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Embroidery Basics

Easy Chain Stitch Tutorial

     Anne      Leave a Comment

Who’s ready to learn more stitches with me? Today, I’ve put together a tutorial on how to do the chain stitch and the detached chain stitch (commonly known as the lazy-daisy stitch). I absolutely love the lazy-daisy and use it all the time. So I’m excited to share it with you! Back in March, I wrote a post on the first 5 stitches you should learn as a beginner, and I definitely encourage you to have a look at it to learn the basics. Today’s tutorial also features an easy stitch, perfect for beginners and widely used in surface embroidery. So grab your needle and thread & let’s go! For a list of all the materials you need to get started with embroidery, check out this post.

 

chain stitch easy embroidery tutorial

 

First things first, you’ll need to cut some embroidery floss, about the length of your forearm. I will be using 3 strands of DMC #3818 throughout this tutorial, but feel free to use more (or less). Then, thread your needle and either knot the end of your thread or anchor it to the fabric using any of the methods detailed in this post (or any other way you know of starting embroidery)

 

The Chain Stitch

 

I’ll be honest, I really don’t use this stitch very often. I usually kinda forget about it. I really like it though, and it’s super easy. It just never seems to work with anything I’m stitching for some reason haha!

 

To begin, bring your threaded needle up from the back at point A. Pull the thread all the way through.

 

thread pulled all the way through at point A to begin chain stitch

 

Go back down in the same hole (A), and bring the needle up at point B in the same swoop. Don’t pull all the way.

 

needle going back down at point A
needle going back down in A and up in B

 

Pull the needle through gently, pulling until the thread forms a loop. Bring your needle through that loop, and pull through.

 

needle being pulled through point B
Pull the needle through until you get a loop big enough to go through it.
thread going through the loop to form chain stitch
Bring your needle through the loop.
loop being pulled down
Since point B is below point A, the loop will eventually be pulled down to lay where it’s meant to.

 

Sometimes you might need your other hand or the tip of your needle to help guide the loop, as it can have a tendency to twist and won’t lay properly.

 

first chain of the chain stitch complete
Pull the thread trough the loop until it rests nicely on the fabric.

Go back down into the same hole again, where your thread currently is (point B), and bring your needle up at point C. This is the same motion as before, when you started your first stitch.

 

needle going back through point B and up at point C
Go down B and up C before pulling the needle through.

Pull the needle and thread through until you get a loop of thread, just like in the previous steps. Make the sure the needle goes through and then pull all the way so the loop will lay flat.

 

second chain stitch being pulled through
two connected chain stitches laying flat

 

Keep repeating these steps until you have the chain length you want! Basically, you always go back down in the same hole you came up.

 

chain stitch in progress

 

To end the chain, simply take a small stitch on the outside of the loop to close it.

 

closing the last stitch

 

view of the last closed chain stitch

And there you go, that’s the chain stitch!

 

The Detached Chain or Lazy-Daisy Stitch

 

If I never use the chain stitch, I most certainly always use its detached version 😉. As you might have guessed, this is essentially a single link of the chain stitch. It’s commonly referred to as the lazy-daisy stitch, and will seem super simple after working the chain stitch!

 

Begin the same way as above. Bring your needle up from the back at point A. Go back down through A and up in B, pulling until you form a loop. Thread your needle through that loop and pull.

 

needle going down in A and back up in B
needle going through loop
thread being pulled through loop for chain stitch

 

Pull the loop down until it lays nice and flat.

 

loop being pulled down to lay flat
chain loop laying flat on the fabric

 

So far, that’s exactly the same as the chain stitch. If you wanted to continue the chain, then you’d go back down in the same hole again and keep going until you got the length you wanted.

 

But for the lazy-daisy, all you need to do is end the stitch there, as though you were finishing the chain length.

 

Take a small stitch on the outside of the loop to secure it.

 

small stitch on the outside of the loop to hold chain stitch down

 

And that’s it!

 

finished detached chain stitch

 

I can’t tell you how much I love that stitch. It’s so incredibly useful for leaves and flower petals. Plus it’s pretty quick to work!

