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To get the most out of your cross-stitching, there are three very important points to bear in mind: the fabric, the needle and the embroidery.

The fabric

Let's start with a canvas whose behavior you know...
Does it deform during work?
How long does it take for the primer to disappear, and therefore for my fabric to start softening?
Is the weft regular like aida or imperfect like linen?

These elements will already give you an indication of whether or not you should use a hoop.
Some brands of aida fabric, for example, are very primed and remain stiff for a very long time. So, if you're planning to use it for a project that won't take months to complete, you can dispense with the hoop.
If, on the other hand, your fabric softens quickly - which doesn't mean it's of poor quality, by the way - then there's no hesitation: opt for the hoop

We're all agreed that in cross-stitch, your fabric needs to be taut: you don't go from top to bottom in a single movement!
Indeed, it's very difficult to manage stitch tension correctly if you do it in a single movement: irregularity is guaranteed ;)

The needle

It's important to choose the right needle size.

It is chosen according to the weft of your fabric and the thickness of your thread:

• If it's too thin, you'll be forcing the thread and needle with each pass, and wearing them out prematurely.
• If it's too thick, you'll spend your time threading a thread that escapes from the eye, and you'll create a hole that's hard to plug with each pass. The finished embroidery will then look 'tight'.

As a general rule, size 26 is well suited to 16 or 18 count fabrics embroidered with mouliné, Mako 40 or Mako 28.
Size 24 is good for thicker threads such as perlé or Mako 12, and for 14 count fabrics or less.
Size 28 is best used on 18 count fabrics or more and fine threads such as silk, or when embroidering in one thread.

Embroidery

Most cross-stitch work involves two-thread stitch.
If you look closely at the photo opposite, you'll see that in almost every stitch, the two threads are clearly visible side by side.
They don't overlap.
They don't twist.
If the threads do twist, it means that one is less taut than the other, and with each needle stroke the effect becomes more pronounced, creating an unsightly bridge on the less taut thread.
The result: goodbye evenness, gone is the clean look!
The phenomenon is particularly obvious when you come back to the stitch and the needle comes out towards you: the stubborn little thread is back in place, and there's no way to keep it there.

How do you keep these threads side by side?
One solution is to prick your needle in the middle of the two threads as you pass underneath. That way, you can be sure they'll stay in line.
You can also make your needle make a 1/4 turn before each stitch, whether from above or below. This counteracts the natural tendency of threads to twist in on themselves. If the threads still get out of place, remove the half-stitch you've just done to rest it correctly.

Now let's look at the photo again, at the intersection of 4 points. You'll notice that you can almost see a hole, as if the needle could still pass through without any problems and without snagging the threads. This will come in very handy if you want to make a beautiful backstitches.
This gap is not caused by thread tension. It remained empty naturally, as I was careful not to snag the threads I'd already passed through.
And yes, the embroidery needle has a round tip, not only so as not to pierce the fabric, but also so as not to pierce the embroidery threads.
The needle must pass through without forcing, in the space left free, without passing through the other fibers. This way, even after four, five or six passes, everything stays in place and the result is impeccable!

It's your turn to stitch!