The art of cross stitch is most commonly stitched on one of three different types of fabrics: Aida, Linen or Lugana. These come in many colours and counts. “Count” refers to to how many stitches fit in a single inch of that fabric. For instance, on 14 count aida fabric, there would be 14 stitches in each direction in one square inch. This rule is the same for any type of fabric, from 14 aida to 32 count linen. Whatever fabric you choose to stitch on, it must be evenweave, which simply means that if you were to count the stitches, it would be the same horizontally as vertically.
Aida is the most commonly used cross stitch fabric, with the most frequently used counts being 14, 16, and 18. It’s a 100% cotton evenweave cloth and comes in a full range of colours, because in cross stitch, it’s all about the colours! It’s an easy fabric to see and to stitch, because the holes are comparatively large. The smaller the count, the larger the holes are, so a 14 count Aida fabric is easier to see and to stitch on than an 18. Try a hand-dyed to give your piece a beautifully dynamic and colourful background.
Cross stitch linen is different from the linen you put on your bed. It’s also different from the other cross stitching fabrics. If you look at the example above, you can see that although it’s an evenweave, the threads are not regular, creating an interesting effect on the fabric as well as for your completed project. The various thicknesses of threads give it a delightful and interesting texture. The thicker bits, called “slubs”, are the effect much desired by stitchers who love linen. Like Lugana, it is often stitched over two threads, especially the very high counts.