 

I hope this tutorial was helpful to you and that you’ll enjoy working the chain stitch and its detached version. I tell you, the lazy-daisy can be such a lifesaver! I used it a lot in my Redwork Embroidery Box Project, and generally love it for small flowers and leaves.

 

the lazy-daisy stitch embroidery tutorial

 

Let me know if you have any more questions about it in the comments, or feel free to share the love for this stitch too 🙂

 

Fondly,

How to Start and End Embroidery Stitches

     Anne      14 Comments

To knot or not to knot, that is a question that often seems to be heavily disputed in the embroidery world! One of the first things you want to know when you first begin embroidery is, of course, how to even begin. What are the proper ways to start and end your embroidery stitches? How do you secure your thread?

This post will answer all your questions about starting and ending off your stitches efficiently. I will go through a few different ways to do so, since certain stitches might require different methods.

Let’s begin with the famous question of whether or not it’s proper to start embroidery by knotting your thread…

 

 

To Knot or Not

When I first started learning embroidery a few years ago, I primarily turned to books to teach myself how to stitch. Most authors whose books I thoroughly enjoyed frowned heavily on the practice of using knots. But then again, others saw nothing wrong with it and told you to just go ahead and secure your threads with knots if that’s what your heart desired. After all, when all is said and done, no one looks at the back of embroidery, right? Who’s to know or care?

 

The Case For Knots

The truth is, it really depends on what you’re embroidering and what purpose the final piece will serve. Generally speaking, knots are less secure than the other methods I’m about to show you. They come undone easier, and if your piece is going to be washed repeatedly, you run the risk of having your beautiful stitches come undone.

They also add unnecessary bulk, and if you like the back of your embroidery clean, they make everything look messier. However. Sometimes a knot is just easier and makes sense. Sometimes you want to go a little faster, and sometimes you might get a little lazier. I’ll be the first to admit that I do that 😉

If you’re just practicing your stitches on a fabric scrap, or you know your piece will stay in the hoop and the back will be finished with another piece of fabric, then I really can’t blame you for wanting to use knots. I think they’re perfectly acceptable in certain cases, especially if you’re framing your final work.

 

How to Start With a Good Old-Fashioned Knot:

Begin by gathering the materials you will need for embroidery – you can find more information on that in this post. Prepare a piece of fabric and mount it in your embroidery hoop. Then, thread an embroidery needle. I used 3 strands of navy Anchor cotton floss for this tutorial.

Leave a tail of 3”-4” hanging from the eye of the needle (the eye is the hole where you thread).

 

threaded needle with hanging tail 3-4 inches long

 

Form a knot at the end of your main length of floss (not the tail). Pull to tighten, and snip off any excess thread.

thread end forming a knot
tight knot at the end of thread

Bring your needle up from the back of your hoop at the point where you want to start stitching. The knot will remain at the back of your work.

 

How to Start Embroidery Stitches Without a Knot

In the interest of showing you the “proper” way to start and end embroidery stitches for those pieces where knots at the back aren’t your best bet, here are some alternative ways to get started:

 

1. The Waste Knot

For this one, you will actually begin with a knot again, following the same instructions as above. However, instead of bringing your needle up from the back, you will do the opposite. Draw the needle from the good side of the fabric so that the knot rests on the front.

 

waste knot resting on the front of the embroidery work

 

Make sure that the knot is away from where you want your first stitch to be. If you have a guideline marked on your fabric, you want the knot to be slightly away from it, not on it.

Make two very small stitches along your guideline, in the spot where you want your first stitch to be. They should be small enough so that your first stitch will entirely cover them.

