Here are a few blog posts about fabric that you may find useful. I stitch all my pattern samples on calico but that doesn't mean you need to do the same.
This blog post gives some ideas of the range of different fabrics you can use for embroidery, some are more suitable than others, but the experimentation is part of the fun.
Depending on the fabric you select using a second layer might be needed. In this blog post I share 3 situations when this is particularly useful.
Whatever fabric you use it's important to get the fabric taut in the hoop and I share some of my tips in this blog post.
If you want to try something completely different, how about stitching on canvas, I share some tips in this blog post.
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