I have found that stretching fabric on a hoop can cause the beadwork to "lump" once you take it off the hoop.
I've been doing rosettes and some other beadwork on the fabric upholsterers use to stiffen the skirts on furniture. It is firm, doesn't rip, and doesn't fray. No multi-layering needed (so the posterboard/index card isn't necessary in addition to cloth).
I believe that the single most important factor in good rosettes is sorting the beads. For the pattern to look just right, it takes careful bead-size selection. I have found that when beads are labelled a particular size, that is only the average size of what's on the hank! Size 11o's will have 12o's and 10os in there, too (as well as the funky mutant shaped beads).
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