Straight Sided, Crossed, and Plaited Feather Stitch

Both Crossed and Plaited Feather stitches have a foundation of Straight-sided Feather stitch. So it makes sense to group them together. They are also related to Turkman stitch. As you can see, the differences in these stitches are either the angle you hold the needle at and/or the spacing. I am sure crazy quilters will enjoy these varieties of feather stitch, as they can be further decorated with stitches and beads. They also look very effective if you work them on a ribbon or if you use contrasting threads. My samples are worked in cotton perle #5

How to work straight-sided feather stitch

Straight-sided feather stitch is worked between two imaginary parallel lines. Similar to the way you work regular feather stitch, swinging back and forth, from side to side. Bring the needle out at the top of the line and reinsert it a little to the right, but on the same level. Make a small stitch downward, so that the needle’s point appears on the right-hand side of the line. Keeping the thread under the needle’s point, pull the thread through the fabric to make the first stitch. In line with the base of the ‘V’ that you have just made, insert the needle on the left side of the line,  and make a small vertical stitch downward, positioning the needle so that the point reappears on the left line. Pull the thread through the fabric to make the stitch. Work these movements alternatively down the line to complete the first row of straight-sided feather stitch.

How to work Crossed Feather stitch

To work crossed feather stitch, you offset a second row of straight-sided feather stitch by one stitch. I have worked the second row in a different coloured thread so readers can see how it works. Bring your thread out on the top left side of the line, as illustrated. Take the needle upward to make a vertical backstitch. Bring the tip out at the point where your thread emerged, as illustrated. Pull the thread through the fabric to make the stitch. This stitch is here so that you can start the row neatly. In line with the base of the V, insert the needle on the right side and make a small vertical stitch with the needle’s point emerging from the fabric on the right side as illustrated. Pull the thread through the fabric to make the stitch. Move to the left side and repeat these movements alternatively down the line.

How to work Plaited feather stitch

Plaited feather stitch is very similar to Crossed feather stitch, except on every second stitch, you thread your yarn under the cross-bar of the first row of stitches. I have worked the second row in a different coloured thread so readers can see how it works. Start Plaited feather stitch by working a line of straight-sided feather stitch and start the second row with a vertical straight stitch as illustrated above. Next, insert the needle on the right side of the line, in line with the base of the V, and make a small vertical stitch in a downward motion so that the needle’s point emerges as illustrated. Pull the thread through the fabric to make the stitch. Before you move to the left side of the line, thread your needle under the cross-bar as illustrated. Pull the thread through. Move to the left side and make another straight-sided feather stitch.  Repeat these movements alternatively down the line, weaving the thread under the cross-bar every second stitch. Both these stitches are simple but versatile and can be very effective if you experiment with different yarns.

Happy stitching!

Thread Twisties!

Experimenting with different threads can be expensive. You would normally have to buy a whole skein of each type of thread. My thread twisties are a combination of different threads to use in creative hand embroidery. These enable you to try out stitching with something other than stranded cotton. For the price of just a few skeins, you can experiment with a bundle of threads of luscious colours and many different textures.

These are creative embroiders threads. With them, I hope to encourage you to experiment. Each Twistie is a thread bundle containing silk, cotton, rayon and wool. Threads range from extra fine (the same thickness as 1 strand of embroidery floss) to chunky couchable textured yarns. All threads have a soft and manageable drape. Twisting them around a needle makes experimental hand embroidery an interesting journey rather than a battle.  Many are hand dyed by me. All are threads I use. You may find a similar thread twist but no two are identical.

You will find my thread twisties in the Pintangle shop here.

Follow Pintangle and have it delivered to your inbox

You can have Pintangle including TAST delivered to your inbox — In the side bar use the Subscribe to Pintangle box or If you are on a mobile scroll to the bottom the of the page to find the Subscribe to Pintangle option. In either case type in your email address and click on the Subscribe button below. Then check your email inbox for a confirmation email and click the link to confirm your subscription. If you don’t see a confirmation email, check your spam folder — sometimes the computer puts it there.