Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch

Hand embroidery stitches / Stitch Dictionary

Alternating up and down stitch is an easy variety of Up and Down buttonhole stitch. You can use this stitch in a freeform, organic way. In the sample below, I have used Alternating up and Down stitch worked in cotton perle thread. Then I added Raised Cross Stitch Flowers and long bugle beads. This sample is from a hussif I made that you can see here.

Sample of Alternating Up and down stitch and Raised Cross Stitch Flower worked on crazy quilting

How to work Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch

Work Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole stitch from left to right. It will help if you are familiar with the regular form of Up and Down Buttonhole stitch. Starting as you would with buttonhole stitch, and with your needle pointing downwards, wrap the thread under the needle and pull the needle through.

For the second part of the stitch, insert the needle and take a bite of the fabric so that the tip of the needle is pointing upwards, as illustrated. Wrap the working thread under the needle and pull the needle through the foundation fabric. As you pull the needle through, pull the needle towards you instead of away from you. As you do this, hold down the loop that forms with the left thumb to prevent it slipping. This loop forms the bar at the base of both stitches. For regular up and down buttonhole, you would work along the line at this point.

Note: I have noticed online that some instructions create a loop, then lace the working thread through the stitch. This is, let’s say, a creative way of doing it. But it is technically incorrect, as the loop is created as you stitch, and once you have the rhythm of the stitch, it is easy and quick to do.

Now, the Alternating part…

For Alternating Up and down buttonhole stitch, you work the next pair of stitches pointing in the other direction.

Once again, make a regular buttonhole stitch, but this time point your needle upwards wrap the thread under the needle and pull the needle through. For the second part of the stitch, insert the needle and take a bite of the fabric so that the tip of the needle is pointing downwards, as illustrated. As you pull the needle through, pull the needle away from you and hold down the loop that forms with your left thumb to prevent it slipping.

This forms the second pair of stitches. Continue along the line with alternating the direction of each pair of stitches as illustrated.

Floral-themed Stitchers templates for hand embroiderers

With this set of stitchers templates, you can create your own floral-themed designs. You can easily combine petal and leaf shapes with the curved edges of the templates to create all sorts of floral and organic motifs. You will be able to create hundreds of different patterns to embroider. It is the ultimate mix-and-match fun for stitchers.

The set comes with an e-book with instructions and is filled with patterns and designs that you can create and use as jumping-off spots for your own designs.

They are available now in the shop here

Enjoy your stitching!