Cross-Stitching

Questions and discussions related to cross-stitching. Want to know how to get creases out of fabric? This is where to ask. To locate past posts on a specific topic, simply enter the word or words in the field below and click the Search button.
Note: Any discussions regarding the distribution of any copy-written materials will be removed. No advertisements, sales-related, or social media postings allowed.
Back
How do you prevent the Aida cloth from getting warped when stitching?
Tue, Sep 29, 2015 2:40 AM
Posted by Liliya
I've done so many projects over the years, but I haven't been able to figure out a proper way to keep the fabric from warping where the fabric has less stitches. It seems to happen whether I use a hoop or not. Hoops are generally too small for my projects so I prefer not to use them. It's usually not that noticeable if i put it in a frame that is bigger than the project; it's the uneven length of the edges that give it away.

Any recommendations?

  • Reply from Finny
    Monday, October 19, 2015 6:57 PM
    Your stitches might be too tight. When I first started out I would pull the stitches too tight and it would warp. Now I keep it looser and I find that the sewing method rather than the stab method helps reduce my tendency to pull too lightly. (I figured out my stitches were too tight when I was looking at my knitting that was warped because of tight stitches) Also before I start a project I stretch the fabric a bit. Take it between my hands and give a few gentle tugs here and there, let it rest before I start using it. Also while I am working, and I finish a few blocks or a big section I give it a little wiggle and massage, it helps smooth it out a little. if you are using a hoop, do not tighten it with your aida so tight it can be tapped like a drum. And when you are done with a stitching session, make sure to take it out of the hoop. Go to top
  • Reply from Interlacements
    Saturday, October 31, 2015 10:02 PM
    I second Liliya's comment. Your stitches are likely too tight or you have too many strands of thread for the fabric count. The thread is crowding the fabric. I don't use hoops because I don't like the way they stretch the fabric on the edge of the hoop. I do use a needlework stand and stitching bars, as well as the PVC pipe frames (Q-snaps) on occasion (when I travel). I have a routine before I start a project --I wash the fabric, let it air dry, iron it flat, sew the raw edges, then sew the fabric on a set of stitching bars for the needlework stand. While the fabric is dry, but not necessarily ironed, I'll pinch the center fold to find the center and then baste in a different color strand of thread to mark the cross at the center. Then iron and sew it up.


    If you have a method to keep your fabric stretched taught while sewing, there is less chance of you over-tightening the stitches. I stitch rather large pieces that often take me years to complete. (I'm working on a Chatelaine mandala, a Celtic seasons pillow, the Marbek Nativity, and Barbara Ann Richter's Wedding Ketubah, along with a couple of small pieces that I keep for travel and a couple of my original designs.) The Q-snaps are designed so that you can move them around the piece. I really like taut fabric, so even for small things I will stitch them on bars and use a very portable stitching stand. The good side of the design sits in the "well" of the bars/Q-snaps/hoop. That's so the needle is not obstructed by the bars when you're running under the stitches on the back to finish off a thread.


    Good luck and happy stitching!! Go to top