i have found a couple of the ones on the market are quite stiff and very difficult to stitch through...that is one of the reasons i started using my own fabrics instead of wasting my money on pre-packaged...the results just don't seem consistant. i use muslin, washed, dried, no fabric softener. pressed then i press freezer paper to the back cut to printer paper size and run it through...no stiffness, beautiful color, much less expensive. not all of them turn out as stiff as what you have but some.