Embroidery
Six embroidery stitches that cover almost everything
Most embroidery patterns are built from a handful of stitches used well rather than a long vocabulary used badly. Six will carry you through most surface embroidery. Here is what each is for, how to work it, and the mistake that spoils it.
Before you begin
Get the fabric drum-tight and re-tension whenever it gives. Cut thread to about 45 cm (18 in), or the last third comes out fuzzy. Separate six-strand floss into single strands and recombine the number you want. Avoid knots on the back: catch a short tail under your first few stitches, and weave the end under finished stitching to fasten off.
Back stitch
What it is for. Outlines, lettering, and any line that needs to read crisply.
How to work it. Come up one stitch length ahead of where your line ends, then go back down into the hole at the end of the previous stitch. Come up a stitch length further along, go back down into the end of the stitch you just made, and carry on.
The usual mistake. Stitches that are too long. A 10 mm back stitch turns a curve into flat facets and makes letters look angular. Shorten to roughly 2 to 3 mm on curves and small text, and keep the length even; unevenness shows more than length does. Gaps mean you are going down beside the previous hole rather than into it.
Split stitch
What it is for. A softer, ropier outline than back stitch, a good filling stitch in tight rows, and the traditional padding under satin stitch.
How to work it. Make a small straight stitch along the line. Bring the needle up from underneath through the body of that stitch, about two thirds of the way along it, splitting the strands. Take the needle down ahead on the line, and repeat.
The usual mistake. Piercing right at the end of the previous stitch instead of part way along it, which leaves the line patchy and shows every join. An even number of strands, two or four, splits far more cleanly than three.
Stem stitch
What it is for. Stems, curved lines and outlines that suit a twisted, rope-like texture.
How to work it. Working left to right, come up at the start of the line. Take the needle down a stitch length ahead and bring it back up halfway along that stitch, immediately beside the line, keeping the working thread below the needle as you pull through. Repeat.
Stem versus outline stitch. They are the same movement. Keep the thread consistently below the needle and you get stem stitch; consistently above it, outline stitch, with the rope twisting the opposite way. Neither is wrong, but mixing them within one line is.
The usual mistake. Letting the thread flop to whichever side it fancies, which breaks the twist and makes the line look chewed. Hold it down with your non-dominant thumb before every stitch until the habit sets.
Satin stitch
What it is for. Filling small shapes with solid, glossy colour: petals, leaves, small letters.
How to work it. Outline the shape first in split or back stitch. Then work straight stitches side by side across it, coming up just outside the outline and down just outside the far edge, so the stitches roll over it and give a firm edge. Start at the widest part, work out to one end, then return to the middle and work out to the other.
The usual mistake. Stitches that are too long. Beyond roughly 1 cm they sag, snag and lose their sheen; break a large shape into sections or use long and short stitch instead. The second problem is inconsistent angle. Decide the direction of the fill before you start, and change it only gradually around a curve.
French knot
What it is for. Dots, flower centres, seed heads and texture.
How to work it. Bring the needle up where you want the knot. Hold the working thread taut with your non-dominant hand, roughly 5 cm from the fabric, and keep it taut throughout. Wrap the thread around the needle twice. Still holding the tension, put the needle down a thread or two beside the hole you came up through. Slide the wraps down against the fabric, then pull through slowly, releasing the tension only at the end.
The usual mistakes. Wrapping five or six times, which gives a loose sausage rather than a knot; wrap twice and use more strands if you want a bigger knot. Letting go of the tension mid-knot. And going back down the same hole you came up through, which is why knots vanish to the back.
Lazy daisy (detached chain)
What it is for. Petals, small leaves and teardrop shapes in one movement.
How to work it. Come up at the base of the petal. Form a loop and take the needle down beside the hole you came up through, holding the loop open with your thumb. Come up at the tip with the loop under the needle, pull through gently until the loop is the shape you want, and anchor it with a tiny straight stitch over the top.
The usual mistake. Pulling the loop tight, which turns a petal into a sliver. Shape the loop with the tip of the needle before you anchor it, and keep the anchoring stitch short or it reads as a stalk.
| Stitch | Best for | Strands |
|---|---|---|
| Back stitch | Crisp outlines, lettering | 2 |
| Split stitch | Soft outlines, padding, fine fills | 2 or 4 |
| Stem stitch | Stems, flowing curves | 2 or 3 |
| Satin stitch | Small solid shapes | 2 to 4 |
| French knot | Dots and texture | 2 to 6 |
| Lazy daisy | Petals and small leaves | 2 or 3 |
Which to learn first
Learn back stitch, then satin stitch, then the French knot. Back stitch gives you every line in a pattern and teaches even stitch length, which underlies the others. Satin stitch teaches you to plan direction before committing. The French knot teaches thread tension, which separates neat work from lumpy. Stem and split stitch are refinements on outlining; lazy daisy can wait.
Fabric, hoop and thread change how all six behave, which is covered in choosing materials that don't fight you, and five ways to transfer a pattern deals with getting the design onto cloth. An embroidery sampler box built around these six stitches is in development.