Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole Stitch

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole Stitch

Hand embroidery stitches / Stitch Dictionary

Let’s make twiggy bits!

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole sample

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole stitch is ideal to use for thorny stems in floral sprays. This is a stitch I often use, and I think most embroiderers and crazy quilters will particularly enjoy, as it makes wonderful twiggy bits — particularly if you treat them in an improvisational manner. A feathery line of twin stitches looks at first glance like knotted feather stitch. But it is not, as the knot is flat to the fabric and quite neat. To understand the workings of Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole, you need to know Up and Down buttonhole and feather stitch, as this is a combination of the two stitches.

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole sample

Each stitch of the pair is a separate step. The bar at the base of each pair of stitches adds extra texture to the line but is flat to the fabric. It looks complex, but it is an amazingly versatile stitch.

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole sample

Since it is a variation of buttonhole stitch, it is easily worked on many types of fabrics and is just as effective when worked along a straight line or following a curve.

How to work Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole Stitch

Before you work this stitch, be familiar with feather stitch, and up and down buttonhole stitch. (Follow the links for a tutorial if you need a refresher). When working this stitch, it is useful to imagine 3 parallel lines.

UP and Down feather stitch directions
Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions

Work from top to bottom. Bring the needle out at the top of the line to be worked. Insert the needle to the right, and have it emerge from the fabric in the middle and below these two points, so that when the thread is wrapped under the needle, it makes a V shape. With the thread under the needle, take the needle through the fabric.

Making the V shapes

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions
Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions
Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions

This first V shape creates the first part of the tied pairs of stitches. For the second stitch of the pair,  take the needle through the fabric, pointing the needle in an outward direction. See the illustration and note where the point of the needle is. In other words, point the needle outwards and upwards. Wrap the working thread under the needle at the top. Pull the needle through the fabric. As you do this, hold down the loop that forms with the left thumb to prevent it from slipping. This loop forms the bar at the base of both stitches. This forms the first pair of tied stitches.

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions

Insert the needle a little to the right and almost on the same level as the knot. Make a small stitch in a downward motion that is angled so that the point of the needle appears on the centre line. Keeping the thread under the needle point (as you would with regular feather stitch), pull the thread through the fabric to make a V-shape, which is the first part of the next pair of stitches.

Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions
Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole directions

Once again, turn the needle in the opposite direction and wrap the thread under the needle. Pull the needle through the fabric and hold down the loop that forms with the left thumb to prevent it from slipping. Work these movements alternatively down the line. As you can see by the samples, there are lots of ways of creating variety with this stitch. Once you have the rhythm of the stitch, it is easy and quick to do. I hope you enjoy Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole.

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Have you seen my Stitchers Templates?

Templates

Create your own designs with Sharon’s easy-to-use stitchers templates. Combine shapes to create hundreds of patterns and designs to embroider. It is the ultimate mix-and-match fun for stitchers of all skill levels. I created them to be as versatile as possible. I include four multi-patterned templates in each set. You will find them easy to use, totally clear to help you position them on your work, and they are nice and compact to fit in your sewing box. Each set comes with an e-book filled with patterns and designs that you can create and use as a jumping-off spot for your own designs. They are available now in our shop here!

Happy stitching!

Enjoy your stitching!

22 Comments

  3. Hello. Your embroderies are verry nice. I’m biginner and would like to lurn. Is it possible to may recive your news letters? Many thanks for your answer. Best regards. CathyBelgique.

    radermacher catherine
    Reply

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