|
|
Fabrics
We've got more fabric than you can shake a stick at. Please select the
fabric type from the navigation bar.
Or, if you're really stuck for choice, why not try a "grab bag" of roll-ends
and offcuts.This is a bag of whatever bits we've got lying around (it'll
be mostly Aida, but you could get anything!) - a great way to collect good
value pieces for cards and smaller projects.
Fabric Offcuts Grab Bag (approx. 250g) £10.00:
Pale Aida Offcuts Grab Bag (approx 350g) £10.00:
Pale Aida grab bags contain only aida in white, antique white and cream.
Grab bags subject to availability.
We also run a fabric club, to
help you stock up your fabric stash, so that you can have more fabric than
you can shake a stick at, too.
Fabric Guide
There's a huge range of fabric types available, some in many different
counts and colours. Hopefully, this guide will help you decide which fabric
to choose. First, though, the two most frequently asked questions about
fabric:
What does "14ct" mean?
When we write 14ct, it's shorthand for "14 count", sometimes written as
"14 Holes Per Inch" or "14HPI", and simply refers to the number of stitches
per inch of fabric. The larger the count, the finer the fabric and so the
smaller a design will appear. Very fine fabrics (e.g. 28ct) are often stitched
"over two", which mean that only every other hole is used. A 28ct fabric
stitched over two is therefore equivalent to a 14ct fabric.
What's a fat quarter?
A fat quarter is made by taking a one metre piece of fabric, then cutting
it in half in both directions, leaving four pieces. A fat quarter will
always be about 50cm (19 inches) in one direction, and half the width of
the bale that it is cut from in the other direction.
Fabric Types
Binca
Binca is very coarse 6ct fabric with tightly woven threads but large holes.
It is ideal for teaching children to cross-stitch, especially if used with
soft cotton.
Aida
Aida is the most commonly used Counted Cross Stitch fabric. Blocks of thread
are woven together, creating holes which are clear and easy to work through.
Aida is available in a wide range of counts and colours; 14ct is the most
popular count. 11, 14 and 16ct aida bales are 110cm wide, while 18ct aida
bales are 130cm wide.
DMC Aida
DMC's range of Aida has the advantage that the colours are matched to some
of the DMC stranded cotton colours, so you can match your aida and thread
colours.
Permin Aida
Permin is a brand of aida, often referred to as Wichelt aida on American
charts. It's a bit stiffer than Zweigart fabric and available in a good
range of colours.
Aida and linen Bands
These are narrow strips of aida or linen fabric with fancy stitched edges.
They are used for bookmarks, cake bands, etc.
Fabric Flair (FF) Evenweaves
Fabric Flair evenweave is a soft, 100% cotton fabric similar to Juliana,
although it is a little thinner and more open. It is available in a range
of counts from 20 to 32ct. Most of the FF evenweaves come as superb value
180cm (70inch) wide bales, which makes it ideal for larger projects.
22ct Hardanger and Oslo
Hardanger is a 100% cotton 22ct fabric designed for hardanger work. However,
it can be used as a 22ct aida for fine projects, or like a 22ct evenweave
where stitched over two it is equivalent to 11ct. Used like this, it is
a great introduction to evenweave work for people used to aida. Oslo is
the "luxury" version of hardanger; it is wider and softer than standard
hardanger.
25ct Lugana
Lugana is Zweigart's 25ct evenweave fabric, the 52% cotton/48% Rayon composition
gives it a soft sheen, similar to Jobelan.
27ct Linda
Linda is Zweigart's 27ct evenweave fabric. it is 100% cotton, which makes
it stiffer and more matt in appearance than Lugana.
28ct Brittney
Brittney is Zweigat's 28ct version equivalent to Jobelan, and is 52% cotton/48%
Rayon like Lugana.
28ct Annabelle
Anabelle is a 100% cotton evenweave, but has a "slub" like linen. This
means that the threads are of uneven thickness giving a linen-like effect.
28ct Quaker Cloth
Quaker cloth is formed from 55% linen/45% cotton. It has a slight slub,
but not as much as a pure linen, and a fairly open weave.
Juliana
Juliana is a 100% cotton evenweave, similar to Fabric Flair evenweave.
Bales are 140cm wide.
Jobelan
Jobelan is a very popular fabric composed of 51% cotton/49% modal, which
forms a soft, heavy fabric with a slight sheen. It is available in a several
counts and a wide range of colours. Standard Jobelan bales are 140cm wide,
although some colours are available in wider bales - please email if you
need wider fabric.
Linen
Linen fabrics have an uneven slub in their weave, which makes them quite
tricky to work with but gives a great effect, especially for samplers and
period designs. Minster linen is a good quality linen available in 28 and
32ct. Zweigart names its linens according to count, as follows:
25ct Dublin
28ct Cashel
32ct Belfast
36ct Edinburgh.
Permin/Wichelt Linen
Permin linen (called Wichelt linen on American charts) is much stiffer
and more open than Minster or the Zweigart linens. They are often specified
on American charts such as Lavender and Lace and Mirabilia. |