Welcome to Willow Fabrics — Your Go-To Online Cross Stitch Store

Ask any stitcher what's in their project bag and you'll get the same answer every time: fabric, thread, needles... and at least one pair of "good" scissors they'd never let anyone else touch. Cutting tools don't get nearly as much attention as fabric or floss, but the wrong pair can fray your thread ends, chew up delicate evenweave, or leave you fighting a stiff spring action halfway through a long stitching session.

With embroidery scissors, embroidery snips, sewing shears, and rotary cutters all doing slightly different jobs, it's easy to end up with the wrong tool for the task. Here's a straightforward guide to what each one is actually for and which you genuinely need in your kit.

Key Takeaways

• • Embroidery scissors, with their short, sharp blades, are essential for snipping floss close to the fabric without catching your stitches.
• • Embroidery snips are a fast, spring-loaded alternative to scissors, ideal for stitchers who trim thread constantly.
• • The best dressmaking scissors and

If you've stitched on Aida for a while and fancy trying something new, you've probably come across evenweave fabric. But then you spot names like Jobelan, Lugana and Murano, and the choice suddenly feels a lot more confusing than it needs to be.

The good news is, they're all fairly similar, and once you know what sets them apart, picking the right one is easy. Here's a simple guide to what evenweave is and how Jobelan, Lugana and Murano compare.

What Is Evenweave Fabric?

Evenweave is a type of fabric woven with the same number of threads running vertically and horizontally, so the little squares between them are perfectly even. That makes it easy to count threads accurately in both directions, which is exactly what you need for cross-stitch, hardanger and other counted thread work.

Unlike Aida fabric, which has clear, visible holes to stitch through, evenweave has a smoother, closer weave. Most stitchers work "over two" threads rather than through single holes, which gives a finer, more

Have you ever spotted a cross-stitch design on a t-shirt, baby bib, denim jacket, or tea towel and wondered how on earth someone stitched it? These fabrics don't have a neat, countable weave like Aida, so normally you couldn't cross-stitch on them at all.

The trick is a handy little tool called waste canvas. Once you know how it works, you can create beautiful waste canvas cross-stitch designs on almost any fabric you like. In this guide, we'll explain what waste canvas is, why it's so useful, and how to use it step by step with quality supplies from Willow Fabrics. 

What Is Waste Canvas?

Waste canvas is a stiff, blue-and-white canvas with an open, gridded weave. It's made from cotton with a bit of stiffening (sizing) added, so it holds its shape while you stitch.

It looks a bit like an ordinary cross-stitch canvas, but it isn't meant to stay in your finished piece. That's why it's called "waste" canvas — you use it, then take it away. It also acts as a removable canvas, making it ideal