satin stitch

There are actually a couple of ways to work satin stitch. One involves outlining your shape with split stitch and we haven’t done that one yet. So, this week I’ll show you an easier way to do this stitch and next week I’ll do split stitch and explain the difference.

To do it this way you’ll need a clearly-defined shape drawn onto your fabric. I’m using a square but it can be any shape you like.

Bring your needle to the front at a corner of your shape.

Take your needle down at the opposite corner, then up again right next to where your needle first emerged.

Pull the thread through making sure your floss lays flat.

Placing your stitches close together, continue along until your shape is filled. Follow the exact guidelines you’ve drawn for a smooth, even edge. This is actually pretty hard to achieve so I'm looking forward to trying the outlining technique.

When you’re finished filling the shape, hide your ending thread behind the shape by weaving it in under the threads on the back. You'll notice that the back looks very much like the front.

Essentially you’re doing the same stitch we learned last week except that you’re packing them closely together to make a smooth surface.

With the split stitch technique you’ll first outline your shape then work over that outline. Another technique is called padded satin stitch. For this you make a series of small stitches in the center of your shape, then work the satin stitch over the top. This raises the surface of your shape slightly. You’ll see this technique used a lot in whitework.

Here are a few examples of satin stitch. It’s great for flower petals and leaves.

And for animal eyes and noses.

straight stitch

I was wrong when I said that stem and outline stitch are the most common stitches. The straight stitch is even more basic. It can be stitched in any direction and any length and it forms the basis for many other stitches. This stitch is so easy that I almost don't need to show pictures, but I will anyway.

Bring your threaded needle to the front.

Take the needle to the back at the end of the stitch and come up at the beginning of the next one.

Pull the thread through making sure you don't twist the thread. You want it to lay flat and, oops, don't look too closely at my example because I didn't do this. At your last stitch keep your thread at the back and weave it under your previous stitches. Easy peasy.

Used alone, this stitch is great for detailing—like in these individual pine needles

For animal fur (and as the basis for those yellow cross stitches)

Combined with outline stitch for shading in leaves and flowers

Here's another flower, and you’ll notice that the sepal is also done in straight stitch but with densely packed together threads. This is called satin stitch.

When I work straight stitch I often use more strands of floss than I would for a stem or outline stitch. Those stitches become thick because of the braiding and overlapping of the threads and you don't get that with straight stitch. I've found that four strands is about right for most things.

granitos

Another relatively easy stitch is called Granitos. As near as I can figure, granitos means "little grains" in Spanish—like in grains of sugar "granitos de azucar". It is a sweet little stitch so there you go :)

Granitos are done with small straight stitches laid side by side and using the same holes in the fabric. It makes a slightly raised elongated dot. Here's how you do it.

Bring your thread to the front, then to the back a short distance away. Come up again in exactly the same hole where you began.

Pull your thread through. Loop the thread to the left and take the needle to the back in the same hole (the second one) as before. It helps to hold the loop with your thumb.

Gently pull the thread through, making sure that it lies to the left and directly next to the first stitch. Your thumb helps here, too.

Repeat, but this time loop your thread to the right.

Pull your thread through, making sure it lays along the right side.

Continue adding thread and alternating sides until you've completed your shape. I used six strands of floss for this and four stitches on each side of the first one.

Perfect for flower buds and petals (instead of the usual lazy daisy).

four-legged knot

The four-legged knot stitch looks like a simple cross stitch with a knot in the center, but the knot is actually part of the second crossed thread not done afterward and on top. A bit hard to explain but you'll see what I mean in a minute.

Take a stitch from top to bottom—this will become the first half of the cross. Then bring your needle up to begin the second half of the cross and pull your thread through.

Lay the thread across the center of the stitch and hold it with your thumb.

With the thread looped below, slide your needle diagonally from upper right to lower left and under both threads.

Pull the thread through gently making sure the loop is under the tip of the needle.

Continue to pull it through, guiding the thread with your thumb, until the knot tightens.

Then bring your needle and thread to the back to complete the cross. And it looks like this.

