How to Use Waste Canvas

What is waste canvas for cross stitch?

If you've ever dabbled in cross stitch, you might have come across the term waste canvas.

No, it's not some rejected piece of material that stitchers toss aside. Quite the contrary!

Imagine being able to add a beautiful cross stitch design to any fabric you desire - a t-shirt, a denim jacket, a bag, or anything else you can think of! With water- soluble waste canvas, you can do just that.

This amazing invention helps you achieve perfect stitches every time. The one-use grid guides your needle, ensuring your stitches are evenly spaced and your design turns out flawless.

And the best part?

Once you've completed your masterpiece, simply wet the canvas, and it will dissolve thread by thread, leaving only your stunning design behind.

Prepare for using waste canvas

Decorating clothes with needlework, like embroidery or cross stitch, is a trend that's gaining popularity, and the best part? It's incredibly easy to do!

Why not start with my free patterns and see where your creativity takes you?

The canvas comes in a number of different sizes, including 9, 10 and 14 threads per inch. 

 

Before we dive into the fun part – stitching – let's take a few minutes to prepare our canvas.

Step 1: Cut Your Canvas to Size

Determine the dimensions of your design and cut your waste canvas slightly larger. A good rule of thumb is to add 2-3 inches to each side.

Step 2: Find the Centre

Fold your canvas in half both ways to find its centre, just like you would with cross stitch.

If you're concerned about losing this point, mark it lightly with a pencil. Don't worry, we'll be removing the canvas later, so you're not committing to anything just yet!

Step 3: Position Your Canvas

Decide where you want to place your design on your chosen item.

Drape the canvas over the spot, aligning the fabric and canvas threads as closely as possible. Who wants a lopsided motif, after all?

Step 4: Pin it to your garment

Use a couple of pins to hold the canvas in place, and you're ready to start stitching!

Step 5: Baste the canvas in place

Using a standard embroidery needle and sewing thread, attach the fabric to the garment.

Start at the centre and work your way diagonally to one corner, then repeat the process for the remaining corners. To add extra security, add a row of tacking stitches along the outer edge of the canvas.

Step 6: Hoop It Up!

Place your fabric "sandwich" into an embroidery hoop, choosing a size that can comfortably contain all the areas you plan to stitch.

The less you need to adjust the hoop, the better!

Cross Stitching on waste canvas

When working cross stitch on Aida or evenweave fabrics you would use a blunt tapestry needle, but for other fabrics you may find a sharp needle easier. 

As usual, start from the centre of your design and work outwards. The fabric has a tendency to slip and working in this way will help to keep your stitches where they should be. 

If you haven't done cross stitch before, check out my beginners guide before using waste canvas. 

If you study the canvas closely, you will see that the threads are woven in twos. This leaves two different sized holes. Normally you would want to stitch through the larger ones, not the tiny ones between these double threads. 

If you do work through the tiny holes it can be more difficult removing the canvas once your stitching is complete.

How to remove waste canvas

Gently spritz your canvas with water to help remove the water-soluble starch. You can use the spray function on your iron or, if you prefer, soak the farment in a bowl of water for a few minutes.

Begin by extracting your temporary stitches (the cross stitches might hide some, so just focus on the visible ones).

Rummage through your manicure set to find a pair of tweezers. If you're lucky, you might even have a pair with a built-in magnifier! Keep a small container nearby to collect the stray threads as you extract them.

Now it's time to remove the waste canvas threads, remember to take your time and be gentle. Here's how:

Step 1: Focus on One Thread at a Time

Use tweezers to carefully grasp a single thread and extract it from under your cross stitches.

Step 2: Watch Out for Anchored Threads

If a thread is anchored in multiple locations, like those that go under both the boots and body of my robin design (see photo), be extra cautious not to pull too hard.

You don't want to risk distorting your stitches.

Step 3: Remove Threads with Care

Take your time, and avoid yanking the waste canvas threads from under your cross stitch. Instead, gently coax them out, one by one.

Remove all the threads to leave your design sitting proudly on your garment. 

Congratulations!