 

two small anchoring stitches to begin embroidery, away from a waste knot

 

Bring your needle up from the back just behind the first tiny stitch, and make your first actual stitch. For this tutorial, I’m doing a simple line of backstitch.

needle coming up behind two anchoring stitches to begin a line of stitching
needle coming down to cover anchoring stitches
first stitch laying on top of anchoring stitches, covering them completely

 

Take a few more stitches, and once you feel that it is secure, go ahead and snip the knot. Lift it gently with one hand and cut with the other.

line of backstitch with waste knot at the end
snips about to cut waste knot

The front is now all neat and tidy and you can carry on stitching!

view of neat front after waste knot has been snipped

 

Note: You don’t want to place the knot too far from your intended line of stitching, or you’ll end up with a dangling tail on the backside.

 

How To End Your Stitches Without a Knot

To finish off a line of stitching, simply flip your hoop to work on the backside. Run your needle just behind the stitches you’ve already lain. I usually weave it three or four times before snipping the end.

needle weaving through back stitches to secure end thread
end thread has been secured through stitches on the back ready to snip
neat view of the back once thread has been secured

And there you go! Nice and secure, no bulky knots!

 

2. Starting with a Long Tail

Certain stitches make it easier than others to forgo knots altogether. With this method, you start by bringing your needle up from the back, leaving a good tail of around 1”-1 ½” long at the back.

 

long tail at the back of embroidery hoop

 

The idea with this one is to catch the tail as you go along. Hold on to it with one hand as you take your first stitch so it won’t slip away. The next time you come up from the back, as you take your second stitch, make sure to catch the tail underneath it. As you pull your thread tight to lay the stitch, it will start securing the tail.

 

view of backside, as stitch begins to anchor the tail
View of back
view of backside showing stitch being pulled tight to secure tail
View of back

Repeat these steps a few more time to ensure the tail is really anchored, checking the back of your work to make sure you’re catching it.

more stitches anchoring the tail on the back side
Working on the back, make sure to trap the tail as you lay your stitches.

 

If you left a pretty long tail, you can eventually just snip it off once you feel it is secure, or you can keep catching it at the back until it is fully anchored.

back view showing anchored tail has been snipped off
View of back

 

Front will look all nice and tidy 😊

front view of tidy row of backstitch

Finish off the same way as illustrated in the waste knot method, by weaving the thread through the stitches on the back.

 

3. Starting With Anchoring Stitches

 

Alternatively, you can also make a few anchoring stitches to secure the thread when you start instead of catching the tail behind your first few stitches.

tail of thread on the back side
Tail on the back side
two small anchoring stitches on front side
Anchoring stitches on the front
back side view after taking two anchoring stitches, shows thread tail hanging loosely
Back side, after anchoring stitches are made

As shown before, cover the anchoring stitches with your first stitch. Continue stitching, catching the tail if you want, or snipping it if you feel it is secure enough.

needle coming up to cover anchoring stitches
Front
First stitch covering the two anchoring stitches, view of front
Front
View of the back, showing snipped tail once it's been secured
Back side, after more stitches were made. Tail has been snipped.

Finish the thread by weaving it behind the stitches on the back, the same way as before.

 

4. Anchoring “X” Method

This method is probably the fastest and easiest way to start embroidery, but it can end up leaving visible anchoring stitches on the front. It’s better suited for larger stitches or if you’re filling an area.

Working on the backside of the hoop, take a teeny-tiny stitch where you want your first stitch to lay, or inside a shape you will be filling. Catch only a fiber or two of the main fabric. Pull through, but not all the way. You want to leave a very small tail, only a few millimeters long.

 

needle on the back side picking up two thread of main fabric
Small tail left on the back side once first anchoring stitch has been made

Going back to the wrong side, take another tiny stitch just behind the first one, at an angle to form a little cross or an X.

on the back side, needle coming behind first anchoring stitch to make second anchoring stitch to form X with the first one

 

This is what it will look like on the front. It is a bit larger and can be harder to disguise with outline stitches, but it’s perfect for filling and for certain isolated stitches like French knots and lazy-daisy.

view of the front with small X formed by anchoring stitches

 

Here I’ve worked some French knots, and the first one sits right on top of that little anchoring cross, completely hiding it.

french knot sits on top of anchoring X
group of french knots worked on good side

How to End Your Stitches

Since French knots are often isolated, this method works really well to secure them. To finish off the thread, flip to the backside, and weave your needle a few times among the stitches.

