Hmmm...wouldn't it depend on the fabric? Not sure how paints would behave in handling your project...hoops or scroll, in hand, or stretching. When would you do the painting, before or after the stitching? Lots of questions and its an interesting question...Sorry, I have no real input, except questions. But combining the two mediums sounds really worrisome to me...I was a very messy painter...wouldn't bode well for my stitching. Brrrr, gives me the shivers and shakes. But that's just me, you do whatever makes you happy!!! I'm all for experimentation, something new! :) I would be very interested in your finished projects...come back and keep us up to date! :)

Would dyes be a better choice?

I agree with VCESS. I would be interested in how you would paint a fabric. Now if you are thinking you want a color varied background, you might want look at "Picture This Plus" cross stitch fabrics that are hand-dyed and offer a lot of different colors, but as to actually painting on cross stitch fabric, I've never done.

I have never attempted to stitch over a painting, but I have painted on fabric with acrylics and fabric paints, done paintings in oils and watercolors, and I cross stitch. I would think, for stitching over it that watercolors would be better because they would act more like a dye and get absorbed into the cloth rather than adhering to the surface and then cracking when you manipulate the fabric or stretch it in the hoop. My only concern after that would be washing the finished project would rinse away your paintwork and make a mess of the stitching, but you don't have to wash it when you are done. I just don't know quite how the watercolors would bleed and behave as you're painting. You could mix dyes up like water paints, but those often need to be rinsed and would bleed heavily. I would test both mediums on a scrap of aida or linen first, whatever you are using, and see how it goes. Hope this helps! It sounds like a very creative, very cool idea. Let us know how it goes!

Would this be like needlepoint? Needlepoint have a printed/ painted mesh canvas and you stitch over the paint ( don't know if it is paint or dye) with same color of thread or yarn. I have seen projects such as these sold in craft stores. They are actually hand painted and are quite expensive (like hundreds of dollars) to buy.

I'm curious also. Hand dyed fabrics are lovely and come in many colors. Painting the fabric raises many questions for me, i.e., would it clog the holes, snag the floss, can it still be stretched for framing, would the dye crack eventually, etc. Is it a background you want for your stitched area?

Hi again,

I was thinking a little bit about this and how I would attempt it and thought of this. If you use an acrylic paint, you wouldn't have to worry about bleeding just cracking, so if the image isn't huge you could leave some unpainted fabric around the edges, enough to clamp the hoop to, paint it in the hoop itself, with the cloth stretched tight, let it dry without removing the hoop, and then stitch over it, with it still in the same hoop or frame. I would use aida to do this so that the holes are more prominent and if you lose them with the paint, slipping a light box under the hoop will help you to see them, find them with the needle. When it's done, I would carefully remove it from the frame, press the creases out of the edges, and frame it right away. Too much folding or manipulating of the cloth will make it micro crack. Cut a piece of acid free cardboard the same size as the painted portion, and place it on the back of the fabric, wrap the unpainted cloth around and secure it with tape or pins or something to stabilize it, especially if transporting it to a framer. I've never tried this before but I have painted with acrylic on cloth in an embroidery hoop. I didn't stitch over it but i did remove it from the hoop and got little cracks if the painted part folded or wiggled much in any way. It was stiff where painted which helped a little with the cracking issues, like it didn't just completely flop over. I hope this helps. It sounds like a project I might attempt too, just to see how it works!