Chapter 13: Common Problems and Solutions

This chapter is organised as a practical problem/solution reference — usable as a standalone handout in a classroom setting, or as a quick-diagnosis guide for a self-learner working alone.

Problem: My counted stitches don't line up / my pattern drifts off-count partway through.

• Cause: a missed or double-counted thread earlier in the row, which compounds as you continue.
• Solution: work in short sections and check your count against the graph-paper chart every 10–15 stitches rather than only at the end of a row. On Aida, use a removable thread marker or a scrap of contrasting thread as a temporary center-line guide, exactly as is done in cross-stitch practice.
• Prevention: always locate and mark the true centre of your fabric and the centre of your chart before beginning, and work outward from that shared centre point in both directions.

Problem: My knots or thread tails show through on the front of the work.

• Cause: skipping the no-knot starting/ending technique, or not weaving tails through enough existing stitches to secure them.
• Solution: re-thread and use the method in Chapter 11 — anchor tails under a run of several stitches on the reverse, never with a knot.
• Prevention: practise the no-knot start and finish as a separate drill (Chapter 11) before attempting a full motif, so it becomes automatic.

Problem: The reverse side of my Gavanti or Murgi work doesn't match the front.

• Cause: the return pass was not placed exactly in the gaps left by the first pass, or stitch tension differed between the two passes.
• Solution: unpick and rework the return pass slowly, checking each stitch against the gap it should fill before pulling it snug.
• Prevention: keep even, moderate tension throughout — pulling too tightly on one pass and too loosely on the other is a common cause of front/back mismatch.

Problem: Fabric puckers or distorts as I stitch.

• Cause: thread pulled too tight, or working without an embroidery hoop on a fabric that needs one.
• Solution: use a hoop to keep even tension across the whole working area; if puckering has already occurred, dampen the finished piece slightly and block it flat while drying (see Chapter 15 for washing guidance).
• Prevention: check tension every few stitches by looking at the fabric from the side — it should stay flat, not tent or dimple around the stitches.

Problem: Colours bleed or fade after the first wash.

• Cause: non-colourfast thread, or dark base fabric (especially black) that has not been properly pre-treated.
• Solution: use mercerized cotton thread specifically valued for its colour-fastness (see Chapter 5), and always test-wash a scrap or hidden corner before washing a finished, wearable piece.
• Prevention: pre-wash fabric before embroidering where possible, and always hand-wash finished pieces in cold water separately for the first several washes (Chapter 15).

Problem: Waste canvas/net threads are hard to remove after finishing.

• Cause: net was tacked down too densely or too tightly, trapping fibres against the stitching; or an unsuitable material (such as Aida, whose threads are not designed for removal) was used as if it were removable waste canvas.
• Solution: dampen the area lightly to loosen the net fibres, then use tweezers to draw out threads one at a time, working from the outer edge of the design inward, in the direction of the weave.
• Prevention: use a purpose-made waste canvas or an appropriately loose cotton net, not a permanent even-weave fabric, whenever your intention is to remove the counting aid afterward.

Problem: My corner motif doesn't mirror cleanly where two borders meet.

• Cause: the corner was improvised directly on fabric rather than planned on graph paper first.
• Solution: unpick back to the point of divergence and rework, this time plotting the full corner — both border directions and the join — on graph paper before touching the needle to fabric again.
• Prevention: always chart corners in advance (Chapter 9); never assume a repeating border will "just work out" at a right angle without planning.

Problem: Large motifs (elephants, chariots, gopuras) look flat or lifeless.

• Cause: relying on a single stitch type throughout, most often Gavanti alone, without layering in Negi fill or Menthi texture for visual depth.
• Solution: deliberately combine stitches — Gavanti or Murgi for the structural outline, Negi for solid interior fill, Menthi for small textured accents — as described in Project 3, Chapter 12.

Problem: My eyes tire quickly / I lose count on fine fabric or in low light.

• Cause: insufficient task lighting, working at too low a magnification for fine-count fabric, or working for extended unbroken stretches.
• Solution: work under a daylight-balanced lamp with a magnifying attachment for anything finer than 14-count; take a 5-minute break every 25–30 minutes to rest your eyes and hands (see Chapter 20 for full studio/ergonomics guidance).
• Prevention: grade fabric fineness to the available light and the embroiderer's stage of practice, exactly as recommended in Chapter 14's fabric-grading tip for teachers.