Bumpy Needlepoint? Make sure you end your thread properly

Lots of customers come into the shop asking why their stitching looks bumpy.  Sometimes the bumpiness is due to using a twisted thread, which is primarily twisted because it was a long length when you began. Sometimes the bumpiness is due to inconsistent tension, pulling unevenly or too tightly. But the most common reason is due to how you are ending the thread. 

When you are ending a length of thread, be sure to tuck your thread either horizontally or vertically under your stitching. If you slide your needle under your stitching diagonally, you will create a ridge or bumped line on the front of your canvas. Your goal is to not create the ridge.

To end your length of thread, you need only to run the needle under a few stitched thread to anchor it in place, maybe the length of the needle. Silky threads tend to require more stitches to anchor them in place so when ending with a silky or satiny thread, err on the side of weaving thru stitches the length of the needle.