Needlepoint Canvas

The terms cross stitch, embroidery and needlepoint are often used interchangeably by people who don’t know the distinctions between these arts. While they share similarities in that they all involve a needle and thread used to make a design, there are important differences, and one has to do with the fabric, or canvas, that is used.

Needlepoint Canvas

Needlepoint Canvas tends to be larger than the fabric that is routinely used for cross stitching, but that’s not always the case. A good basic cross stitching fabric has 12 or 14 stitches (or squares) per inch, while needlepoint canvas ranges from five to 26 stitches per inch.

This type of canvas tends to be stiffer than the fabric used for other needle crafts. The separate but related craft known as plastic canvas is a form of needlepoint that uses canvas actually made out of plastic to form rigid shapes.

There are three main types of needlepoint canvas available.

Mono Canvas

Mono canvas is the most popular variety in the United States. The squares are made from a single thread that intersects other threads across the canvas, creating squares.

There’s one single crossing on each intersection of the fabric. Many different colors and count sizes are available, and it can be purchase in widths of 40 or 54 inches.

Duo Canvas

Also known as Penelope canvas, duo canvas is the most popular canvas in England. As the name suggests, it uses two threads to make each square, and the stitching can be worked over either one or two threads.

This gives the canvas more versatility and allows the stitcher to add more detail in certain sections of the project by making smaller squares. The count size is usually given in a way that reflects this ability; a 10-20 count means it has 10 squares per inch if stitched over two threads and 20 if stitched over one thread.

Interlock

Similar to mono canvas, interlock is the lightest and least expensive of the canvases. It uses one thread to make a square but instead of having the threads intersect, they are actually woven around each other.

This canvas is not as strong or durable as the other canvases, but it’s not available in the wide range of size counts that the other canvas varieties are. Thus it is considered good for small projects and things that will not be subjected to a lot of wear.

Sources for Needlepoint Canvas

Here are some places online to look for needlepoint canvas:

• Spin a Yarn has a good selection of seconds and precut pieces of canvas at a fraction of the cost.
• High Fiber sells a variety of canvases ranging from 6.5 to 22 count that can be purchased by the square inch.
• Needlepoint Shop (scroll down) has a selection of canvases at $40 per yard.

Working with Needlepoint Canvas

Needlepoint canvas can fray, so you might want to put some masking tape on the edges to keep it from unraveling while you’re working. If you like extra stability, you can also use a stitching frame to keep the piece firm while you’re working.

As in cross stitch, it helps if you start from the middle of the pattern and work your way out, changing colors as needed. To find the center of the project, either measure your canvas to find the center point or fold it in half in both directions. The middle corner will be your center point.

When you are done stitching you should stretch or block the canvas to make sure that the design is square. An easy way to do this is to spray the canvas with water, use a staple gun or tacks to secure one side to a piece of wood, then gently stretch the fabric square and tack down the other side, top and bottom. Allow it to dry before removing from the board.

Then you can frame it, make it into a pillow or whatever else you like.

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