Chevron stitch is a decorative stitch used in surface embroidery and smocking. Some people consider it a basic stitch that you can use in numerous ways in hand-embroidered projects. The sample above is on a piece of crazy quilting and consists of a row of Chevron stitch, worked either side …
Herringbone Stitch is an old favourite of mine and of many other stitchers. I think it is a very versatile crossed stitch. You can work it for a border, as a fill, or along a curved line. You can use it in various forms of surface embroidery and I have …
Cretan stitch can be used in many decorative ways. With it, you can fill a shape, create a border, create a line, or if you arrange rows of Cretan stitch in lines, it makes a wonderful filling stitch to work within a shape. You can use it to couch down …
Feather stitch is a wonderfully versatile, decorative, surface embroidery stitch. It is also known as single coral stitch, and briar stitch. Feather stitch is found extensively on traditional English smocks, Dorset embroidery and on crazy quilts. You can easily give a contemporary twist to the traditional uses of feather stitch, …
Buttonhole stitch, or blanket stitch as many people call it, is actually the foundation stitch for many varieties of Buttonhole. This stitch is often used along the edge of projects — often blankets — hence the name. Never underestimate a stitch-like buttonhole, as it is a marvelously versatile stitch. You …
Fly stitch is a simple stitch that you can use for many things, such as in the sample above. In this piece of contemporary embroidery, I worked fly stitch in stranded cotton floss, perle #8 cotton, perle #12 cotton over layers of chiffon and net to produce a watery effect. …
Raised Close Herringbone The Raised Close Herringbone stitch is usually worked in the shape of leaves and incorporated in floral sprays. It is a self-padding stitch that adds texture and interest to a spray. I recommend using a blunt tapestry needle when working Raised Close Herringbone Stitch. This avoids splitting …
