Tips For Sewing with Waxed Canvas

The imperfections are the beauty of creating with waxed canvas. The wax treatment shows creases and scratches easily, but this is what creates the character of the fabric. Heat will melt and redistribute the wax, but it is imperative to use a press cloth, low heat and a gentle hand. The wax will damage your iron and the ironing surface as well, so multiple press cloths may be required. Alternately you can experiment with heating an area using a hair dryer to warm the wax. But remember that the look of waxed canvas is meant to develop with use, so creases are desirable!

Clip, don’t pin! Pins will leave visible pin holes; use wonder clips instead. When sewing with waxed fabric, each puncture mark will show. If you need to seam rip a line of stitches, gently warm the area with a hair dryer to help the puncture marks disappear into the waxed fabric.

Roll, don’t iron! Although irons can be used carefully with waxed canvas, a seam roller is preferable to flatten seams. Apply firm, even pressure while rolling along the sewn seam.

Skip the interfacing. Waxed canvas can sub in for any other exterior substrate when making bags, and similar to cork it does not need interfacing. If for some reason you want more support, you can add an interlining or sewn-in interfacing in place of fusible interfacing.

Needle tips. A size 100 denim needle is best, and make sure it is new so that it pierces the fabric cleanly. Standard / all-purpose poly thread is recommended for seams to provide strength; cotton thread can be used for top-stitching if desired.

Foot tips. A roller/Teflon foot works very nicely with waxed canvas. You can also use a walking foot but test a swatch first to see if the top feet leave marks. A standard foot will work fine for most projects.

Clean your machine. When you are finished with your project, switch out the needle and wipe down the feed dogs, foot, and needle plate to remove any remaining wax. One project will not leave behind too much residue, but it’s never a bad thing to clean your machine!