Embroidery thread and counted fabric

Separate before recombining

For stranded cotton, remove one strand at a time and then combine the number required. Pulling several at once encourages tangles and uneven tension. Strand count changes coverage, texture and how easily the thread passes through the ground.

Count controls scale

A denser ground makes the same chart smaller. On evenweave, each chart square can span one or two fabric threads along each axis. Record both the fabric count and whether you work over one or two; floss strand count is a separate choice.

Make a system sample

Use the actual ground, needle and colour family. Check coverage in intended light, movement through the holes, distortion, the reverse side and the result after the planned finish.

Try this example

On the intended ground, stitch three ten-by-ten blocks using one, two and three floss strands. Keep the needle route and top diagonal the same. Release the hoop and compare visible ground, friction and distortion. Choose the lightest bundle that gives your intended coverage; “over two” refers to fabric threads, not the number of floss strands.

Related lessons and tools

• Understanding counted-fabric density
• Choosing sewing and embroidery thread
• Open tool