One of the most important things when starting embroidery is to use the right fabric. Using the best fabric for your hand embroidery project can make all the difference, it can make your project go smoothly and you love it. And using the wrong fabric can make you miserable and want to throw that embroidery project out the window.
In this blog post I’ll show you the type of fabric that is best for embroidery. There are different types of fabrics you can use for embroidery, and we’ll get into all that later in the post.
Embroidery is one of my favorite crafts to do and it’s also one of the best budget-friendly crafts to start. Because you don’t need that many supplies and the supplies you do need don’t cost that much.
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The Best Embroidery Fabrics
Here is a list of my favorite fabrics that are the best for hand embroidery.
- Cotton
- Aida cloth
- Evenweave
- Linen
- Felt
- Denim
Down below I’ll get into a little more detail about why each of these fabrics are great for embroidery.
Cotton Fabric
This medium weight fabric is my favorite fabric to embroider on. And you can find cotton fabric at your local fabric store.
Cotton is a great fabric for embroidery, because the fabric is a tight weave that holds it shape really well. And unlike most tight weave fabric, going though the fabric with a needle is very easy.
Another thing that’s great about cotton fabric is the selection you have. There are tons of colors of cotton fabric to choose from for your embroidery projects. I know a lot of embroiders love to use Kona cotton for their embroidery projects.
If you’re a beginner at embroidery, I would definitely stick with natural fabrics. Because to me natural fibers are so much easier to do hand embroidery on.
Aida Fabric
Aida fabric is the fabric that you use most in cross stitch and it’s probably one of the easiest fabrics to stitch on. Because cross stitch to me is the easiest type of embroidery. This is a open even-weave fabric that is made out of cotton.
Aida fabric is a stiffer fabric, so you don’t have to use an embroidery hoop with it. This fabric comes in what’s called “counts”. The count stands for how many stitches you can make per inch. For example a 14 count Aida cloth will have 14 cross stitches per inch.
Aida fabric is the fabric that comes in the cross stitch kits. And Aida fabric is not that expensive and the visible holes make it really easy to stitch on.
Evenweave Fabrics
You’re probably wondering what even weave fabric is. Well, even-weave can be any fabric that is woven evenly. That means that it has the same number of threads (the warp and weft threads) per inch each way.
Even-weave fabric is also a type of hand embroidery fabric that’s used in cross stitch. This loosely woven material is not as easy to cross stitch on as Aida fabric.
You can also use this fabric for different types of embroidery besides cross stitch. This is a popular choice for more intermediate or advanced cross stitchers. And like Aida fabric you can get evenweave in different thread counts.
Linen Fabric
Linen is a beautiful lightweight fabric that drapes very nicely. This high thread count fabric is a traditional hand embroidery fabric used for crewel embroidery.
Linen is great for all kinds of embroidery designs from simple designs to more complex ones. There is a lot of different types and quality of linen out there to choose from.
Linen is also a cotton fabric and you can get packages of linen for needlework at any craft store. My Hobby Lobby has a small section of needlework linen and a large selection regular cotton fabric in a variety of colors.
Felt Fabric
Yes, felt is not your traditional embroidery fabric. But, it’s great for hand embroidery and perfect for beginners to start on.
Wool felt is great, because it’s non-woven so it does not fray. That makes it great for small embroidery projects like brooches, earrings and other items.
I have embroidered felt stockings and ornaments and felt can take a lot of stitching and not pucker and it holds up really well during the hand embroidery process. You can get felt in wool, wool blends, and acrylic.
Denim Fabric
Denim fabric is a great choice for embroidery. You’ve probably seen a lot of embroidered jeans and denim jacket. A lot of the time is seem that an embroidery machine is used to embroider denim, but hand embroidery to me gives denim clothing a little more personal touch.
Since denim is a heavy fabric, it’s a little thicker than plain cotton. So, it maybe a little bit harder to get used to embroidering on. But, once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly simple. You just want to make sure you have a nice sharp needle.
So, there is 6 different fabrics for you to choose from for your next (or first) embroidery project. The kind of fabric you want to use is up to you and there maybe a totally different fabric you’re wanting to use.
This post is just a guide to help you find the right embroidery fabric.
Embroidery Questions
Can you use synthetic fabrics for embroidery? Yes, you can use synthetic stretchy fabrics for embroidery. But, if you’re a beginner I don’t recommend it. Because most synthetic fabrics are stretchy and if you’re not careful it can cause a wonky looking design or loose stitches. I do not like synthetic fabrics for embroidery, I prefer natural fibres.
What embroidery floss is the best choice? I love to use DMC embroidery floss. It’s high quality, hardly ever tangles, and is easy to work with. I have used other brands of embroidery floss. But, none have come close to DMC.
Can you embroider on silk fabric? Yes, you can embroider on silk fabric. It is trickier than working on cotton fabric, because it’s slippery, delicate and not to mention expensive. But, silk is a beautiful fabric that looks great with embroidery stitches.
