Problem: Puckering Fabric, big back stitch holes?

[BahamaDip]

Hey everyone,

I have a problem, for some reason when I embroider, the fabric tends to pucker. I don't understand why though and it is bugging me.

Also, I am doing a big project with the back stitch on basic linen/cotton blend (I think, we have one fabric store on my island and I had to deduce purity by how it felt to my fingertips- oh boy) but I always end up with large stitch holes between the stitches. Am I pulling it too tight? Help :( I love embroidery but because I haven't had a chance to learn from someone who 1. Knows how to embroider 2. Recognizes problems and mistakes, I feel not so confident.

[Tahlia]

When working with stranded floss, if you want your stitches to lie flatter, one thing that you can do is to separate each strand from the others and regroup them instead of using the same number of threads in their original twisted form. :) So if I want to use 3 strands of a 6 strand floss, and I want the strands to lie flat against my ground cloth, I take out 3 strands one at a time and pair them together-- this allows each individual strand to move independently of the other two, and the stitch can spread out across the cloth surface more easily, or I can coax it to spread by combing it with the blunt end of a needle. ... If I want the stitch to hold a nice curve and stay distinct (for lazy daisy, for instance) I will try to minimize disruption to the twist that held them all together -- in other words, instead of taking each of the 3 strands seperately and then rejoining them, I will take the 3 strands as a group from the bundle of 6.

BahamaDip said:

I am honestly using a 3 strand skein because, well, basically I have little other choice. The 6 was too thick, the 5 as well, the 4 seemed good but down here I have a limited choice of needles, my ONLY choice being one with a tiny head. So 3 strands it is, but I think 4/5 is probably better.

[BahamaDip]

@Tahlia and  @Carole-Anne, I never thought of separating everything... HMMMMM must investigate..

[Nicola Thomson]

Sounds like you havent got it on a frame, is the needle too big?????????yes it could be pulling too tight or the thread is too thick for the material