Stitch Directory

Surface embroidery stitches


Surface embroidery refers to any embroidery style in which the stitches are worked freely, rather than dictated by the weave of the cloth – there is no need to count threads or follow the grain of the material. It is sometimes referred to as free style or freehand embroidery. Crewelwork/Jacobean and creative surface embroidery are probably the most well known surface embroidery styles, along with Mountmellick.


You’ll find a lot of the stitches I use in my designs on this page, as well as all the alternative names I’ve been able to find for each of them. So you’ll know which stitch to use, even if you know it by a different name. I’ll be adding to this directory over time, so if the stitch you’re looking for isn't here yet, try my Stitches board on Pinterest. 

“So many stitches are beautiful and interesting to work that the embroideress who is prepared to abandon the unimaginative use of stem, chain, satin and petit point will soon find how richly she is rewarded.” – Barbara Snook 


Arrowhead stitch 


Back stitch


Back stitch – double 


Back stitch – laced (single laced, threaded) 


Back stitch – interlaced (double laced, threaded) 


Back stitch – whipped (oversewn) 


Blanket stitch (buttonhole stitch) 


Blanket stitch – filling 


Blanket stitch – interlaced 


Blanket stitch – long and short 


Blanket stitch – pinwheel (wheel, open wheel) 


Blanket stitch – slanted 


Blanket stitch – spaced (grouped) 


Blanket stitch – stepped 


Blanket stitch – up and down 


Braid stitch (cable plait stitch, figure of eight stitch) 


Bullion knot (bullion stitch) 


Cable stitch (alternating stem) 







Cable plait stitch – see braid stitch 




Chain stitch 


  
Chain stitch - back stitched (chain-back stitch combo) 


Chain stitch – detached (link stitch, seed stitch, powder stitch, lazy daisy) 


Chain stitch – heavy (braid stitch)


Chain stitch – knotted cable 


Chain stitch – raised chain band 


Chain Stitch – twisted 


Chain stitch – whipped (oversewn) 


Chain stitch – zigzag 


Chevron stitch (barred end herringbone stitch) 


Chevron stitch – half 


Coral stitch (snail trail, broken chain stitch) 


Couching


Couching – trellis (Jacobean couching, trevis couching, trellis work) 


Cretan stitch 


Cretan stitch – open 


Cross stitch 


Crow’s foot stitch 






Detached chain stitch - see chain stitch-detached 




Ermine filling stitch 


Feather stitch 


Feather stitch – closed 


Feather stitch – double 


Feather stitch – long-armed (quill stitch)


Fern stitch 


Fishbone stitch 


Fly stitch (Y-stitch, open loop stitch) 


Four-legged knot 


French knot 


Ghiordes knot (Turkey work, single knot tufting) 


Herringbone stitch (plaited stitch, catch stitch) 


Leaf stitch 


Loop stitch 


Palestrina (double knot stitch, German knot stitch, old English knot stitch, smyrna stitch, tied coral stitch, twilling) 


Portuguese border stitch (see photographic, step-by-step tutorial)





Raised chain band – see Chain stitch–raised chain band 




Running stitch 


Running stitch – battlemented 


Running stitch – whipped 


Satin stitch (damask stitch) 


Satin stitch – surface 


Scroll stitch (single knotted line stitch) 


Seed stitch – single (seeding, speckling stitch, isolated back stitch, matting) 


Seed stitch – double (seeding, speckling stitch, matting, dot stitches) 


Sheaf filling stitch (faggot filling stitch) 


Spider web – whipped (back-stitched, ribbed) 


Spider web – woven 


Sprat’s head stitch 



Star stitch 
Note: Common nowadays to catch star down with one straight stitch


Stem stitch 


Stem stitch – filling (shading) 


Stem stitch – Portuguese (Portuguese knotted) 


Stem stitch - raised 


Stem stitch – whipped (oversewn) 


Straight stitch (single satin stitch, isolated satin stitch, ray stitch, spoke stitch, stroke stitch) 


Straight stitch – wheel 


TĂȘte de Boeuf stitch (Bull’s head stitch) 


Thorn stitch 







Trellis work see couching 



Wheatear stitch 


Wheatear stitch – detached


These stitch diagrams have been collected from vintage, out-of-print needlework books:


  • Pleasures of Crewel by Jo Springer
  • Embroidery Stitches by Barbara Snook
  • Step by Step Guide to Embroidery by Barbara Chandler
  • Embroidery Stitches, Anchor Needlework Series, book no. 3
  • Embroidery Stitches, Anchor Needlework Series, book no. 4
  • Design and Embroidery by Valerie Cliffe and Edward Arnold
  • Embroidery & Needlework by Gladys Windsor Fry
  • The Complete Book of Creative Needlecrafts, Octopus 
  • Simple Embroidery by Marguerite Randell
  • More Simple Embroidery by Marguerite Randell
  • Golden Hands Encyclopedia of Embroidery, Collins
  • 50 Free Style Embroidery Stitches, J&P Coats (Delos)