You may have done pulled canvas and not even known it. If you pull on a stitch too hard, you’ll notice that the canvas threads around it become distorted and the stitch itself becomes tighter than the stitches around it.
It tends to happen to me when I pull too vigorously near the end of a thread.
When it happens once — it’s a defect. But what if you did it regularly and deliberately? Then it’s a technique called pulled canvas.
Pulled Canvas can take needlepoint, which normally covers the canvas in a smooth manner, and turn it into a lacy marvel. This happens because each stitch is tightened an even amount, shortening the stitches and distorting the canvas threads, making the holes bigger.
When you make eyelets and have to enlarge the hole, you are doing the beginning of Pulled Work. Here the stitches aren’t shortened but by making the center hole bigger, you have distorted the threads. If instead of stitching normally you pulled the stitches, you’d have Pulled Eyelets.
How to Pull Stitches
To pull a stitch, all you need to do is bring your needle back beyond the beginning of the stitch on the back of the canvas and yank. Hard. No, even harder. If the threads do not come out of alignment, you have not pulled enough.
As you pull the parts of a stitch you will see they distort in specific ways. The stitch will always move away from the canvas threads around it. If it’s an eyelet, the center hole will get bigger. If there are open threads of canvas between two pulled stitches, they will sit in the middle with holes around them.
I won’t kid you, pulled work takes good hand strength. While I used to be able to do this technique, now my hands aren’t strong enough to loosen the sizing on the canvas. I haven’t tried it myself, but perhaps working on canvas that has the sizing removed by wetting it then letting it dry will work.
Tips for Pulled Work Success
Pulled Work must always be done with Mono Canvas, no other type of canvas has intersections that can be pulled out of shape.
Always use a frame when stitching pulled work, the taut canvas is required.
When you pull, pull an even amount for each stitch unit or each part of a stitch. Otherwise it looks uneven and if it was stitched that way by accident.
You cannot do pulled work with stranded threads. That’s because it is extremely difficult to get even tension on all strands. Pulled Work is best done with strong single-strand threads, such as pearl cotton or linen.
If you want your project to emphasize the distortion of the canvas, use a thread close in color to the canvas color. If you want to emphasize the distorted stitches use a contrasting color of thread.
You can mix Pulled Work and regular stitches in one piece however your results will look much better if you create a barrier between the pulled and regular stitches. This can be either a couple of unpulled threads of canvas or a simple outline of Tent Stitches. Neglect this and the result looks messy (I’ve done this so I know).
If your hands are hurting from pulling the threads, try working on unpulled projects or wearing a glove.
Pulled Canvas Resources
Books:
- Pulled Thread Embroidery by Moyra MacNiell (in print)
- Pulled Work on Canvas and Linen by Rosemary Drydale (out of print)
- The Open Canvas by Carolyn Ambuter (out of print book)
- Pulled Thread Workbook by Mary Fry (out of print book)
Projects:
- Pulled Work Sampler Block (free pattern)
- Pulled Thread on Canvas (out of print leaflet) – my first project in this technique was the sampler in this leaflet)
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Gail says
This sounds like a great project. I would like to see some images of the work. I will search for some pictures.
Janet M Perry says
The picture at the top of the column is a free project, part of Jubilee, which uses pulled canvas.
There is a link to it in the resources at the end of the article.
Pat Correz says
If the canvas is stiff from sizing and you don’t have the strength to pull, you can definitely dampen the canvas. I’ve done this for years. You can also use your needle or an awl to slightly enlarge the hole and loosen the sizing. I use a clean white paper towel, get it fairly wet (wring it out), press against the area I’m pulling, then stitch that area. It dries quickly. Then repeat for next area. I’ve done this recently with an Ann Strite-Kurz design and use this technique all the time on canvas….and even on very stiff linen. Never had a problem. With Ann’s designs, she often has you “poke” holes to set up a design using an awl…it breaks the sizing and leaves a pattern.
Janet M Perry says
Thanks, Pat! Those are great tips.
Keep stitching,
Janet