Here's a side view so you can see the knot a little better.

fly/twisted fly stitch

Today we're talking about fly stitch, which is very similar to feather stitch except that it's done as a single stitch rather than a series of connecting ones. It can be worked in a "V" shape or a "Y" shape by varying the length of the anchoring stitch at the final step. I'll also show you a variation called twisted fly stitch where the final anchoring stitch is twisted through the loop.

Begin by bringing your thread to the front.

Take the needle to the back about 1/4" to the right and parallel to where the thread emerges. Loop your thread under the tip of the needle and bring the needle up again midway between the two and about 1/4" below.

Hold the loop in place with your left thumb and pull the needle through until the looped thread lies snugly against the emerging thread.

Take your thread to the back to anchor the loop. A short stitch here will make a "V"; a longer one will make a "Y".

For the twisted variation, start the same way but keep the looped thread above the needle.

Gently begin to pull the thread through. Stop when the loop reaches slightly below the emerging thread.

Take the needle up and over, then through the loop and begin to pull the thread through.

Continue pulling gently until it lies flat on the fabric (the center will twist). Anchor the stitch as you did above, making it whatever length you like.

The completed stitch:

raised fishbone stitch

This stitch, the raised fishbone, is a variation of the fishbone stitch. The threads overlap one another and, by the time you've filled your shape, completely cover the threads underneath. It has a more pronounced woven center than the regular fishbone stitch and is raised up off the surface of your fabric for a nicely padded effect.

Like last week, you'll work with a drawn leaf shape but without the center line. You won't need this because your first stitch will form a guide for you to work over. So, start by bringing your needle up at the very top of your leaf shape and down again about 1/2 inch below it.

Pull your thread through and come up again on the outline to the left and directly across from the bottom of the first stitch.

Take your thread to the back on the outline near the top of the first stitch and just to the right of it. Then come up again to the left of it. You can do this in two steps or one like I've done here.

Pull the thread through. Now, take your needle down on the right side of the outline and directly across from the bottom of the center line stitch. Come up again on the left outline slightly below the previous stitch. Again, you can do this in two steps or in one continuous motion, whichever you find easier. I've shown it done with two, but did it in one in the later photos.

You'll begin to see how the threads cross at the top. Take your thread from right to left again at the top, working slightly below your last stitch and along the outline on both sides. Repeat from right to left again at the bottom and slightly below the previous stitches.

Continue to work your way down the shape, alternating between the top and bottom and always working from right to left (or left to right if you're left-handed).

See how the crossover is forming a pattern now. At some point you'll have covered your center line but you won't need it—just continue following the outside edge formed by the previous stitches.

Here's the finished leaf shape.

And here's a side view so you can see how it raises up off the surface. Pretty cool!

I know this one sounds complicated but it's actually easier to do than to explain how to do it. One you work a few rows and get past that awkward stage, you'll see how easy it is. I really love how it looks so will definitely be working this stitch into the ones I use regularly.

fishbone stitch

The fishbone is another stitch with a plaited center that's perfect for embroidering leaves, feathers, or wings. The stitches cross slightly at the center and the resulting plaited effect forms the central rib. There's a variation called raised fishbone where the thread crosses over and behind the center. It raises the thread up a bit so it has a nice padded effect.

I've drawn a fat leaf shape with a center line that I'll fill with stitches, but this will work equally well for thinner and curvier leaves—like ferns (see more about that below). So, start by bringing your thread up on the center line near the top of the leaf.

Take the needle from the very top point of the leaf to a point along the left side that's at an angle to where the thread starts. Keep your thread to the right.

Pull your thread through. With your thread to the left, take your needle from a point slightly to the right of your first stitch to a diagonal point on the leaf outline.

Pull the thread through. This is the first half of the completed stitch.

With your thread to the right, take the needle from a point slightly to the left of the previous stitch and angled up towards the left side of the leaf outline. You'll see that your thread crosses over the bottom of the previous stitch.

Pull your thread through to complete one stitch.

Now with your thread to the left repeat on the right side.

And again on the left (I've jumped ahead a little here—there's a couple of stitches taken in between).

Continue stitching, alternating from left to right, until you've completely filled the leaf shape.

For a curved shape, increase the distance between the stitches on the outside curve and decrease the space on the inside curve. The sharper the curve, the greater the distance between the stitches on the outside line.