Working with Waste Canvas | ||||||||
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Waste canvas comes in several stitch counts and can be bought at cross-stitch shops, fabric stores, craft stores (like Michael’s, etc.) and even the needlework sections of discount chain stores (like Target, ShopKo, K-Mart, Walmart, etc.). Some of the waste canvas has blue lines running throughout the fabric every 10 stitches or so and looks and feels a bit like needlepoint canvas. Though many waste canvas designs specify using a large count fabric, waste canvas is available in as small as 16, 18 and 20 count. Why use waste canvas instead of iron-on transfers to stitch on garments? MCCSC’s opinion is that it assures a more even stitch than markings. TBalodis reminds us that inks don’t wash out of all fabrics, and can peek out from behind the stitching. Many stitchers like working on a waste canvas project as a change of pace. Because these projects are often small—say, smaller than 150 x 150—they work up quickly. It’s also fun to experiment with stitching on garments and seeing your completed projects being worn with pride.
Some folks think working with waste canvas is tricky. MacsForMe thinks that waste canvas looks better on lighter colored clothing. She’s seen it on black and was not very satisfied with the results. Bob b1744 said she felt like she was working blind and that her stitching wasn’t as neat as usual. She believes part of her difficulty was working with a difficult pattern. Like any technique, it’s practice that will give the best results.
Stitchers differed in the type of needle they used to stitch on waste canvas. Some like to use a tapestry needle, with blunt point, as used on other x-stitch work. Others liked the way a sharp needle can pierce the garment’s fabric and any "glued" holes of the waste canvas. The best tip seems to be to keep an even, taut—but not tight—tension on your work when stitching. Too loose a stitch can make the finished work look sloppy. Too tight a stitch will make it very difficult to pull the waste canvas threads out after stitching—or will cause the fabric/stitching to buckle when pulling out the underlying threads. Keeping the garment tight in a hoop is another highly recommended tip, especially when working with sweatshirts. The basting threads remain in the canvas only until the stitching gets started. The basting is removed as you approach it. Many stitchers begin stitching from the center of the design when using waste canvas to alleviate the "creeping" during stitching. KarenS8888 says recommends stitching from bottom to top or top to bottom, left to right or right to left, or stitching from the center out. "Don’t stitch yourself into a corner!" When stitching with 8.5 or 10 count canvas, 6 strands of floss are recommended for good coverage. For 11 or 14 count canvas, 2 or 3 strands of floss are adequate. Experimentation is the best indicator for how many strands of floss to use on any given project. * Bejoyce notes to take care not to pierce the threads of the canvas while stitching. That can make removing the threads later extremely difficult. * TBalodis reminds us that when stitching on waste canvas, you are stitching over the corners of the warp and weft rather than stitching over the squares on aida. * Vfindersis recommends stitching with dampened floss.
Pulling the waste canvas out from the finished stitching can be the most difficult and tedious part of working with this medium. Some stitchers fear that the stitching will look "sloppy" or cock-eyed after the canvas is pulled out from under the stitches. After the design is stitched and all interior basting is removed, dampen the fabric. If you’ve basted around the circumference of your design, that basting can remain in place for the time being. This moistening removes the starch which has been "binding" the fabric together. Bejoyce noted in a post of Dec. 22, 1994, that the secret to easy removal is to not get the canvas too wet. She recommends saturating a clean sponge or wash cloth with water, and pressing it onto the finished stitchery so that the canvas is damp. Then remove the waste canvas threads one at a time. KarenS8888 has a different method. After stitching the design and removing interior basting stitches, she washes and dries her garment. This removes all the starch and sizing in the canvas. She then removes the waste canvas threads with the garment completely dry, one thread at a time. Most stitchers did agree that a good pair of tweezers or a pair of hemostats (which can be purchased at swap meets or flea markets) is a great help in pulling the canvas out. They also recommend allowing lots of time to remove the waste canvas. One bright stitcher recommended using a pair of sharp scissors (Lift N Snips work great for this) to carefully snip the waste canvas beneath the finished stitchery in the middle of the design. Then you can pull the threads from both ends, and only have to pull half the thread from either end. Finally, remove any basting stitches from the circumference of your piece. * MKShoaff thought it would only take a short time to remove the waste canvas, but no ... she was removing it at 1 am for a Christmas gift. :/ * LouiseS267 has found that the larger count waste canvas pulls out much more easily than the smaller counts. It stands to reason that the less stitches per inch on a small design, the less chance of canvas getting stuck in the stitches. * GarretFam recommends using sharp scissors so that you don’t split threads. * MCCSC noted that if worst comes to worst and you just can’t remove the canvas because of lots of stitches, just clip the canvas close to the x’s. It won’t show! * MendoLdy claims to have an in-house waste canvas puller outter—her daughter! ;D * Vfindersis added, "Personally, pulling out the threads of the canvas is the best part. It means that your project is almost done."
