12 oz Spruce Waxed Canvas

Due to its protective wax coating, waxed canvas will not stain easily, and the inevitable scuffs made by daily use will most likely blend into the weathered patina of the fabric. However, if your waxed canvas does need cleaning, only spot clean with a damp towel, never put it in the washing machine or dryer. We recommend this Waxed Canvas Spot Cleaner.

Over time, the wax coating on the fabric will weather and fade, making it less water-resistant. Depending on how you use your bag, you might want to ‘re-wax’ it every year or two to freshen it up. You can do this yourself.

In short, yes, after a few projects, there might be residual wax in your feed dogs. When sewing with waxed canvas, the teeth of the feed dogs will scrape off a little bit of wax off the fabric while it moves it through the machine. Over time, this wax will build up on the feed dogs and your needle. We’ve found that we can make five or six bags before we feel like the machine needs a cleaning. The good news is, it’s really easy to clean the wax from your machine!

Waxed canvas has a “memory,” meaning that it records each fold, wrinkle, and crease. This means that you can “finger press” (or use a steel fabric roller) with no iron required! If you must use an iron, make sure to use a medium setting and a protective press cloth to keep your iron free of melted wax. Careful ironing with a press cloth can be used to smooth out unwanted creases and wrinkles but avoid it as much as possible.

Many companies recommend using an iron with a press cloth between the iron and the fabric to reduce the appearance of marks. Be careful that your iron is not too hot otherwise you’ll risk discoloring your fabric. The chances of damaging your fabric are less if you use a hairdryer, hover a blow dryer on high a few inches above the fabric, moving quickly, not heating any particular spot too long. Waxed canvas will always keep a memory of use, but to restore your project to its early glory, you can always completely rewax your canvas.

When sewing with waxed canvas, make sure you are using the right needle. For a medium weight waxed canvas (10–12 oz), we recommend a sharp, size 100 denim needle or nonstick needle and a high-quality all-purpose thread. Because waxed canvas is thick, pinning multiple layers can be tricky. Instead, we recommend using craft clips to keep the layers in place.