Aida cloth is a coarse, open-weave, even-weave fabric traditionally used for cross-stitch embroidery.

Aida cloth is manufactured with various size spaces or holes between the warp and weft to accommodate different thicknesses of yarn or thread. These are described in count – that is, 10-count aida cloth has 10 holes per linear inch. Typical sizes are 7-, 10-, 11-, 12- and 14 count. The fabric is relatively stiff for ease of use and is made from linen, cotton, or blends. Traditional colours are white, "natural" (off-white), or shades of tan and brown, although many bright and dark colors are now offered.

History

The history of this name is somewhat obscure, and has been discussed several times on the newsgroup rec.crafts.textiles.needlework. The general consensus there is that the cloth was originally named "Java Cloth", and the name was changed to "Aida Cloth" (possibly for marketing purposes) some time around the turn of the 20th century. One post to that newsgroup cites this early definition:

"AIDA CANVAS--This material, introduced under the French name Toile Colbert, is a description of linen cloth. It is also called “Aida Cloth” and Java Canvas as well as “Fancy Oatmeal” ... A cotton cloth of the same make is known by different names, those most employed being Basket Cloth and Connaught.”

(from the “Dictionary of Needlework”, London 1887, possibly by Sophia Caulfield & Blanche Saward ISBN 0907854109)

Pronunciation

The consensus from various discussions on rec.crafts.textiles.needlework is that there are two ways to pronounce the word "Aida": either /ɑˈidə/, as in the opera by Verdi, or /ˈeɪdə/. There seems to be no official guide to which pronunciation to choose. Since the name change occurred around the same time as Verdi's opera was first performed, there has been some speculation that the cloth was renamed after the opera to take advantage of the opera's publicity.