backside showing dragged thread from french knots
needle running behind the stitches to secure the thread

You can see that I dragged my thread across a little, and while this isn’t always recommended, it’s perfectly fine for working isolated stitches that are still close to each other. Since the threads are a bit loose though, I recommend looping your needle through your working thread to make it extra secure. I also like to run the needle behind the back stitches once more before snipping off.

needle going through thread loop to form small anchoring knot
knot has been pulled tight to secure thread

It technically counts as a knot, but it gives me peace of mind that the stitches won’t come undone. You could also end the same way you began, with the little X, but make sure that it’s not visible on the good side. This can be tricky sometimes, depending on what stitch you’re working.

 

Best Way to Start & End Stitches if You’re Filling a Shape

I find it much easier to start embroidery if I’m covering an area rather than outlining, because any anchoring stitches/tails are sure to be hidden and extra secure.

 To begin, you can either use the waste knot or the hanging tail method. You’ll want the waste knot or the thread tail to be inside the shape. When you place your two anchoring stitches, they don’t have to be as close together as I’ve shown before. As long as they are inside the shape you’ll be filling, you’re good! They can also be bigger since they will be fully covered.

 

I’m using the waste knot method here, and after working a few long and short stitches, I just snip off the knot.

Long & short stitches being worked inside the shape to cover the anchoring stitches
Waste knot has been snipped off the good side of fabric

When you’re ready to end, flip to the back of your hoop, and simply run the needle through a few stitches. If you’re working long & short or satin stitches, they will be nice and tight and your thread end won’t be going anywhere anytime soon (unpicking these stitches is the worst, they are so secure!).

needle running behind stitches on the back side

 

If you’re switching colours or simply re-threading, you can begin again the same way you ended. Flipping to the back side, run your needle behind the stitches once or twice, until you can safely pull without the tail coming undone.

Repeat until your shape is filled to your satisfaction!

finished shape viewed from the front, worked in long & short stitches

 

And here we are, these a few ways you can safely start and end your embroidery stitches with no worries 😊 This turned out to be a longer post than I thought for what seems like a small thing, but these are the steps that will hold everything securely together, so it is important. And I just had to give my two cents on the whole knot-or-no-knot business 😉 I do hope this post was helpful to you, and if you know other methods of starting and ending embroidery that work well for you, please share them in the comments!

 

Happy embroidering my friends, and until next time!

Fondly,

The Only Embroidery Tools You Need

     Anne      Leave a Comment

embroidery tools you will need to get started

 

Starting a new hobby can often become rapidly very expensive. The good news with getting into embroidery is that you don’t need a whole lot of fancy tools and equipment. Getting started is easy and inexpensive! In fact, you probably already have a few of the following items lying around the house.

 

Embroidery Hoop:

wooden embroidery hoops of varying sizes, featuring a larger hoop on a stand

 

Embroidery hoops are essential for keeping your fabric taut and the tension even. They come in a variety of sizes and materials, generally ranging from wide 12” ones to small 4” ones. The most common ones are made of wood or plastic. Usually, they have an adjustable screw on the outer ring to make it easy to tighten the fabric and keep the tension even. They can be found in major craft stores (in Canada, you can get them at Michaels or Fabricville/Fabricland). You can also purchase them online. You can even get fancy ones with a stand, which are especially great because they free both your hands. These are a bit harder and more expensive to find however, and are not essential if you’re just starting out. Any hoop size can work, it will really depend on the size of your project. I like to keep a few of different sizes on hand!

