How To: Five Handy Embroidery Stitches

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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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Blanket Stitch: The blanket stitch is my go-to joining stitch. If you look in my shop, you will see it over and over and over. I love the old world of this stitch and like to use it to add a handcrafted look to mundane, everyday items. This stitch looks hard, but it's so very easy once you get it down.  The stitch is worked right to left, like the pictures below.  The pictures may look strange or flipped but that's just because I was stitching upside down for the camera, the stitches are still going the right direction.

The first stitch of the blanket stitch is a three-point stitch. Starting on the bottom fabric, insert your needle diagonally into the top fabric. Bring the needle down in line with the first stitch over your floss.

The second stitch starts on the top fabric. Bring your needle down into the bottom fabric as you did on the first stitch.

This stitch is also great to join edges or as a decorative border on blankets, quilts, home accessories, and clothing.

This stitch gets its name because it's often used to edge blankets. The more even your stitches are, the more polished your finished work will look.

If you're using the blanket stitch on an edge, the front and back should look the same. If you're using it to join two flat pieces, then the back will look like evenly spaced vertical lines.

Now stop worrying and start stitching! There are tons of patterns out there from Jenny Hart to vintage-looking Aunt Martha to Etsy finds, or you can even make your own (which I'll be covering in the weeks to come)!

Happy stitching!

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Comments (13)

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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