First project, is this right? (continental tent stitch)

[Wistaire]

Hello more experienced stitchers,
a few days ago I started my first project. The last time I touched a needle and thread was when I was maybe 10 years old and stitching on 8 count aida. Now I thought it was a great idea to start on 28 count evenweave... and making my own chart, because why start easy-

After making a few test squares to see what tent stitch was all about, I decided to give it a go since I couldn't see much difference from viewing distance and I felt that the coverage was slightly better with 2 over 1 tent instead of 1 over 1 full crosses. However now that I'm about a 1000 stitches in I'm starting to doubt my decision... While the coverage is great I feel that tent stitch is giving me a slightly textured look and feel depending on the angle you look at it.

Now I wanted to ask you guys if this is normal? It's hard to see if there's any texture going on from front view photo's of other people's projects, even on my own I can't really see it when looking at it straight on.

So is it just how tent stiches look/feel? Is my tension wrong? Is it just the fact that I'm looking at a large solid colored area? Please help me out!

[karen4bells]

Hello and welcome to the forum and welcome back to cross stitching. You have taken on a big task in stitching over 1 and I'm amazed at how well you are doing with it for your first attempt. There is a bit of a textured look to it--but I think as you continue to experiment with the tent stitch you will soon get the tension more even. Great stitching!!! I'm sure some of our other members will be able to give you better hints.
Are you using any type of hoop or scroll frame ??

[Wistaire]

I am, I'm working on a Q snap frame. Thanks!

[Allyn]

I think it is more about tension and how even the two threads are in the needle. On the front, tent stitching is really just one leg of a full stitch -- the top leg or the bottom leg, depending on how you look at it -- so it should be as smooth as your full stitches. I use a laying tool and I find my tenting looks more 'textured' if I don't hold the laying tool exactly perpendicular to the stitch. If I hold it a little vertically or too horizontally, it makes one thread just a wee bit longer and stitch doesn't lay nice and flat. That probably isn't as noticeable doing big over-2 stitches, but these tiny over-1 stitches make it more apparent.

I think it is also more noticeable in big solid areas and when you only have a small area done. With just a small area done, you're scrutinizing it just a few inches from your face. Hold it away from your face and look at it from more of a viewing distance, and it may not seem as noticeable.

[rcperryls]

I agree with the others. I also prefer tenting on 28 ct to 1 over 1 full crosses on 25 ct for coverage as well as speed. After a while you will get to a consistent tension and I think that will help. Also, looking at the piece from a very close distance is probably not going to give you the best idea of how the finished piece will look. I find that to be true for all my projects. Looks to me like you are doing a good job so far. Using a laying tool, as Allyn suggests, is another option to consider.

Carole

[Squirrel]

Hi and Welcome to the forum. Good on you for experimenting and to me your stitching looks beautifully neat and even.

[Allyn]

I was thinking about this some more. I use a laying tool. I wasn't suggesting that you do. I was explaining how I get that 'textured' look and when it happens to me, it's because I get a little lazy holding the tool. So how would it happen to you if you don't use the tool? It occurred to me that it may be your needle.

I used to lovelovelove John James gold needles and I used them for years. After I bought a few packs of needles, I noticed that I was having a hard time keeping the threads (two-over) even in the stitches. One thread would be proper tension and the other would be a little bit loose -- just a little bit, but it made that same textured look on a field of stitches. Much to my dismay, I discovered that new packs of John James golds had very rough eyes. Not only was I getting uneven tension between the threads, but the part of the strands that were in the eye were getting frayed really bad quite early on. I switched to a brand with smooth eyes (Bohin) and I don't have those problems anymore. The tension between the two strands is even, I don't have to end the thread early due to fraying and I dont get that textured look (unless I'm lazy with the laying tool).

So, scrutinize your needle. If the eye is rough, it'll grip one strand more than the other and your stitches won't lay as flat and smooth as you'd like. It might not be as noticeable on big, over-two stitches, but these tiny over-one stitches will make it more apparent.

[Wistaire]

I stitched a few more rows and there's really no change, I tried a few rows of railroading but that didn't seem to make a difference either. I'm using embroidery needles from prym, I'm not sure how to see if the eyes are rough though?
I'm using these in a size 26:


Looking pretty uneven when looking at the stitches from an angle:


They look decent enough from a head on view, at least I think:


I'm not that happy about the texture thing that's happening though...

[Squirrel]

Sometimes we are way too critical of our own work and after all it is the front view that people will primarily see.

Looking closely at it it seems as though it is every other row and perhaps that could be a problem with your tension - not pulling firmly enough to sit the stitch evenly into its place. Do a couple of rows and watch carefully how you do each stitch on each row and see if you are doing something differently.

Hope this helps. I rarely do tent stitch, except when it is clouds or odd bits of sky or sea.

[Allyn]

I think Sally is on to something when she noticed that it seems to be every other row. Are you tenting in both directions all the way to the end and then all the way back? It looks like there's a tension imbalance going one way. For me, I like my tension going right to left, but I have to watch what I'm doing going left to right or the two rows look.....different. You can try a basketweave stitch on large expanses of solid color to break that up or try adjusting your tension a little when you figure which direction is the 'good' way and which direction gives you the texture.

If it's any consolation, that texture effect should become a non-issue once the piece is washed and ironed.

As far as the needle eye goes, my needle eyes were so rough, I had all kinds of problems, the most noticeable was the extreme fraying of the thread in the eye. If you put two threads through the eye, hold each end of the two-over strands taut and slide the needle up and down the strands, does it feel smooth with no drag? The polished eyes of the Bohin needles are so smooth that the needle can fall off the thread when I drop the needle to let the strands unwind. I would imagine as long as there is no drag when you slide the eye up and down the strands, it is probably okay.

[Wistaire]

I'm tenting left to right and then back, I was wondering if maybe the texture is because when going from left to right I have to bring up the needle through a hole that's already been stitched through? I might give basketweave a try, or maybe try only stitching from right to left?

I'll try that out with my needles, thanks!

[Allyn]

I'm tenting left to right and then back, I was wondering if maybe the texture is because when going from left to right I have to bring up the needle through a hole that's already been stitched through? I might give basketweave a try, or maybe try only stitching from right to left?

I'll try that out with my needles, thanks!

I think you'll be okay if you just pay attention to your tension. I had to relax my hand just a bit going left to right or I'd 'pull' the stitch to the right. (Maybe it's a handed thing -- I'm right handed.) Once I realized what was happening, I was able to compensate.