Basic Embroidery Stitches Tutorial

Backstitch
Bring the threaded needle to the front side of the fabric. Reinsert the needle one stitch length to the right and then the left of the thread as shown in the diagram. Repeat.

Cross Stitch
Create diagonal crosses like those pictured. For one cross stitch, bring the thread to the front of the fabric in the bottom right corner and then through to the back at the top left. To do the second stitch of the cross, put the needle through to the front at the bottom left and then to the back through the top right corner.  When making several cross stitches in a row you can make diagonal stitches all in one direction first, and the come back the other direction and do the opposite stitches afterwards.

Star Stitch
Work several straight stitches from the outside of the star to the center, as shown. Six or eight stitches are a good number to use when making a star.

Daisy Stitch
The daisy stitch is similar to the star stitch in that the individual stitches are arranged into a circular shape to form the finished product. To form one of the petals of the daisy stitch, bring the needle up through the fabric near the center of the daisy and then reinsert it at the same point it came up from. Leave enough thread on the front side to create the size of petal that you want. Bring the needle back up through the fabric inside the loop (at the outer edge) and secure it with a stitch, as shown. Then, bring the needle up again near the center of the daisy to create the next petal. Once again, six or eight stitches are a good amount for the daisy.

French Knot
Bring the needle to the front of the fabric. Wrap the thread around the needle two or three times very near the point where the thread came up through. Push the needle back down through the fabric; very close to the original point (but not exactly in the same spot.) A knot will form on the front of the fabric.

Satin Stitch
This stitch is good when you want to create some solid color. It is a good way to do lettering or fill in a leaf as shown. Make side by side stitches very close together so that no fabric shows up through. (It should look this way on the front and the back.) It is best to not make the stitches too long, so it will remain smooth.

Blanket Stitch
This is my personal favorite stitch when stitching the edges of felt. Bring the threaded needle to the edge of the front of the fabric. Move back a short distance from the edge and insert the needle. Come back up at the edge as shown.

 

Tagged as: backstitch, blanket stitch, cross stitch, daisy stitch, embroidery, embroidery thread, felt, french knot, homemade, needle, star stitch, thread