Though sweatshirts and sock were the most common garments used with waste canvas, stitchers told tales of other applications. * Bejoyce said her favorite waste canvas project was a blouse with a bunch of flowers which was embellished with beads. * DebbieFnly usually uses it on annual sweatshirts for her daughter, but one year she used it on a pieced Christmas quilt with her church group. She had several squares on plain colors of broadcloth. Each member used waste canvas to stitch an angel on the square. Then the members had a quilting bee where the squares were then pieced together. * LTark has used waste canvas on baby t-shirts. * Petunia saw waste canvas done on sweaters (rather than duplicate stitch). * MKShoaff plans to stitch with waste canvas on a patch pocket BEFORE stitching the pocket onto the garment she’s constructing. * Two x over said that the biggest problem with the socks she stitched using waste canvas was that they were too cute! Now everyone who sees them wants Two x over to stitch them a pair!
AKALWAYS heard of a new kind that doesn’t need to be tweezed off and asked how it faired on broadcloth shirts or blouses. BabyGeorge replied that she has seen Aida Plus (the new stiff aida) used for this purpose, and stitched right onto the sweatshirts. Apparently the design is stitched on the Aida Plus, then the finished work is stitched onto the garment. A one-block border of the background is left showing when the excess Aida Plus is cut off. Linen can be used instead of wasted canvas for similar results. MCCSC notes that linen pulls out very easily. The price per garment may be a bit higher than if using waste canvas, unless you use linen scraps from larger projects. (Linen can be $3.00 for a 10" x 10" piece. The same size piece of waste canvas would be about $2.00). Some stitchers like using linen because it tends to be softer and more manageable than waste canvas. Others like it for the ease of those pesky 1/4 and 3/4 stitches. You must remember that in figuring your linen stitch count, to count "over two"—count the number of threads in an inch, then divide by two to get your finished stitch count. * NotMchTime and JillXS noted that an article by Pat Carson from the premiere edition of The Stitchery Magazine noted that linen works very well as waste canvas. The advantages to using linen are that there is no need to dampen the stitching to remove the linen, the floss won’t catch on the linen as it does on canvas, and that the linen is evenly woven. Another plus is that hoops fit more easily on linen so you have a taut fabric to stitch on. The linen is then pulled out thread by thread, first in one direction, then the other. It comes out easily. A third alternative is to stitch on your choice of fabric as you normally would, trim a fabric border around the stitching (a half inch or so), turn under the border, and sew (appliqué) the stitching to the garment. An advantage to this method is that if the garment goes out of style, is worn out or is outgrown, your stitching can be removed and sewn onto another garment.
Most stitchers have not had any trouble washing waste canvas projects. KarenS8888 noted, in a post of Jan. 1, 1995, that when using the wash/dry/remove waste canvas threads method, the garment looks even better after the first laundering. Vfindersis notes that if the floss is properly woven as you stitch, the stitches won’t come out. "They sort of get caught in the fleece in the sweatshirt." The stitching floss does not come undone and even the beads stay on! Use good sense and treat the garment with the respect you treat all your needlework. For example, you may want to wash these garments in cold water, turned inside out, on a gentle cycle—and not with your dirty overalls! But also remember that waste canvas is often used on children’s clothing—and anything goes to clean up after a busy toddler. ;)
Threadwork said she once taught a class on working with waste canvas. One student insisted that it be called "trash canvas." In her mind, waste = trash.
After learning all these good tips from those that have gone before me, I gave waste canvas a try. You can see my first attempt when I stitched a Halloween design on an old t-shirt. Are you willing to try it too? After all ... what’s one more project added to our to do pile? ;D
Written for the purpose of informing and stimulating the creativity in other lovers of counted cross-stitch. Permission is granted to redistribute this article in its entirety for noncommercial use provided that this copyright notice is not removed or altered and that no portion of this work is sold either by itself or as part of a larger work without the express written permission of the author.  |
Waste canvas is a rather stiff material—a cross between mono-canvas and aida cloth—used in conjunction with woven or knit fabrics to supply an evenweave base for cross-stitching. The stiffness of the canvas is due to the way it is constructed: the threads are held together with starch! It is usually used for clothing (sweatshirts and socks being very popular item), though crafty stitchers have found other uses for this technique. The basic idea is that the canvas is basted onto a garment, the design is stitched, then the canvas is removed, leaving the design.