Embroidery Stitches

Learn these embroidery stitches and you can outline and fill. Just like coloring as a kid.. but with thread.

Learn the chain stitch and wrap stitch, two embroidery techniques. Use this technique to embellish knitted fabric.

For right-handers, work from right to left or top to bottom. For left-handers, work from left to right, or top to bottom. Bring the needle to the front of the fabric at A, and pull the thread through. Now, for the rest of your stitches, you can work them more quickly if you "r ...more

See a demonstration of decorative stitching with a variety of threads. Create your own sampler on your machine as a design source for future projects. Variegated machine quilting, polyester machine embroidery and metallic threads. Part 1 of 2 - How to Create a decorative stitc ...more

This video tutorial shows how to do the Ribbon Stitch or Japanese Ribbon Stitch and the padded Ribbon Stitch. Learn how to sew these simple embroidery moves by watching this instructional ribbon embroidery video.

This instructional knitting video shows how to use chain stitch embroidery to embellish knitting and crochet projects. Use a tapestry needle and a piece of yarn to add a special decoration to a hand knit sweater, scarf or pair of socks. It's an easy knitting embroidery trick t ...more

This tutorial video will show how to do the typical soft knot used in silk ribbon embroidery, or the preferred method of the quilter's knot. Most ribbon embroiderers do not use a knot and just pierce tails or come back with another needle and thread and secure the tails that way.

There are many dimensional embroidery stitches , but one of the most fun is the woven picot. You can do a lot with it! It's an easy embroidery stitch - it looks more advanced than it actually is! It's a great stitch for adding texture to your embroidery project, and it doesn't ...more

Here's another video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for hand embroidery stitches - this one is for the Palestrina stitch. Palestrina stitch is used for outlining or filling and is common in both Jacobean designs as well as in Mountmellick embroidery, the latter because it give ...more

This is a composite stitch. There are two embroidery stitches here put together to make the raised chain: the simple straight stitch which forms the bars on which you stitch the chain stitch. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done. Video: .

The spider web stitch and the ribbed spider web stitch are both "woven" embroidery stitches, either used as isolated accents or used in clusters. They aren't a line stitch or a filling stitch, and they aren't really a "small" detached stitch that can speckle a background light ...more

Of all the hand embroidery stitches that exist, one of the most beautiful, when done well, is the satin stitch. It does take a little practice to get the hang of satin stitching, and it is true that it is not a very "forgiving" stitch. Watch the video from Needle 'n Thread to ...more

This tutorial is a concise tutorial on the basic embroidery stitches. Learn how to do a French knot, flower, chain stitch, back stitch, outline stitch, satin stitch, and a cross stitch. All you need is some fabric, an embroidery hoop, floss and needle.

The feather stitch is an easy stitch for hand embroidery. It's worked vertically, from top to bottom in a kind of back-and-forth, right-and-left motion. You can use the feather stitch in hand embroidery for edges and borders, it's used often in crazy quilting as a seam embelli ...more

The buttonhole stitch is used in many types of hand embroidery - general surface embroidery, crazy quilting, whitework and cutwork, Mountmellick embroidery, needle lace, filet work - you name it, buttonhole stitch fits in somehow. It's a super versatile stitch, and once you ha ...more

Another simple hand-embroidery stitch, the backstitch is useful in many applications. It's commonly seen in counted-thread embroidery, like counted cross stitch, but it's also used often in free-style surface embroidery. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's d ...more

Ladder stitch in hand embroidery can be one of two stitches. There's the surface embroidery technique that creates a decorative band that looks a lot like a ladder, with edges that look like a chain stitch. There's also a drawn thread technique called ladder stitch that produc ...more

Another hand embroidery stitch that's great for beginning embroidery - the whipped running stitch. It's a simple, quick stitch to work. This stitch is one of many line stitches that can be used for bold or delicate outlines, depending on your choice of thread. Watch this video ...more

Couching is another easy embroidery stitch in hand embroidery, and a great way to create decorative line stitches that scroll and twirl about. It's also widely used for filling areas, and historically was used to great effect during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in a techniq ...more

The fly stitch is another basic embroidery stitch used for straight and curved lines, seam embellishments in crazy quilting, and general surface embroidery techniques. The fly stitch can be worked horizontally and vertically. In this video, it is worked horizontally. Watch thi ...more

Thankfully for sewing and embroidery beginners, the ladder stitch is one little animal that is completely guileless and straight to the point. Composed of vertical rows of neat horizontal stripes, the ladder stitch creates - you guessed it - a ladder shape. A ladder stitch is ...more

Here's a couple video tutorials from Needle 'n Thread for a basic hand embroidery stitch - the outline stitch. It's another versatile, easy stitch! Video: . Video: .

