Chinese Cross Stitch

Chinese Cross Stitch is a great little stitch, not often seen, but works up into a very useful filling or border stitch. It looks great as a decorative surface stitch on even-weave fabrics and is extremely simple to work. I have also found that you can scatter this stitch across …

Zig-Zag Whipped Back Stitch

Zig-Zag Whipped Back Stitch is worked on a foundation of three rows of back stitch. If you need a reminder on how to Back Stitch you will find it here. Work your foundation rows in a loose manner because you have to whip them. This means they will tighten as …

Double Buttonhole

Double Buttonhole Stitch is an often-forgotten traditional stitch, yet it is simple and useful. This stitch consists of two lines of Buttonhole stitch worked facing each other. As a result, it makes a great edging stitch because it is double the strength. You can not only use Double buttonhole as …

Guilloche stitch

Guilloche stitch is a composite stitch, which simply means that it is a stitch made by combining two or more different stitches. I love Composite stitches, as for me, it means I can swap out and alter parts of the stitch, giving it a modern twist. Each part is a …

Using Braid Stitch in your Embroidery

Braid Stitch is part of the Chain stitch family. Known also as Cable Plait stitch and Gordian knot stitch, it is a linear stitch that creates a textured braided solid line. It holds curves well even though it is slightly raised. Braid stitch can be used anywhere that you need …

Free Art Nouveau patterns online

I am sure many of my readers will enjoy these copyright-free Art Nouveau patterns that I discovered on the Internet Archive website. It is a collection of patterns put together by Franciska Ruessink simply titled Art Nouveau collection 23 . I always enjoy looking out for freebies I think everyone does! …

How to work Ghiordes Knot or Turkey Knot

Ghiordes Knot has been adapted to modern embroidery from a rug-making technique that originally came from Turkey. It was named after the town of Ghiordes (now known as Gördes) in western Anatolia, Turkey. This stitch creates a texture that is like the plush pile of a rug. It is a …