Comparison
Linen vs cotton: what's the best fabric for hand embroidery?
For a black-thread pet portrait, use oatmeal linen or a linen-cotton blend. Its warm, natural color makes black thread look like an ink sketch, it holds tension in a hoop, and it takes a rinse well once it's pre-washed. Plain quilting cotton is a fine, easy-to-find choice. Skip stretchy knits and loose, fuzzy weaves for a first piece.
Linen and cotton compared
Linen and quilting cotton for hand embroidery
| Linen or linen-cotton blend | Quilting cotton | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | A soft natural texture; oatmeal makes black thread look like ink on paper | Smooth and even, in every color |
| In the hoop | Firm, and holds drum-tight | Holds well; lighter weights pucker if stitches are pulled tight |
| Shrinking | Can shrink: pre-wash it before you stitch | Can shrink too: pre-wash it |
| Creases | Creases easily, so press it before you start | Creases less |
| The final rinse | Takes the soak well once it's pre-washed | Takes the soak well once it's pre-washed |
| Easy to find | Fabric and craft stores, and online | Almost anywhere that sells fabric |
| Best for | A portrait you'll frame or give | Practice pieces, first tries, colored backgrounds |
Both are woven, natural fabrics, and both work. The difference is mostly the look. On linen, a simple black line drawing reads as art. On bright white cotton, the same drawing can look more like a coloring page.
Why oatmeal linen for a dog portrait
Black thread on warm, natural linen looks like an ink sketch every time. There's no color to choose and nothing to match, so all your attention goes to the lines that make your dog look like your dog. That's why the Stitch Your Dog course uses black floss on oatmeal linen, with a linen-cotton blend as a fine substitute.
- Pre-shrink it. Your finished piece gets a rinse to dissolve the pattern sheet, and unwashed linen can shrink and pucker around your stitches. Soak it, let it dry, and press it while it's slightly damp, moving the iron along the weave rather than on a slant so it stays square.
- Find the grain. Tug the fabric gently each way. The direction that barely gives is the lengthwise grain. Run it up and down your portrait.
- Test your floss. Rinse a snip of black floss and dry it on a white paper towel. If any color comes off, you'll know before the big rinse.
- Keep it clean. Wash your hands before you handle the linen. A clean background is what makes a piece look handmade, not homemade.
Fabrics to skip for a first piece
- Stretchy knits, like T-shirt jersey. They stretch out of shape in the hoop and need extra support to stitch well.
- Loose or open weaves. Stitches about 1/8 inch long can slip between the threads, and lines wander.
- Fuzzy or deeply textured fabric, like fleece or terry cloth. Fine black lines sink in and disappear.
- Very thin or sheer fabric. Every thread on the back shows through on the front.
What about dark fabric? It works for line art with white or light thread. The hard part is getting the design on, because a pencil line vanishes on navy. A printed stick and stitch sheet solves that: the lines are on the sheet, not the fabric.
Whatever you choose, cut it a few inches bigger than your hoop on every side. For a 6-inch hoop, a 10-inch square is plenty.
Questions people ask
What is the best fabric for hand embroidery?
A firm, tightly woven natural fabric: linen, a linen-cotton blend or quilting cotton. For a black-thread pet portrait, we use oatmeal linen.
Is linen good for beginners?
Yes, once it's pre-washed. It holds tension well in a hoop and forgives a stitch taken out and put back. It creases easily, so press it before you start.
What fabric should you avoid?
For a first piece, skip stretchy knits, loose or open weaves, and fuzzy or deeply textured fabrics. They pull out of shape, swallow small stitches or hide fine lines.
How do you wash stabilizer out of embroidery fabric?
Trim the extra sheet, soak the piece in lukewarm water for 5 to 10 minutes, swish it gently and finish under the running tap. If it feels stiff once dry, rinse it again.
How do you end embroidery on fabric?
Finish each thread on the back: slide the needle under the backs of 4 or 5 stitches, make one small loop around the last one, and trim. No knot is needed.
Sources: Needle 'n Thread: Preparing linen for embroidery · Embroiderers' Guild of America: The Little Book of embroidery basics (PDF) · DMC: Cleaning and washing finished work