#Sorry u asked abt fabric and i went off on hoops lmao

[concentriccookies]

hey I love your embroidery!! I'm trying to get better at embroidery also, and I'm wondering what fabric you work on? I've tried quilters cotton but it loves to pucker, and canvas but the weave isn't fine enough to get super fiddly. any recommendations?

thanks so much! I just answered another ask a while ago where i had to tell the person asking about my black fabric that i sadly have no idea what the heck it actually is. Its a very fine synthetic twill weave is all im able to figure out.

I have worked with a bunch of different fabrics before as well as both quilting cotton and muslin, and i wonder if your issue with puckering is a hoop tension issue instead of a fabric issue? Do you work in wooden or bamboo hoops? Cause there are some of those that are made very badly and they have gaps between the inner and outter hoops where the fabric looses tension incredibly easy/immediately, and i find that is one way puckers can get introduced.

I also have never had a good time with plastic hoops because i found they dont grip the fabric well at all and i would be fighting for my life with tension the entire time. But other people love em so maybe its just a skill issue on my part lmao. Or the type of plastic hoop i have, idk. theyre some old handmedowns from grandma.

But they can also be introduced if stitches get pulled to tight or if an area gets really thick with overworking and layerering of many stitches as well.

If you really want to switch up your fabric you could try like maybe a heavyer bottom-weight cotton twill? But idk ive worked with a lot of light and even some slightly stretchy fabrics and i've found hoop tension to be the most important for avoiding puckers.

Basically its my belief hoop tension is god and you want your fabric to be taut as a drum inside the hoop. Re-tightning while working is also very important, even when u have a good grippy hoop it will require periodical re-tightnings as u go.