Mandy Shaw’s guide to embroidery stitches

From easy, familiar stitches to decorative, elegant needlework, use this embroidery guide to bring your patchwork to life!

Running Stitch
Bring the needle through from the back and take it back down a short way away to make the first stitch. Come back up the same distance as the length of your stitch and repeat. 

Backstitch
Backstitch is so versatile − it can be used to ‘draw’ parts of a stitched motif, to add single stitches for emphasis and to outline areas. It can also be ‘whipped’ with another thread, to strengthen the line or add a second colour, in the same way as whipped running stitch.

Blanket Stitch
This stitch is a favourite to edge appliqué motifs. It’s also great for decorating seams. For a different look, you can vary the height of the vertical stitches. 

Cross Stitch
Cross stitch is very simple, come up in one corner, take a stitch diagonally down then come up an equal distance above. Make a second stitch diagonally down in the opposite direction to make an ‘X’.

Star Stitch/Double Cross Stitch
Work a single cross stitch (as shown below, left) and then add another cross with horizontal and vertical lines (A and B). These lines can be in a different colour. You can also make these additional stitches shorter, so the stitch becomes more star-like (C).

Feather Stitch
This stitch is made up of a series of loops, each anchored by the following stitch. The pattern of loops swing alternately to the right and left to create a staggered pattern. It’s much more easily stitched if you mark removable grid lines on the fabric (shown in blue on the diagrams). A marked centre line is also useful. When you want to finish the run, sew a final small stitch to anchor the last loop.

Herringbone Stitch
This versatile stitch can be used decoratively or as an edging. Additional stitches create a more complex look. This stitch is worked similarly to cross stitches. Follow the sequence in the diagrams below.

Satin Stitch
This is used to fill in an outline and stitches can be long or short. Bring the needle through from the back and take it back down to make the first stitch. Bring your needle back up right next to your starting point and continue to make the second stitch alongside the first. Continue to add stitches alongside each other until the shape is filled.

French Knot
This little stitch looks wonderful when stitched in massed groups. Start by bringing the thread to the surface. Wrap the thread around the needle twice, hold the thread taut so the wraps stay tight on the needle and insert the needle into the fabric a tiny distance away from where it emerged. Pull the thread through to the back, so the knot sits neatly on the surface of the fabric. Secure with a tiny stitch.

To buy Mandy’s quilting and embroidery patterns, head to our Gathered Shop.

Sarah Trevor

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