The stem stitch is a versatile embroidery stitch. It can be used to outline or to fill an area. Learn how to do it yourself with this video from Needle 'n Thread. Video: .

The split stitch is another easy hand embroidery stitch, perfect for beginners and used often by advanced embroiderers. Here's a tutorial from Needle 'n Thread that will teach you two methods of using the split stitch. Video: .

This is a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for the herringbone stitch, another versatile and easy embroidery stitch for beginners, and used often by all levels of embroiderers. Video: .

The cretan stitch is used in hand embroidery to create bands, to fill (any shape - leaves, for example), and it can be worked closed or open, depending on the effect you want. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done. Video: .

Another basic hand embroidery stitch, the chain stitch is used to outline and to fill spaces. It's a fun stitch to work, and always looks great! Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done. Video: .

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for the double chain stitch used in hand embroidery. This is a quick, easy stitch which creates a wide decorative band. It looks somewhat similar to the closed herringbone stitch, but it's created with the same (few) easy steps use ...more

The chain stitch is perhaps one of the most common stitches in hand embroidery. By itself, it's pretty versatile. Add all the variations, and you can do just about anything with the chain stitch! Here's the alternating or checkered chain stitch. Watch this video from Needle 'n ...more

There are many variations on the chain stitch used in hand embroidery. Here's one that produces a "realistic-looking" chain, with a small link between each of the loops in the chain stitch. It's called the cable chain stitch. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how i ...more

The rope stitch is a nice hand embroidery stitch, perfect for a thick, corded look, and a member (believe it or not) of the chain stitch family. It looks like overcast stitch on a slant, or trailing on a slant. It's a great stitch for curves. Watch this video from Needle 'n Th ...more

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for another hand embroidery stitch - the rosette chain stitch. The rosette chain stitch is much like the oyster stitch, but it's worked in a line, or around curves. The oyster stitch is more often seen individually. Video: .

Once you know how to do the buttonhole stitch, it's just a matter of "working it" a bit to master variations of the stitch. In this video from Needle 'n Thread, you'll learn how to work a buttonhole wheel, which can be effectively used in all kinds of embroidery - especially f ...more

The detached chain stitch, also known as the "lazy daisy" or just "daisy" stitch, is a pretty popular embroidery stitch. It's perfect, of course, for flowers, but can be used in lots of different ways. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done. Video: .

As you'll see in this video tutorial (from Needle 'n Thread), the fishbone stitch is an easy embroidery stitch to use for filling in leaves (and other shapes, too). The stitch is a good stepping-stone to satin stitch, as it requires you to keep a neat edge on the outside of yo ...more

Here's another video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for a hand embroidery stitch called Roumanian couching, which is used primarily as a filling stitch. Video: .

Cat Morley and her adorable Scottish accent show you how to make a decorative square geisha flower that can be made into a pin or sewn onto clothes or accessories for extra embellishment. For this crafting project, you will need some felt, a square template of paper, a pencil, ...more

Bokhara couching is a filling technique used in surface embroidery. Unlike regular couching, Bokhara couching uses only one thread, which serves as both the laid thread and the couching thread. Watch the video from from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done. Video: .

