Should you wash Aida cloth before cross stitching?
Aida cloth is a fabric that is used for cross stitch. It is formed in a grid pattern. It can also come pre – printed with a larger grid on one side which helps with counting stitches and keeping your work straight. But should you wash Aida cloth before cross stitching?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to washing your Aida cloth before stitching. One school says that you should wash the fabric before stitching because it will make it easier to get the fabric clean and ready for use. The other school says that you should not wash it because the weave of the fabric will be disturbed and you will end up with puckers in your work.
But do you wash your Aida cloth before cross stitching?
Reasons for washing
- Yes! You should wash your Aida cloth before you start cross stitching. This will remove any dust and oils that might have accumulated on the fabric from sitting in a warehouse or store. Or if you’ve managed to bag a bargain at a thrift store, then you may want to freshen it up.
- If a dark colour then yes, definitely. If you wash after stitching it’s more likely that the fabric will run, not the threads.
- Some brands of sparkly Aida can be so tough, that they require washing so as they don’t hurt your hands.
Reasons against washing
- No! You do not need to wash your Aida cloth before cross stitching. The fabric is pre-shrunk and washing it may cause the fabric to shrink even more, which could change the size of your project
- It can be so much easier to find the holes when it’s stiff.
- Better to wash both fabric and threads all together after.
- Washing can cause the fabric to become soft and the crosses will be slanted.
My thoughts
So what should you do? If you are working on a project that requires precision, then I recommend not washing the fabric beforehand. Only washing after if really necessary and only with a suitable delicate detergent.
I Never wash my aida cloth before stitching! I only wash it “after” my project is “done!”
Definitely not, it’s naturally stiff which helps keep it taut so easier to stitch
Interesting topic – I have some pieces of cross stitch I am incorporating in a quilt and have been trying to decide about washing. Good thoughts.
Interesting, I hadn’t even thought about washing it before! I have a question, maybe you have some thoughts on my problem. I have a finished cross stitch which I gave to my. mother-in-law in the 80’s, yes, really old! It has never been cleaned. It is mounted on that old adhesive board that was in use back then, maybe it still is. I don’t know how to remove it from the board without stretching the Aida cloth. Have you ever had to deal with this???
I would leave it unless it really is dirty. There are dry methods you can use, but you’d need to talk to a specialist. If you were set on removing it from the board you need to do it slowly and with a flat tool to slid between it and the board to stop it becoming too distorted.