How to hand embroider Half Chevron stitch

Half Chevron stitch sample 2

Half Chevron stitch is an interesting variety of Chevron stitch with one side of the stitch being worked with a similar hand motion. You can work this stitch on plain and even weave fabric in most types of embroidery thread. It makes a useful border or outline stitch, which follows curves well. This stitch is great to use as a foundation line of stitching on the seams of a crazy quilting project. You can work this stitch back to back with the points facing as in the sample above.

Work from left to right on two imaginary parallel lines. If you are working on fabric that is not an even weave you can mark guide-lines on the fabric using one of the fade out or water dissolvable pens available on the market but do make sure that it will disappear as this stitch does not cover the whole line marked.

How to work Half Chevron Stitch

Step by step illustration of how to work half chevron stitch 1 Bring the thread out through the fabric on the left of the lower imaginary line. Insert the needle a little to the right on the same line, and with the needle emerging at the middle make a small stitch.

Step by step illustration of how to work half chevron stitch 2 Take the needle up and insert on the upper imaginary line and make a small stitch pointing the needle downward. Have the thread looped under the needle. Take the needle through the fabric.

Step by step illustration of how to work half chevron stitch3 Move diagonally across to the right and insert the needle on the lower line. Bringing the needle out a little to the left, and pull the needle through the fabric. Still working on the bottom imaginary line take the needle across to the right and insert, bringing it once again out in the middle. Work this way along the row.

Half Chevron stitch sample 9

Half Chevron stitch is very effective worked back to back and you can build up interesting and complex patterns using it.

Half Chevron stitch sample 10 Take some time to experiment as you can do simply oodles with this stitch. Beads can be added, ribbons or thread can be laced through the stitch and you are really only limited by your imagination.

Half Chevron stitch sample 4 You can stack this stitch overlapping row upon row to create a patterned filling stitch.

Half Chevron stitch sample 6 These are single half chevron stitches that have been turned on their side. Once again it is easy to add beads to this formation or use it for couching. You can also work a line of stitches on a curve.

Half Chevron stitch sample 7

Another way is to work single instance of Half Chevron stitch is to place them in a square. This arrangement is effective as a little motif which can be repeated to build up patterns.

Half Chevron stitch sample 8 Place the individual stitches in a cross formation to use as a repeating motif and build up patterns – or you can combine the two!

Half Chevron stitch sample 5 Yet another option with this stitch is to swing either side of the line, individual half chevron stitches back to back to form patterns. The stitch can be worked on a gentle curve and when you swing them from side to side even more interesting things happen.

Have you seen my Stitchers Templates?

As someone who loves crazy quilting and embroidery, I designed these templates with other stitchers in mind. With my templates, you can create hundreds of different patterns to apply to your stitching and crazy quilting projects. They are easy to use, totally clear so you can position them easily. They are compact in your sewing box.

For more information, about them and the free ebook of patterns that they come with, visit the information pages in the shop where you can also purchase them.