In this tutorial, we learn how to cross stitch. This is easy to master and just involves using one stitch. To start, you will first need to line your fabric up with the needle and mark the center. From here, secure it to the back with a small knot. Next, you will put this arou ...more

The Chevron Stitch is used in hand embroidery to work decorative bands and seam embellishments. It's a great stitch for smocking, too. Chevron Stitch is a lot like the herringbone stitch, differing only slightly by the fact that the stitches on the upwards stroke do not cross ...more

The heavy chain stitch used in hand embroidery is a variation of the regular chain stitch, but it creates a wider, thicker chain stitch band. It's an easy stitch to execute. When you want a bolder line, you can substitute it for the regular chain stitch. This video tutorial wi ...more

If you are a beginner at hand embroidery, one of the first stitches you will probably learn is the chain stitch. The chain stitch has many variations, and one of them is the wheat stitch, also known as the wheatear stitch. This stitch is simple to work and produces a line that ...more

Variations to the feather stitch make it a versatile stitch for hand embroidery. Like the feather stitch, the double feather stitch is used for foliage, sprigs, greenery, etc., in all types of general surface embroidery, and is especially good for Brazilian embroidery, ribbon ...more

The running stitch is one of the most basic stitches, used in both embroidery and sewing. This tutorial shows you how to use it for your embroidery projects. A running stitch is best used for outlining the rest of your threadwork.

Watch Kirsten as she shows you how to cross-stitch a clock face using the best technique for forming a picture with a embroidery machine, or even hand stitching. This demonstration is a perfect example using two birds sitting on flowers. Embroider with a cross-stitch. Click th ...more

Embroidery is a useful skill to develop so you can add your own embelllishemnts to favorite clothes, and it's not as difficult as it seems. This tutorial, perfect for beginners, shows you how to create a simple embroidery pattern using the basic chain stitch.

This video is a tutorial for Silk Ribbon Embroidery for the Bullion Tipped Lazy Daisy Stitch. This stitch is extremely cute, and all your friends will be jealous of your embroidery of the lazy daisy.

This tutorial embroidery video will teach you to make the Sweetheart Rose, also known as the Colonial Knot Running Stitch Rose or Fargo Rose. This is a wonderful stitch for embroidery and can add a nice personal touch. All you need is some ribbon.

Getting started in the world of sewing & embroidery? The running stitch is the most popular of stitches in which the needle is passed in and out of the fabric. Get started doing the running stitch (sometimes called the straight stitch) with help from this fantastic tutorial pr ...more

Getting started in the world of sewing & embroidery? The chain stitch is a popular stitch in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Get started doing the chain stitch with help from this great tutorial provided by Stampin Mama.

Learn how to make books! It's easy to construct your own books to use as journals, scrapbooks, notebooks, or sketch books. This is a five stitch method of bookbinding. You will need two pieces of cardboard, writing paper, and old calendar, embroidery floss, a ruler, scissors, ...more

Make It Mine Magazine editor Linda Augsburg shows you how to do a running stitch. The running stitch basically looks like a line of dashed stitches, very similar to the quilting stitch. Watch this video embroidery tutorial and learn how to sew the running stitch.

Make It Mine Magazine editor Linda Augsburgs shows you how to do a split stitch. The split stitch looks like a small, delicate chain stitch, but it's actually a series of small straight stitches. Watch this video embroidery tutorial and learn how to sew a split stitch.

Make It Mine Magazine editor Linda Augsburg demonstrates how to do a stem stitch. The stem stitch almost looks like a twisted cord. It's great for working around a curve. Watch this video embroidery tutorial and learn how to sew a stem stitch.

This video tutorial shows how to do the straight stitch, padded straight stitch and also how to pierce the tail instead of using a knot. Watch this sewing and embroidery instructional video and learn how to do these simple moves.

Here's a video tutorial for the seed stitch used in hand embroidery. This is a very simple filling technique! Seed stitch looks great when it's worked either in a uniform pattern (as it is in the video) or when it's worked randomly. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to se ...more

In this embroidery video Linda Augsburg shows you how to embroider a back stitch.

Linda Augsburg shows you how to do an embroidery chain stitch.

For design embroidery software Embird. Want to know how to remove pesky underlying stitches using the Mask Tool? Rosanne demonstrates in this tutorial using the pull tool, as well. Remove underlying stitches in Embird. Click through to watch this video on editingwizardry.com

Using Embird embroidery software, Rosanne shows us how to use the Basting Stitches control properly, for a perfect design. Rosanne will also show you the bast in a hoop technique for more security. Insert basting stitches in Embird. Click through to watch this video on editing ...more