Cloth used for early sewing attempts

It’s called binca

Juliet27

It’s called binca

I'd never heard of 'binca'. Mind you, I don't recall it ever being given a name when I was at school. - we were simply given a piece to use.
Is binca another name for 'aida', which is used for cross stitch, or are they different?

I work in a school and often have to order it.

You can use Aida that has various sizes from 5holes per inch canvas to 18 hole per inch fabric.

But for a child plastic Aida is better. You can get plastic needles or use tapestry needles size 24 they are blunt. Cross stitch would be easy for someone with learning difficulties. I suggest you buy a copy of The world of cross stitching or Cross Stitcher magazine. They have lots of charts to cover all topics and sizes of things to make. I made this using individual rabbit charts.

Bianca and Aida are different fabrics. This is an idea of the sort of small charts the magazine's have. Plus the magazine's come with a free gift .

Thank you all very much. She’s 12, and coped with threading a darning needle and doing random stitches in her favourite “blankies” (furry or fleecy soft blankets) so I’d rather not use the plastic ones, which I did see on Amazon. I hope to start with binca and running stitch and progress to cross stitch, so the aida information is also useful. Thank heavens for Gransnetters as I don’t know who else could have provided me with this information!

Just seen the free gift comment - she'd love that ?!

or use tapestry needles

I use blunt needles too, for sewing up knitted items instead of sharp ones which may snag.

www.amazon.co.uk/Large-eye-Needles-Knitting-Sewing-Pieces/dp/B06XKD3WWJ?tag=gransnetforum-21
www.hobbycraft.co.uk/dmc-tapestry-needles-size-13-2-pack/6457221000.html

Other retailers are available

Binca has holes about every quarter inch, and can take quite thick thread. Aida is finer, more suited to thinner thread.

Definitely bin a. Used it with teaching Infants many years ago

binca ,,,,,,grrrrr

I would recommend Aida - that’s what we used in school. It comes in various sizes - holes per square inch. Also you can get plastic tapestry needles which may be more suitable.

I never knew it was called binca but do remember practising embroideryy stitches on our samplers at primary school.

Thirdinline Look in your inbox. (click on "Inbox" near top right of this page)

Yes it's Binca. One of the things we used to make with it (fairly easy and not a large task) was a bookmark. Just a strip about 2-3 inches wide and 8or9 long. Then decorate how you will. Running stitch around the edge is good. Combine two contrasting colours for effect The more able children used to stitch their name or initials on it a. You can also do cross stitch on the edges or in the middle. Have fun.

Thank Elegran, I’ve replied.

Glorianny that’s a great idea. She loves writing her initials on everything, so we could start with them on a bookmark & work up to her name

Aida was the first fabric we used at school in 1956 for samples of embroidery stitch, they didn’t have sewing lessons when my children went to school so I bought some for them and they practised on it.
Still available and yes, a blunt darning needle was what we all used.

Oh and don’t forget, split the embroidery silks to 2x3 strands.

Thirdinline just had a thought you can get wooden shapes with holes in different shapes. Perhaps she would like to make Christmas decorations for her tree. Use either thread in 6 strands or wool to stitch with and you could add bells .

Thanks again - yes that Christmas tree decoration idea sounds good.