Silk Road Needle Arts

                        St. Petersburg, Florida
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Aida vs Evenweaves/Linens--

There is a confusion in the definition of what is an "evenweave." Any fabric which has the same number of threads in both vertical and horizontal directions can be called an "evenweave." Typically, Aida is set aside as a different type of fabric, and the other fabrics constitute "evenweave." Linens, which are evenweaves, generally have threads which are of a different thickness throughout the fabric. So, to add to the confusion, some circles define three types of fabric for counted thread work: Aida, evenweaves, and linens.

Fabric choice is very much of a personal decision. In general, you should choose a fabric appropriate to the purpose and quality of the design. Also, people stitch for different reasons; perforated paper is fine for bookmarks and small fun items, such as greeting cards.

Beginners often choose Aida because the holes are easy to see and typically the count is larger, not to mention that it is inexpensive. We have some of the newer "soft" Aida fabrics, but in general, Aida is much stiffer than linen and evenweaves. The main difference that many stitchers notice is that it is somewhat more difficult to do fractional stitches on Aida; the fabric threads must be split with the needle in order to accomplish them.

Fractional stitches are easier to do on linens and evenweaves; typically stitching is done "over 2" so it is easy to create the partial stitches. Linens may also be stiff, according to the processing; repeated washing will soften the fabric. Linen has been the most popular fabric for counted thread work throughout the centuries, and continues to be used for samplers and many other projects.