How to fix embroidery mistakes (puckers, tangles, uneven stitches)

How to unpick a stitch without damaging the fabric

1. Unthread the needle. Take the thread off the needle so you can't pull new stitches through by mistake.
2. Lift it from the back. Turn the hoop over and slide the needle's tip under the stitch you want out. Ease it up gently, one stitch at a time.
3. Cut only if you must. For a long run of stitches, snip them on the back with small scissors, a few at a time, and pull the pieces out with tweezers. Never cut on the front, where the blades can catch the linen.
4. Close the holes. Pick out any fuzz, then scratch gently across the holes with a fingernail. Linen's weave closes back up, and the final rinse helps too.
5. Stitch it again. Re-thread with fresh floss and redo only the stitches you need. There's no need to start over.

Stitching through a stick and stitch sheet? The sheet may tear at the dots you unpicked. Keep going: the dots nearby still show you the line, and the sheet rinses away at the end.

Why is my embroidery puckering?

The fabric ripples around the stitches.

The fabric wasn't tight in the hoop, or the stitches were pulled tight. Re-tighten the hoop in small rounds until it sounds like a drum when you tap it, and let each stitch lie flat.

Puckers appeared after I took it out of the hoop.

Usually tight stitches. Press it face down on folded towels while it's slightly damp. If a few stitches are very tight, unpick and redo just those.

It puckered after washing.

The linen shrank around the stitches. For this piece, wet it, ease it flat with your fingers, and press it face down on towels while damp. Next time, pre-wash the linen before you start.

There are puckers between short fur lines.

Short stitches pulled tight draw the fabric together. Keep a light hand on fur, and keep the hoop tight.

Can you fix puckering after you finish? Often, yes. A damp press, face down on towels, relaxes most mild puckers. Deep puckers from very tight stitches only go away if you redo those stitches.

Why does my thread keep tangling and knotting?

Knots form on the back while I stitch.

The thread is too long or too twisted. Cut lengths of about 18 inches, fingertip to elbow, and let the needle dangle every few stitches so the thread spins back.

The strands twist around each other.

Separate floss one strand at a time and lay the strands back together. Pulled out as a bunch, they twist and tangle. See how many strands to use.

The thread looks fuzzy and frays.

It's worn out from going in and out of the fabric. Tie off and start a fresh length. Fresh thread gives smoother stitches anyway.

A loop catches as I pull through.

Pull slowly, and keep a finger on the loop until it's nearly gone, so it can't fold over into a knot.

How to fix uneven stitches and jagged curves

My back stitches are different lengths.

Follow marked stitch points. On our patterns, every stitch goes from one dot to the next, about 1/8 inch apart, so the lengths are even by design.

Curves look jagged or angular.

Make the stitches shorter as the curve tightens, and turn the hoop as you go around it.

Stitches slant or wander off the line.

Stab, don't scoop: push the needle straight down, pull through, then straight up. Scooping through the fabric in one motion drags stitches off the line.

There are gaps between back stitches.

Go down into the exact hole where the last stitch ended, not just beside it. More in the back stitch guide.

Free · 3D Stitch Simulator

Try back stitch on a 3D hoop

Watch the first stitches, then tap where your needle goes. Turn the hoop, zoom in, and flip it over to check the back.

Watch where the needle comes up and goes down, then tap each hole yourself. Flip the hoop to check the back.

Start the simulatorOpen the full simulator

Loose stitches and threads coming undone

A stitch sits loose on top.

From the back, gently pull the thread snug before your next stitch, or unpick it and stitch it again.

A tail worked loose.

Thread the tail onto a needle and weave it under 4 or 5 stitches on the back, with one tiny loop around the last one. See how to end a thread.

A knot pulled through to the front.

Snip it, pull the tail to the back and weave it in. Next time, use a loop start or a waste knot.

When to stop fixing

Prop the hoop up across the room and squint at it. If it looks like what you meant, stop. Small wobbles disappear at arm's length, and nobody looks at a portrait from 2 inches away. Fix what you can see from across the room, and leave the rest.

Questions people ask

Keep going

• How-to guideHow many strands of embroidery floss should you use?One firm answer per stitch: 2 strands for back and satin stitch on linen, 1 for fine details, with a table and how to separate floss without tangles.
• How-to guideHow to end embroidery thread (and keep the back neat)Tie off without a knot, know when to stop a thread, and keep the back neat so nothing shadows through light linen.
• Stitch guideHow to do a back stitchA solid, unbroken line for outlines, lettering and fine details.
• Stitch guideHow to do a satin stitchStraight stitches laid side by side to fill small shapes, like eyes and noses.
• How-to guideIs embroidery hard to learn? An honest answerAn honest answer for beginners who can't sew: what's easy, what takes practice, and how long a first small piece really takes.
• ComparisonWhat size embroidery hoop should you use for your first project?A 6-inch hoop for a first pet portrait, and why. Every common size compared, plus how to hoop fabric drum-tight.
• Free toolThe free 3D Stitch SimulatorPractice back stitch and satin stitch on a 3D hoop you can turn, zoom and flip.