Stitch Fabrics also come in different "COUNTS".
14-count Aida is the most popular. The count refers to how many squares or threads there are in the fabric per inch - thus 14-count means there are 14 squares per inch. Other popular Aida counts are 11-count, 16-count and 18-count.
Evenweave Fabrics go by a slightly different "count" - for example, 28-count Evenweave Fabric is what you would use to stitch a 14-count design - because you would stitch your cross-stitches over 2 threads thus creating a 14-count design. So if you wanted to stitch a design on Evenweave Fabric that would be equivalent to 11-count Aida you would need a 22-count Evenweave Fabric.
**If you are just beginning, we highly recommend using 11-count Aida Fabric - it has larger squares and so is easier to stitch on.
STITCHING ON EVENWEAVE OR LINEN FABRIC
If your project calls for evenweave or linen fabric, you may be unsure of the count of this fabric or the instructions that say to stitch "over two threads". Unlike Aida fabric, which already has the "squares" to stitch over, evenweave has only the "threads" showing.
Therefore, you will be stitching your cross stitches "over two threads" which means you pull your thread up through a hole and then count two threads (up or down depending on the direction of the stitch you are making) and put your thread down the next hole.
The count of evenweave fabric is double the count of aida fabric. So for instance, if you want to stitch a 14-count pattern, you would need to use 28-count evenweave fabric.
You can stitch a cross stitch pattern on any count or type of fabric that you want - just keep in mind that you will need to figure out the final dimensions based on which size count you stitch on - so that you use a big enough piece of material.
Have fun experimenting by stitching your patterns on different counts of fabric. Make a pillow by stitching a small design on 7-count evenweave fabric (called Klostern) using perle cotton or 6-plies of floss. Or stitch a design on a smaller count fabric, stitching "over one thread" of 22-ct aida or 24-ct linen/evenweave using 1-ply of floss for a smaller, more intricately detailed picture which will fit into a heart locket or a key ring, etc. Here's the August Angel stitched on 14-count and 40-count:
STRANDS OF FLOSS NEEDED FOR DIFFERNT SIZE FABRICS
Floss comes in 6-ply. This means there are 6 separate strands or plies in the floss. You need to separate these strands and then use the right amount to stitch your stitches.
**TIP: Run your length of floss (18" is a good length) through a damp sponge before separating the plies - this will keep the strands from twisting and getting knotted up as you separate them.
Most patterns will tell you how many strands/plies you need for each type of stitch. Cross-Stitches use the most strands, and Backstitches and French Knots use fewer strands within the same pattern. The reason for this is that the Backstitches are used for outlines and details that are stitched after your Cross-Stitches and would be too thick against your Cross-Stitches to create an artistic effect. The same applies to French Knots.
The following chart gives you the basic amounts of floss strands/plies needed for each size of fabric:
DETERMINING THE SIZE OF YOUR PROJECT
Most Cross-Stitch patterns will give you the dimensions, in width and height, of the amount of stitches in that particular pattern. For example, my "Simple Heart" pattern is 9 w x 8 h. This means there are 9 stitches across/wide and 8 stitches long/high. If a graph doesn't tell you the dimensions, you simply count the squares on the graph from the edges of the pattern itself to get the same dimensions.
Now, here's the sometimes confusing part: When you stitch the same pattern on differnt sized fabrics, you will have different sized completed projects of the same picture. Each picture will be exactly alike, except for the size. So, if you stitch this "Simple Heart" on 11-count fabric, it will be larger than one you stitch on 18-count fabric.
Knowing the dimensions of a pattern you want to stitch is important, because it helps you determine the size of fabric you want or need to use. For example, if you want a picture to fit in a certain size frame, you have to make sure the finished size will fit that frame, and so may have to use a larger or smaller sized fabric to accomodate that. In the case of this "Simple Heart" pattern, if you stitched it on 11-count, the largest fabric in this example, the finished size would be 3/4" wide x 5/8" high. Stitched on 14-count fabric, the finished size would be 5/8" wide x 1/2" high. Stitched on 18-count fabric, the finished size would be 1/2" wide x 3/8" high. These sizes are not so dramatically different, but a larger pattern can make a big difference!
The following chart shows you the finished sizes (in inches) for the different fabric counts.
**TIP: We recommend using a Cross-Stitch ruler which has the popular sizes of fabric on it along with the stitch counts, per inch - you can refer to this 12" ruler to determine the different sizes your finished picture will be, and you can also use it to count the squares on your fabric. |
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Post time: 2009-5-27 16:24
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