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Using Waste Canvas

Inspired by some of the lovely traditional crossstitch designs on pages 21 - 23, I thought itmight be fun to take a look at working withwaste canvas for those who love the look ofcross stitch but who don’t necessarily want tostitch on even weave fabric. Using wastecanvas is really easy, although the stiffnessdoes take a little getting used to and it probablyisn’t the best stuff to choose for your first-evercross stitch project. Waste canvas is relativelyinexpensive to buy so be sure to purchasemore than you’ll need as this will help you whenyou’re removing the threads - hence the name- waste canvas.

When you’re using waste canvas you’ll noticethat it’s much stiffer and less flexible thannormal counted thread fabric used for crossstitch - this is because it’s starched - indeedthe starch is what holds it together.

If the item you’re stitching is going to bewashed, then it’s a very good idea to launderit before working your design as some itemsdo shrink the first time they’re washed.Hopefully this will also stop dark colours fromrunning when your stitching is finished.

Always make sure that the waste canvas islarger than your actual design as this will makeit much easier to remove the threads. Placethe waste canvas on your background fabricin the position you want the finished design tobe. If you're stitching on anything which is evenslightly stretchy- like a t-shirt - you MUST useinterfacing - a non-stretchy fabric that is usedto stabilise any stretchy fabric before stitchingon it. If you have an embroidered T-shirt, thenturn it inside out and check the back of theembroidery. You’ll notice that there’s whitefabric beneath the stitching - that’s theinterfacing - almost any stretchy or delicatefabric which has been embroidered, whetherby machine or by hand, will have usedinterfacing. Your stitches will be very distortedand unattractive if you don’t use interfacing toback your stitches when working on a stretchyfabric.

You can purchase sew-in interfacing at anyfabric store and it’s really inexpensive - I find amedium-weight works well for me. You maywell see several different types of interfacingincluding some which you can iron on - youdon't need to spend extra on the iron-on kindbecause your stitching will hold it in place quitenicely all by itself!

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You’ll also need a sharp embroidery needle.Normally of course, when working cross stitchyou use a blunt tapestry needle so you don’tsplit the threads, and of course the holes oneven-weave canvas already exist. Whenyou're stitching through a base fabric thatdoesn't have pre-made holes you'll need asharp needle. Use a needle that passesthrough the smallest holes in your wastecanvas without stretching them out of shapetoo much as this will help keep your stitchesneat and tidy.

You should also use an embroidery hoop that’slarge enough to contain your whole design. Ifyou hoop over the top of finished stitches yourisk warping the waste canvas and misaligningyour subsequent stitches.

If you’re using interfacing then make a kind ofsandwich before hooping up - waste canvas,then fabric, then interfacing. Tack the layerstogether so they won’t shift around inside thehoop. Use small firm tacking stitches so yourwaste canvas won’t shift around whilst you’restitching.

Be sure to use a good quality, colourfast threadsuch as Anchor or DMC as you may wish towash your finished article and you don’t wantthe colour to run. Keep the strand of yourworking floss relatively short - the more alength of floss is passed through fabric themore it can dull and fray. In even-weave fabriclike Aida, the hole is already made and so thefloss can pass through with less friction, butwhen you're stitching on solid fabric there ismore stress on the floss as you pull it through- if keep your floss to a manageable length yourstitches will look nicer.

Once you’ve completed your stitching then thefinal step is to remove the waste canvas.Dampen your canvas first - then leave it for afew minutes to allow the water to penetrate the

strands. If there's a lot of empty wastecanvas around your design you can (carefully!)trim it closer to you stitching - but not too close- you don’t want to risk accidentally cutting astitch - and you’ll also need a little wastecanvas to grab hold of with your tweezers topull the strands free. If you've stitched morethan one motif it can be a good idea to cut thewaste canvas between the motifs (if possible)so you’ll be removing shorter threads insteadof great long ones.

You must pull each individual strand of thewaste canvas out from underneath yourstitches as carefully as possible. The best wayto do this is to pull out from the side, try not topull up. I always start with the shorter strandsfirst as once they’re out of the way it's mucheasier to pull out the longer strands.

Yes, you do actually have to pull each strandout individually - it sounds tedious but it’sactually quite satisfying! You can use tweezersif you find it helps you grasp each strand. Ifyou come across any stubborn strands trywetting your canvas again and waiting a fewmoments - or try pulling it free from the otherside.

Once you’ve removed all the strands and yourwork is dry, simply turn it over and press lightlyon the reverse, trimming away any excessinterfacing if you’ve used it. And that’s all thereis to it! Happy Stitching!!

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Why do we love to stitch? After all you can purchasemass-produced textile items at many high streetsstores for very little cost. These days handmademeans something special - a unique item created withlove, a gift from the heart, not one that can be bought.

Hand stitching is also a great way to personalise anitem, or perhaps to breathe new life into an old favouritethat has seen better days.

PS If you love stitching, then you’re sure to enjoy my Bustle & Sew Magazine. It’s delivered byemail to your in-box each month and is crammed full of ideas, projects, features, articles, patternsand more to inspire you. Your family and friends will soon be queuing up to take delivery of yournew Bustle & Sew creations. To learn more please visit the Bustle & Sew website.

Helen xx

Please respect my copyright and do not copy and distribute this pattern for any purpose. You arewelcome to sell items you personally have made using this pattern provided you credit Bustle &Sew with the design. You are not licensed to go into mass production.Thank you.

© Bustle & Sew 2016

Bustle & Sew offers my own unique patterns, designed to appeal to all skill levels and bringout all your natural creativity. And you can keep up to date with all the latest news fromDevonwhere I live as well as the newest patterns and much more over on the Bustle & SewBlog.