 

tightly secured fabric in embroidery hoop showing screw mechanism

 

Side Effect Warning:

Embroidery hoops make the cutest frames and will soon become your preferred way of displaying your embroidery… prepare to have all your walls decorated with them. 😉

 

Fabric:

different fabrics suitable for embroidery; linen, cotton blend, factory cotton, medium weight cotton and light-weight cotton

 

Pretty much any fabric can be embroidered on, but some are definitely easier to work with! Woven fabrics are especially ideal. Think light to medium-weight cottons or cotton blends, or linen for example. I would recommend something with a tight enough weave so that your stitches remain secure, unless you are planning on using the weave of the fabric to guide your stitches (such as for cross-stitch). I recommend staying away from anything knit or stretchy, as it’s so much more difficult to keep the tension even and prevent puckering. You’ll also want to avoid using fabric that is too see-through (like lining…I tried that once, don’t recommend!). That’s because all the back threads and knots and other such bits of floss will show through on the good side. However, if your fabric is too heavy-weight and thick, it will be more difficult to transfer your design if you’re tracing it from a pattern or an image.

 

Side Effect Warning:

I’m not kidding when I say that pretty much every type of fabric can be embroidered on though – you’ll soon find yourself adding embroidery on everything, even things that aren’t fabric…(I recently cross-stitched a plastic phone case lol! Super fun but hard on the fingers.)

 

Needles:

Perhaps the most necessary embroidery tool, the needle is an embroiderer’s best friend. You obviously can’t stitch without it! There are a few different kinds of embroidery needles out there, varying in length, size, and sharpness. Embroidery needles (also called crewelwork needles or sharps) are longer and have a bigger eye than common sewing needles. Because embroidery floss is thicker than sewing thread, you will want a needle with an eye wide enough to thread your floss, and a tip sharp enough to pierce the fabric repeatedly. Embroidery needles usually come in packs that identifies them by number; the higher the number, the smaller the needle. The sizes range from 1-12, and one pack will usually feature more than one size (I personally like the 3-9). The varying lengths and sizes will depend on the kind of stitches you’re interested in trying. I would recommend trying a few different ones and seeing what feels most comfortable.

 

two different crewelwork needles, size 3 and size 9

 

Ideally, you don’t want to use too big a needle to create unnecessarily large holes in your fabric, or too small a needle that you can’t thread it properly. If you start with getting a set of “embroidery” or “crewelwork” needles within the 1-12 size range and you work with DMC cotton floss (or Anchor or another equivalent), you’ll be good to go! You can find embroidery needles in major or local craft stores, or online directly on the DMC website.

 

Side-effect warning:

Making cozy little homes for your needles in the form of cases and needlebooks will become as much a priority as a necessity.

 

Floss:

DMC and Anchor embroidery floss in shades of pink and green, as well as a pair of stork snips

Aaaahh, this is undoubtedly the best part and the most fun to buy! The two major brands of cotton floss are DMC and Anchor, although I’ve mostly only seen DMC sold in stores around here. Again, you can get embroidery floss at most major craft stores as well as in various other local craft stores or online (the DMC website is pretty great!). Anchor and DMC use a different numbering system to identify all their colours, but there are several useful charts you can find online for colour equivalencies. 

 

Cotton embroidery floss comes in stranded skeins of about 8 meters long (8.7 yards). The 6 strands are loosely woven together, allowing you to easily separate them depending on how thick or thin you want your embroidery to be. Most surface embroidery projects are often stitched using 2 or 3 strands at a time. However, you can use as few or as many as you want depending on what you’re stitching and what you want the overall effect to be.

 

DMC green embroidery floss showing the 6 twisted strands that form the skein

 

Side effect warning:

Buying floss is one of the most addictive things ever, as you’ll soon convince yourself that you need ALL. THE. COLOURS.

A box full of miscellaneous DMC and Anchor embroidery thread, winded on cardboard cards

 

Snips:

Snips or embroidery scissors (basically small, precise sewing scissors) are an essential tool for embroidery because you’ll need a small, fine blade for making precise and clean cuts. The fine point of embroidery scissors makes it easy and un-stressful to snip threads close to the main fabric and embroidery work. Snips also come in different shapes and sizes. Ideally you’ll want a pair with a blade about 1-2” long. They can be picked up at most major craft stores or you can browse Etsy to find some truly unique or vintage ones!

