Updated Aril 2, 2021.
I got an email from Karen, who asked about the Madiera canvas listed for the projects in Beautiful Bargello. The book was written in England, and many of the materials are challenging to find in the US.
For us, Madiera is a thread company, not a canvas company, so what is this stuff?
I suspect that “Madeira” in this context is a brand name, used the way we’d use “Zweigart.”
If you look at the instructions, it will say”18 holes” or “13 holes” — that’s the mesh size.
Now to the color. She is calling for “antique” canvas, which we would call “ercu.” This tan canvas works better for Bargello because the darker color melds in better with the thread colors so that needlepoint dandruff (flecks of white canvas showing) is not as apparent. When buying canvas for Bargello, you want to do is pick your canvas color in this order of preference:
- color similar to the main color of the canvas, so pink for a mainly pink or red canvas, sage green for green, and so on
- non-white neutral color, either ecru, tan, sandstone, or ivory
- white
If you can only find white, don’t despair. You can lightly color the canvas with COPIC markers, fabric markers, or acrylic paints. Then the dandruff is less apparent. Also, you can stitch it in such a way that dandruff is minimized.
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
NEEDLEPOINT DANDRUFF!!! excellent, and all this time I have been calling it *show through*
Much Better term
Once again, you rescue me from dire ignorance
M
for my bargello projects I’m a big fan of tea-dying my canvases. They give the canvas the antique look that I like. I use regular tea which gives it the ecru look but I also like to use raspberry tea which gives it a softer pink look. I’ve also used POM juice which is a great color (and it smells good too!). Someone once told me that dying canvases will remove the starch which is important but I’ve never had a problem with this. I always tack my pieces to a frame and I like a softer canvas.
I love this idea! I’m going to have to try it myself. I’ve tea dyed threads and fabrics, but never canvas.
Keep stitching,
Janet