How To: Five Handy Embroidery Stitches

Erika Kern, contributor

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These five embroidery stitches are a great place to start. From top to bottom: blanket stitch, split stitch, stem stitch, back stitch, chain stitch.

Erika Kern

Start your split stitch by coming up through the middle of your first stitch, splitting it in half.

Erika Kern

Make the rest of your stitches the same length as your first to get a nice, even line.

Erika Kern

These five embroidery stitches are a great place to start. From top to bottom: blanket stitch, split stitch, stem stitch, back stitch, chain stitch.

Photo: Erika Kern

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I have a confession to make . . . hand embroidery is super easy. I know I shouldn't say that; it's in my best interest to keep the mystery of the stitches to myself so that others hire me to stitch for them, but frankly . . . it's just coloring with thread. There, now I've done it. I'm sure I'll be hearing from the Stitcher's League of America where they'll revoke my stitching privileges. That's not to say that it can't be difficult and challenging, just that it doesn't have to be. The learning curve is a lot more friendly.

I'm amazed when other, more accomplished crafters talk about how hard it seems. These are people who sew clothing and knit and make jewelery! Their crafts require math and counting and dangerous tools! Trust me, if I can figure this stuff out, anyone can.

Here are five stitches that I can't live without. (French knots are also on my list, but why do another tutorial when the lovely Jennifer Stern rocked an awesome one out a few weeks back? Check it out! French knots are super cool!)

Get more embroidery information: • How to Embroider a Greeting Card • Embroidery Term of the Week: Topping • The Last Stitch: How to Finish Your Hand-Embroidery • How to Turn Photos into Embroidered Portraits

Split Stitch: The split stitch is great for everything. Outlines? Yep! Letters? You betcha! Fills? Heck, yea! It's the perfect stitch to use on clothing or accessories or anything that's going to get a lot of action since each stitch locks the stitch before it down. I like to use shorter stitches for outlines and letters because they give you more control on curves and such, and a longer stitch on fills so that I'm not stitching until the next Olympics.

Start your split stitch by coming up through the middle of your first stitch, splitting it in half.

That's why it's called a split stitch!

Make the rest of your stitches the same length as your first to get a nice, even line.

Start your stitches in the middle of the stitch before. Use the end of the stitch two stitches before as a guide.

The back of your split stitch should look like the front of the back stitch. That's how you know you're doing it right!

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Comments (15)

MDJim writes: In surgery the blanket stitch is a lock stitch. I learned to embroider by using stitches I learned in Med School and branched out from there. My favorite embroidery experience was while traveling slowly through Islamic countries on my way to Kathmandu from Ireland.I embroidered mosques and Arab numbers 0-10 on my wife's denim shirt. We still have it!
Posted: 3:57 pm on December 25th

MDJim writes: In surgery the blanket stitch is a lock stitch. I learned to embroider by using stitches I learned in Med School and branched out from there. My favorite embroidery experience was while traveling slowly through Islamic countries on my way to Kathmandu from Ireland.I embroidered mosques and Arab numbers 0-10 on my wife's denim shirt. We still have it!
Posted: 3:56 pm on December 25th

lalitha26 writes: Thanks for sharing the stitches with us. I do alot of cross stitching and such. So it's always good to learn new stitches.

Posted: 9:21 pm on January 24th

katrinehomeblog writes: These are sooo helpful, thank you. i am teaching embroidery to kids, and this is a great illustration. we are embroidering tea towels for their first project. and they are hooked!
Posted: 8:29 am on January 25th

CyndyG writes: I really like your site! My grandmothers and my mother are traditional seamstresses, crafters, and quilters, so I appreciate your info. Question about quilting stitches: I'd like to substitute one of your five handy embroidery stitches on my next quilt. Again, which one(s) give(s) the appearance of the separated stitch on the underside of the fabric? (Like this: - - - - -, etc.)? I like the idea of "switching it up" on the front, but being "traditional" on the back.

Thanks!
CyndyG:)
Posted: 10:22 am on January 22nd

aprilleigh1974 writes: Great! Thanks for the info and the great pics. I already knew three different stitches, I just didn't KNOW they were considered embroidery. Not bad :) Tonight I learned the chain stitch and I like it! :) thanks!
Posted: 11:04 pm on September 16th

Oroilore writes: Good timing! I had a coworker ask me, "How do you do this stich?" Then she proceed to draw it on a piece of paper. What she was drawing was the blanket stick. I told her, "I know what she want and I know where to find the instructions". I sent her the link to this post and now I'm a hero.
Posted: 12:00 am on September 17th

Jen1964 writes: If you can find that 1/8 inch yellow gingham, I highly recommend an embroidery project that you design yourself. Samplers were popular forever, and I learned on one. The center is where you put the simplified "home" you live in. With those stitches you showed, you can do so much. Each link in the chain stitch can be a petal or a leaf. Simple "x" stitches can add a nice touch for making large alphabets or borders. But any combination of stitches that you like can make a border that's both intriguing and fun. A message of favorite quote helps round out the piece. You get to pick out your emboidery floss colors, and make it so you love it. The main point is to have fun (and learn). Great way to help young girls (and some boys with patience) to learn to sew. -Jen
Posted: 10:00 am on September 16th

erika_kern writes: Fixed! Thanks normasews, you're a lifesaver!
Posted: 8:05 pm on September 15th

erika_kern writes: I stand corrected! Sorry about that, I've always know that as a running stitch. . . makes sense though, since you have to go back to do the stitch. Duh, Erika! Thanks for the info, I'll go back and fix it!
Posted: 7:54 pm on September 15th

normasews writes: What you are describing as a running stitch is actually a modified back stitch! A running stitch has spaces between the stitches on the front of the embroidery.
Posted: 9:04 am on September 15th

evany writes: Yay! I can't wait to give all these a try! Thanks for taking the time to write a fun, teachy tutorial, you're the greatest!
Posted: 9:30 am on September 5th

erika_kern writes: Thanks! Yeah, the chain stitch is the bomb! I always admire the cross stitcher. . . especially the counted cross stitcher. . . I always miscount and then have to rip it out and stitch it all over again!
Posted: 6:51 pm on September 3rd

nascargurl writes: Thanks for sharing the stitches with us. I do alot of cross stitching and such. So it's always good to learn new stitches.

Jamie (nascargurl)
Posted: 8:46 pm on September 2nd

LindaPermann writes: these are great erika! I don't do that much embroidery but when I do, it's good to know that I can do more than the chain stitch. :)
Posted: 1:33 pm on September 2nd

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