Cross Stitch Fabric Types – A Guide To Choosing What To Stitch On

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed choosing fabric for cross stitching, you’re not alone. With so many cross stitch fabric types – like Aida, even weave, and linen – it can be tricky to know where to start.

I created this guide to help you learn all about the different cross stitch fabrics. You’ll learn how to choose the right type, understand fabric counts, and shop with confidence for your next project. It’s rather simple once you learn the basics, so let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase an item.

Key Characteristics of Fabric For Cross Stitching

Before we dive into the three main types of cross stitch fabric, it’s helpful to understand a few key characteristics they all share. These terms often appear on fabric labels, and knowing what they mean will help you choose the right fabric for your project.

Weave

Fabric is made up of warp and weft (lengthwise and crosswise) threads that are woven together. The way these threads are interlaced is what makes up the “weave” of the fabric.

Fabrics that are used for cross stitch are evenly woven. That means each cross stitch you make will be the exact same width and height. The threads and holes in the fabric serve as a visible grid to follow as you stitch a pattern.

Fibers

Fibers are the materials that make up the threads of the fabric. There are natural fibers (like cotton, flax, and wool) and synthetic fibers (like polyester and rayon).

Most cross stitch fabrics are made up primarily of natural fibers which are relatively sturdy, and don’t have any stretch to them.

Thread Count

Even weave fabrics have the same number of vertical and horizontal threads throughout the fabric.

The thread count is determined by the number of threads per square inch of fabric. The higher the thread count is, the closer the weave and smaller the holes in the fabric will be.

Cross stitch fabrics come in a variety of thread counts, starting from 11-count all the way up to 40-count.

How to Measure The Thread Count Of Fabric

Most fabrics will disclose the thread count, but if you don’t have the package for a particular piece of fabric, you can easily determine the thread count with a ruler.

Measure one inch of the fabric (vertically or horizontally). Count how many threads are within the inch, and that’s your thread count!

The 3 Main Cross Stitch Fabric Types Explained

There are three different types of fabrics that are commonly used for counted cross stitch.

• Aida
• even weave
• linen

Aida

Aida is a sturdy fabric that is usually made out of cotton. The open weave makes the individual threads more visible, making it the easiest fabric for beginners to work with. It’s super affordable and widely available in most craft stores.

14-count Aida cloth is a popular choice for cross stitchers to learn with. Some other common counts are 11, 16, 18, and 22-count.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Aida fabric is ideal for work you plan to display – it’s very stiff and somewhat rough, so it isn’t suitable for clothing or apparel.
• The weave of Aida fabric is much more visible, so some people prefer linen or even weave, which has a more subtle look.
• Aida is a great choice for beginners – the threads are very easy to see and count, which makes the learning experience a lot less intimidating.

Even Weave

Made up of evenly woven threads that are the same width throughout the fabric, even weave fabric contains a mixture of natural and synthetic fibers. (Most contain a blend of cotton and rayon.)

Compared to Aida fabric, even weave is softer and less stiff, and the threads in the fabric are usually less visible.

Common names and thread counts:

• Lugana – 25-count
• Brittney- 28-count
• Murano – 32-count

Use this fabric when:

• you want the background fabric to be smoother and more discreet
• you’re working on an advanced project or a cross stitch with lots of stitch variations

Cross stitchers often graduate to even weave and linen fabrics once they have a bit more experience. However, it’s totally doable to use this fabric as a beginner!

Linen

Linen is an evenly woven fabric made of flax. It usually contains “slubs” or irregularities in the threads of the fabric since it’s made up of natural fibers. This fabric is higher quality, which means it can sometimes be a bit more expensive.

Here are a few different types of linen with their corresponding thread counts:

• Linen Hardanger – 16-count
• Belfast Linen – 32-count
• Edinburgh Linen – 36-count

Similar to even weave fabrics, linens come in higher thread counts, which means it has a closer weave. This makes it more suitable for detailed designs or advanced cross stitch work.

It’s a great choice for patterns that require different stitch variations, such as French knots or fractional stitches.

Understanding Fabric Counts For Cross Stitch Projects

Most cross stitch patterns will tell you what count of fabric to use for a particular design or they will list out the finished dimensions based on several different counts.

• For fabrics with a lower count (below 28-count), each cross stitch is usually made across one thread of the fabric.
• For fabrics that are 28-count and above, it’s common practice to make cross stitches across 2 threads at a time.

When working with higher thread count fabrics, it’s helpful to divide the fabric’s thread count by 2. For example, if you’re stitching over 2 threads on 28-count linen, you’ll end up with 14 stitches per inch. This means your finished design will be the same size as if you had stitched it on 14-count fabric.

This is an important detail to remember when calculating how much fabric you’ll need for a project—it’s a common mistake to overlook this step when planning a cross stitch design!

What Is The Best Fabric For Cross Stitch?

It really depends on the type of project you’re working on, your skill level, the types of stitches you are making, and your personal preference.

Here are a few considerations to make when choosing a fabric:

• If you are a beginner, it may be easiest to learn on Aida fabric.
• More detailed cross stitch projects may call for a closer weave of fabric, such as linen.
• Embroidery stitches that use fractional stitches are easier to make on even weave and linen.
• Linen has irregularities in the weave of the fabric, so if you are looking for a fabric that is completely even throughout, go for Aida or even weave.

Where To Buy Cross Stitch Fabric

Rolls of Aida, even weave, and linen are widely available on Amazon and in most craft stores.

The big brands you’ll find in the US and Europe are Zweigart and DMC but there are also generic brands I’ve tried that are comparable.

Do you miscount your stitches frequently? A really helpful option is easy-count Aida. This fabric has a gridded canvas that is water soluble.

Check out more high quality options from some of these small businesses:

• Stuart Moore’s Textiles occasionally sells hand dyed Aida
• My Vintage Needle Arts sells hand dyed Aida and linen

Can You Cross Stitch On Clothes?

Quilting and apparel fabrics are possible to stitch on, but the fabric’s weave may be too small to use as a guide for stitching. This is where waste canvas comes in!

Waste Canvas

Waste canvas can be used for fabrics that are plainly woven, serving as a temporary grid while you cross stitch. When you’re done stitching, you just remove it!

It’s is available in different counts, just like other cross stitch fabrics. Waste canvas comes in two main types: a polyester version with threads that can be pulled out after stitching, and a water-soluble version that dissolves when washed.

Have a look at this post, which has everything you need to know about using waste canvas and cross stitching on clothes.