 

two pairs of stork scissors for detailwork, 1 small and 1 bigger

 

I’ve somehow ended up with two pairs of these popular stork-shaped ones, of different sizes. They’re definitely my favourite kind of snips so far. The blade is nice and thin, its fine point ideal for detailwork and making clean cuts. I love them and strongly recommend them! I got the smaller pair on Amazon, and the larger one at my local Fabricville store. They are typically around ten dollars.

 

Side-effect warning:

Even if you don’t end up getting bird-shaped ones, snips have a tendency of flying away. I strongly recommend tying a piece of string or ribbon to keep them around your neck, or you’ll find yourself losing them all the time (and I should consider taking my own advice).

 

Pencil:

There are many different ways of transferring an embroidery pattern onto fabric, and many different tools to do so. If you’re just starting, an HB or mechanical pencil will do just fine. It doesn’t work for every type and colour of fabric, but if you’re using a lightweight cotton or linen that is see-through enough, it works wonderfully. Because a well-sharpened (or mechanical) pencil tip is so precise, it is ideal for marking or transferring patterns with small details.

 

various writing tools for transferring embroidery patterns; 0.7mm mechanical pencil, water-soluble pen, iron-on transfer pen, chalk mechanical pencil

Other useful marking tools include the water-soluble pen, which washes off easily with water (2).  The iron-on transfer pen (3) transfers your design using heat. The chalk pen (4) works like a mechanical pencil but uses chalk refills instead of graphite. The latter can prove very useful if you’re planning on embroidering on darker fabrics, but they can be expensive. 

 

Side Effect Warning:

Even though I love trying out different kinds of transfer method, I have to be honest and admit that the mechanical pencil really is my favourite! No trick for this one. Although you may end up like me and just convince yourself you need the latest transfer pen they come up with. Maybe 😉

 

Window:

embroidery pattern and fabric taped to a window, letting natural light filter to be able to transfer the pattern

 

This is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think “embroidery tools”, but! If you’re using a paper pattern – or just an image you want to  copy– the easiest and cheapest way to get it onto your fabric is by tracing it over a window during the daytime. Simply tape your paper pattern to the window and then secure your fabric over it. Trace your design onto the fabric using the marking tool of your choice. The iron-on transfer pen won’t work for this method, but a pencil will work great. Voilà, natural lightbox!

 

Side Effect Warning:

Speaking of lightboxes, if you’re serious about getting into embroidery, you’ll probably want to invest in an actual one. While the window trick does work quite well, it can become very tiring on the arms and sadly doesn’t work after like, 4 pm during the winter when darkness comes on so quickly.

 

And that’s it!! Those are the only embroidery tools you really need to get started and achieve satisfying results, and you don’t need to break the bank to do so. Embroidery is a wonderfully affordable hobby. I hope you found this post useful and that you decide to give embroidery a try if you were thinking about it. Happy stitching!

 

Fondly,

embroidery tools for beginners
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5 Easy Embroidery Stitches Tutorial

     Anne      4 Comments

 

Welcome to my very first embroidery tutorial, where I will share with you 5 different stitches to help you get started with hand embroidery! The straight stitch, the running stitch, the backstitch, the split stitch, and the stem stitch. They are basic embroidery stitches, and the best ones to learn first as a beginner. Used in nearly all surface embroidery techniques, they also form the bases of more advanced stitches and are frequently used in hand-sewing.

 

5 embroidery stitches to learn as a beginner

 

Without further ado, let’s dive in to the tutorial! You will need basic embroidery supplies, and you can find more information on that here.

 

Getting Started

Cut a piece of embroidery floss about the length of your forearm and thread your needle. You can use as many strands of the floss as you want for practicing these stitches – I used three. Leave a tail of about 3-4” hanging. Knot the end of the longer length or secure your thread with one of these methods. Often, knots are not always the best way to start and finish embroidery, but for the purpose of practicing these stitches, they’re perfectly fine.  Place your fabric in the embroidery hoop, tightening the screw until the fabric is nice and taut. I suggest adding a few pencil guidelines to practice lines of stitching. 

 

piece of fabric with pencil guidelines in embroidery hoop

 

1. The Straight Stitch

Bring your needle up from the back of the hooped fabric to form point A.

