Today I’m enlisting the help of another wonderful small business owner, to delve a little deeper into what qualities you need to look for when choosing fabric for cross stitching.
Aida fabric is usually the first choice for cross stitch, but not everyone wants to use this - although if you do, check out my blog The 5 best Aida brands for your next cross stitch project. So if you’re looking for something different, I’ve asked Polina from Good Fabric for her top tips for selecting fabrics.
Polina founded Good Fabric in 2020, after working in fashion product development and production for years. After a few online craft classes, she had learned to sew, but quickly got frustrated that the sustainable fabric options she was finding online were so limited.
So she created her own shop filled with fabrics she’d want to buy - every fabric Polina stocks has at least one eco-credential, and she’s always working to improve this further, which is absolutely amazing.
Let’s find out what she’d recommend for cross stitch specifically.
Hi Polina! First off, have you done much cross stitching?
Polina: Yes, I did cross stitch as a child - I was obsessed - but I haven’t done very much since then.
Last year, I got my daughter a cross stitch kit because they started learning it in school, and I ended up doing it for her.
You have to always stitch in the same direction, otherwise it just looks messy, and it was frustrating me that she wasn’t doing it properly.
Most cross stitch kits come with Aida fabric included, but if you want to try something else, there are 6 things that you need to consider when you’re choosing a fabric to use for your next cross stitch project, in my professional opinion - you can’t cross stitch on any old fabric.
1. A non-stretch fabric is better for cross stitching
If you use stretchy fabric for cross stitching or embroidery, it will become warped when you pull it tightly into an embroidery hoop and start to cross stitch.
When you take it out it will look very distorted, and you won’t be able to frame it neatly. It’s also difficult to create neat cross stitches on stretchy fabric, because it’s tricky to work out where to put each stitch, as the fabric moves so easily.
So that’s the very first thing to look for - no stretchy knitted fabrics, or fabrics containing elastane or lycra.
Ex-Designer Deadstock Washed Linen Fabric in Natural
2. Always choose natural fibres
Natural fabrics including cotton, linen, hemp, and canvas have been used for embroidery and cross stitch for centuries, so they must be perfect for the job!
In my opinion, it’s always best to use natural fabrics whatever you’re making, as they’re better for the environment, but they are particularly good for cross stitching, as they have a relatively even weave, are well-structured, and look good too.
Check out the cottons on Good Fabric (but avoid the satins) and our linen & linen blends.
3. A looser weave - but not too loose
When you pick up a linen fabric for example, and hold it up to the light, you can see which way the fibres go, as well as the holes in between the threads, which makes it much easier to work out where to place your cross stitches without damaging the fibres.
If a fabric is super tightly-woven (such as satin fabric) you cannot put your needle between the fibres without damaging it, so these would be among the worst fabrics to use for cross stitching.
On the other end of the scale, a fabric such as hessian wouldn’t be the best option for cross stitch, as the weave is too loose, and often uneven, which would make it difficult to know where to place your cross stitches, and would cause the design to look all kinds of wrong.
Viscose Linen Fabric in Pistachio Green
4. Go for a medium weight fabric for cross stitch
In terms of the weight of the fabric, I'd say it would be best to go for a light to medium weight for cross stitch - linen and linen blends are a great option, as they range between 170-200gsm.
If the fabric is too lightweight, again, you can snag it, you can break it, and depending how much embroidery you do, it can almost overpower it, weighing it down and causing it to sag.
A more medium weight fabric will be safe and sturdy enough for cross stitch, while not being too stiff to use comfortably. Heavier fabrics like gabardines, canvases, and denims start at 200gsm and go up to 340gsm, which would be difficult to embroider without a machine.
5. Consider the colours of your cross stitch
Traditionally, most cross stitchers choose white or natural canvas, and although this can make many designs pop, I think it’s a bit old-school and boring.
For example, in this embroidery kit from now-retired craft brand Oh Hello Maker, Emily came to Good Fabric to source the fabric, and she chose a terracotta linen viscose blend, which adds a lot of personality and works brilliantly for this specific embroidery.
Depending on the design you’re cross stitching, different colours will give the overall piece a different feel, so think about whether you might like to use complementing or contrasting colours - you can get fabric in every colour imaginable these days, so don’t limit yourself.
However, when it comes to pattern, I think less is more. To let the embroidery stand out, you need a blank canvas, so stick with solid colours.
6. Get creative with your canvas
I’ve seen so many pictures and videos on Instagram where people have embroidered their Converse shoes, because the canvas fabric is perfect for cross stitching, and it's such a cool way of adding a personal touch to your outfits.
I love when they add a tiny bit of cross stitch straight onto the pocket of a jacket or jeans. It’s really fun - you can add a message, or a little motif.
(Side note from Megan: check out our recent blog post packed with mini motifs to cross stitch onto a Uniqlo crossbody bag.)
It just goes to show, you can think outside the box when it comes to fabric for cross stitch, as long as you follow the basic qualities listed above.
Thanks so much for all of your expertise Polina!
If you’d like to learn more about eco-friendly fabrics and how to make more sustainable choices, get started with these 3 blogs from Polina on the Good Fabric website:
- Why Sustainable Fabrics Matter: Understanding the Impact and How to Make Informed Choices
- The Good Fabric Guide to Shopping Sustainable Fabrics and Sewing Supplies
- 9 Ways to Recycle Your Unwanted Clothing
And of course, make sure to browse all the amazing sustainable fabrics they have in store while you’re there, too.
If you want a bit more info about traditional cross stitch fabrics, check out my post 7 cross stitching fabrics, and how to choose the right one for your project, and for more cross stitching advice and inspiration, you can browse the rest of the Meloca Designs blog.