In embroidery, plainweave is a technical category of woven base fabrics that are suitable for working certain varieties of embroidery. Plainweave fabrics have a tight weave and individual threads are not readily visible. Surface embroidery may be performed on plainweave, such as crewel work, goldwork, stumpwork, cutwork, and candlewicking. Embroideries that can be performed on plainweave do not require the crafter to perform stitches at a precise thread count. Most woven fabrics that were not specifically manufactured for the purpose of embroidery qualify as plainweave. Traditionally,

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

plainweave is the preferred fabric for crewel embroidery. Other plainweaves suitable for crewel include

denim Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more Warp (weaving), warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was f ...

, sailcloth, ticking, and organdy when worked in

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

Plainweave uses

Historic eighteenth century crewel embroidery preferentially used a linen and

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

twill plainweave because it wore well. The fabric's diagonal rib was regarded as an esthetically pleasing contrast to the embroidery, although sometimes it was brushed before working to create a smoother nap. This material, known as ''fustian'' originated in Fustât in ancient times and was probably the forerunner of

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

. Almost any plainweave fabric can be made suitable for goldwork and other metal embroidery. Fine linen is among the easiest to work with. Silk has been the preferred fabric historically in clerical and royal garments to achieve a shiny and sumptuous effect. Lightweight or stretchy plainweaves may require stabilization to prevent puckering. Traditionally a backing of linen or muslin would be used as a stabilizing element. Dressmaker's interlining and water-soluble paper are contemporary alternatives. Whitework may be worked on either plainweave or counted thread fabric. When worked on plainweave it is known as ''fine white''. Organdy, sheer Dacron, lawn, batiste, muslin, net, and sheer muslin and wool are suitable plainweaves for this type of embroidery. Stumpwork embroidery can be done on nearly any fabric including silk, satin, felt, linen, cotton, and wool.

Notes

References

* * Embroidery {{textile-arts-stub