 

thread coming up at point A

 

Decide on the length of your stitch and direction of your stitch, and bring your needle down in point B, forming a straight line. 

 

straight stitch from point A to B

 

And voilà, you’ve done the straight stitch! It’s pretty straightforward and might seem overly basic, but it’s a very useful stitch for making short, continuous lines to add details. Creating small motifs with the straight stitch also works really well too (like blades of grass or a leaf, for example). 

 

straight stitches forming a grass motif

 

2. The Running Stitch

If you sew, you’ve no doubt had to baste something by hand at some point. In which case, you already know how to do a running stitch! They’re pretty much the same thing.

Bring your needle up from the back, pulling all the way, to form point A. Then bring your needle down in B, and back up in C, down in D and back up in E, without pulling the thread yet. You’re essentially “loading” your needle with stitches before pulling through to stitch faster. 

 

 

needle threaded through fabric starting at point A and ending at point E

 

two running stitches pulled through the fabric

 

When you pull through, you will have nice straight stitches from A-B and C-D. If you use a longer needle you can take even more stitches before pulling! Repeat as many times as needed to get a continuous line. 

 

 

straight line of running stitch completed on the sample hoop, below the straight stitch examples

 

 

3. The Backstitch

One of the most common outline stitches, the backstitch can be used to embroider just about anything. Frequently used in cross-stitch as well, to add outlines and details, it’s one of the most useful stitches out there!

Bring your threaded needle up from the back at point A and back down again in B, forming a small straight stitch.

 

a small straight stitch going from A to B

 

Bring your needle up from the back again in C, at a distance that equals the size of the first stitch. Go back down again in B, through the same hole (this will make the stitches look neater and better connected). 

 

needle going down point B to form a backstitch

 

two stitches lain down to form backstitch

 

 

Repeat to get a nice continuous line, always going down into the previous hole. 

 

line of continuous backstitch

 

 

4. The Stem Stitch

The stem stitch is a variation of the backstitch. The needle also comes back up at the end of the previous stitch, but you do so while holding the working thread to form a loop.

 

Bring your needle up at point A and back down at point B, but before you pull all the way through to make a straight stitch, bring your needle back up at point C. That should be right between points A and B. 

 

 

needle coming up at point C between A and B

 

Once you’ve pulled that stitch flat, your working thread will be coming up right beside the stitch. To work the next stitch, bring the needle down at point D, and back up again at point B, coming up through the same hole. 

 

needle coming up through point B to form stem stitch

 

two stitches lain to form stem stitch

 

Keep the working thread below the stitching line. If you keep it above, the stitching line, it will have a slightly different look and becomes an outline stitch.

Repeat the previous steps to create a continuous line, always going back down at the end of the previous stitch, in the same hole. 

 

needle going back to the previous' stitch's hole to form stem stitch

 

line of finished stem stitch

 

 

5. The Split Stitch

The split stitch is probably my all-time favourite stitch, and I use it everywhere. If I have to outline something, I often chose it over the backstitch, because I find it looks neater and more textured. Also a derivative of the backstitch, it starts off the same way.

Come up from the back in A and down through B to form a small straight stitch.

 

a small straight stitch going from A to B

 

Bring your needle back up in C, right through the middle of the previous stitch, thus splitting it.

 

needle coming up through straight stitch at point C to split the stitch

 

Bring your needle down again in D to form the next stitch.

 

needle going down at point D to form split stitch

 

two stitches lain to form split stitch

 

Repeat the process to get a nice continuous line!

Note: This stitch is easier to work with an even number of strands to create a better “split”. 

 

finished line of splitstitch

 

 

Don’t you love its braided effect? It’s so pretty. 

 

Now you know how to do the 5 most basic embroidery stitches! I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you have fun practicing these stitches. Thank you so much for reading, and don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any comments or questions. I also have tutorials for the following basic stitches: the chain stitch and lazy-daisy, the French knot, and the satin stitch. 

 

Fondly,

 

5 basic embroidery stitches to learn as a beginner