I am a firm believer that each stitcher should work on their projects with whichever approach makes them happiest. But I want you to learn to basketweave. It results in optimal thread coverage, reinforces the structural integrity of your canvas, and creates the most cohesive, elegant visual effect possible in your finished project. Basketweave is crucial to the longevity of your completed canvases, especially for those finished projects which will see more handling and wear, like stockings, belts, clutch inserts, bag straps, pillows, and doorstops.
Many stitchers hesitant about learning to basketweave express a common apprehension: the concept is confusing. The good news is that once you have mastered it, basketweave will become second nature! Let’s explore some of the assets of using basketweave and demystify some of the perceived obstacles to learning to stitch what I call “the superior stitch.”
Understanding, or “reading” the construction of a canvas is the key to approaching basketweave. Needlepoint canvases consist of stiffened, interwoven threads, usually cotton, which is treated to create the firm, study structure of the mesh matrix. As with all woven textiles, canvases follow an over/under alternating pattern. The “Steps” and “Poles” used to guide the basketweave stitch can be identified by determining which of the two threads on a particular intersection overlays the other. A “Pole” lays vertically atop a horizontal thread.” A “Step” lays horizontally atop a vertical thread.” Once you determine which thread is sitting on top of the other, its orientation will tell you whether you are looking at a “Step” or a “Pole.”
As you complete each row of basketweave, your stitch placements will become increasingly apparent; each previous row creates and reveals spaces into which the next row of stitches will be notched. Unlike with continental stitch, in basketweave you will only ever be stitching “Arizona to Maine,” and will not have to remember to alternate the diagonal of your needle’s entry and exit into your canvas depending upon the direction in which you are stitching.
Basketweave’s alternating, interlocked rows help to preserve the integrity of your canvas’s woven structure as you stitch. Canvases can and do warp over time as they are being worked. While I highly recommend using stretcher bars to mount your projects, if you prefer to hold your canvases in hand while you stitch, basketweaving is a must! A canvas completed in basketweave also requires less effort in finishing; continental and half-cross stitches are far more likely to warp your canvas, resulting in more blocking time required to restore the canvas to its original shape.
Basketweave’s interlocking, nested pattern, wherein stitches are fitted between one another, (as opposed to being placed side by side, as in continental stitch), creates a beautiful, polished effect on the front of your canvas, but also optimal coverage, ensuring that the mesh of your canvas isn’t visible between your threads. Using the correct thread for your mesh count is important, but even when you have chosen a thread of the right density, your tension and your stitching pattern may create distinguishing spaces in places where you don’t want them! Decorative stitches make use of the empty space on a canvas to create dynamic effects and play with dimension, but the objective of a tent stitch is to fully disguise the mesh beneath! Basketweave is the most effective at accomplishing this goal. Thus, basketweave can be especially helpful and effective if you are doing a color swap on your painted canvas.
Basketweave stitches from the front of a canvas:
Basketweave stitch from the back of the canvas:
An obstacle that new stitchers (and stitchers new to basketweave!) frequently cite is their uncertainty about how to start a basketweave stitch on a round or irregularly shaped canvas. The easiest way is to use a ruler! Isolate the first row of stitches on the farthest edge at the top right region in the area where you will begin stitching. You may have to skip some stitches as you are moving inward on your canvas, but as long as you aren’t carrying your threads too far, or beyond the border of your canvas’s painted area, simply follow the same “Up the Steps, Down the Poles” method.
You can also still maintain the basketweave pattern approach even if you are only covering a small area with a particular thread color; my rule is that as long as I have a canvas area of at least 2x2 stitches, I will be basketweaving! Looking at the back of your canvas will tell you whether you are on the right track; basketweave is so named because the stitches on the underside of the canvas resemble a traditional fiber-woven basket. When anchoring your threads in basketweave, always do so either horizontally or vertically. Anchoring your threads diagonally can affect the appearance of the stitches on the top of your canvas, which is exactly what we are trying to avoid!
Keep in mind, if you are starting a new canvas in basketweave, or beginning to incorporate basketweave into a canvas in progress, that basketweave does consume slightly more thread than continental stitching, and quite a bit more than half-cross stitching (hence basketweave’s superior canvas coverage). As you are learning, you may find that you need to remove your stitches, so make sure that you have a bit of extra thread on hand just in case. Above all, be patient with yourself!
Many stitchers find themselves having “Aha!” moments while watching someone else creating the basketweave stitch on a real canvas; I have posted several TikTok videos on basketweave which you can reference below, and which I hope will provide further clarity for you if you find yourself struggling. If you are looking to practice, but don’t want to start on one of your works in progress, you can use any spare or empty, unpainted canvas space you have. A larger mesh size may be particularly helpful in this case so you can see what you are doing.
In the end, I know, and appreciate, that no two needlepointers are alike, and what is most important to me is that you find stitching fun and (maybe) challenging, but never discouraging or frustrating. Take your time. You may conquer basketweave only to discover that you hate it! Even if you find that to be the case, and decide that for you, continental will continue to reign supreme as your go-to tent stitch, developing the ability to basketweave will make you a more versatile stitcher, and increase your appreciation of canvas structure.
Good luck, and Stitch up some Magic!
https://www.tiktok.com/@spellboundstitchery/video/7333413412019391787
https://www.tiktok.com/@spellboundstitchery/video/7322984129530826026
https://www.tiktok.com/@spellboundstitchery/video/7279258057962491178
https://www.tiktok.com/@spellboundstitchery/video/7323792918945221930
https://www.tiktok.com/@spellboundstitchery/video/7277333229894438186