Split Stitch

Split stitch is another stitch that is useful for outlining. I learned recently that this stitch was used extensively in the Middle Ages for embroidering faces because it lends itself to subtle shading when it's worked in rows as a filling stitch. It's also sometimes called Kensington outline stitch. Here's how you do it.

Bring your thread to the front, then take the needle to the back about 1/8 inch away.



Pull the thread through, then bring your needle up in the center of the first stitch, splitting the thread with the needle. This will work best if you use an even number of strands of embroidery floss. I used 4 but you could use 2 for a fine line or 6 for a heavier one. Pull the thread through to complete the first stitch and begin the second.



Again, take the needle to the back 1/8 inch away.



Pull the thread through and emerge in the center of the second stitch. Continue working your stitches in the same manner. Hide the thread at the back when you're finished with the line.



This is the first time I've done this stitch and I found it very awkward. My line looked better as I went along, but I still think it looks too much like chain stitch. And I don't think it's supposed to. So I think I need to practice this one a bit more. I'll revise these directions and pictures if I come up with an easier way to do it.



Last week I showed you how to do satin stitch with a drawn line. Another way to do it, and one that maintains a sharper line, is to outline your shape first with split stitch. Then work over the top of it, taking your thread over the outline so you're covering it completely, and angling your needle slightly towards the center. Like this—



I usually show examples from vintage linens that I own but I couldn't find any that used this stitch. Split stitch is not something you see that often and I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's underneath all the satin stitch :)

Spider Web

The spider web filling stitch is another stitch from my 1964 Coats & Clarks booklet One Hundred Embroidery Stitches. It's also shown in another of my embroidery books but done with ribbon instead of thread and it resembles a rose much more than a spider web. So feel free to experiment with the material you weave through—it doesn't have to be the same as the base threads, which will be completely covered by the time you finish.



Start by drawing a small circle on your fabric—mine is about the size of a quarter. Mark the center and five evenly-spaced points around the outside edge. Bring your thread up in the center.



Take five straight stitches from the center out to each of the five points that you marked. Bring your thread up again in the center in between two of the "spokes".



Without going through the fabric, weave the thread under and over the five straight stitches, making sure to alternate between spokes.



Because you're working with an uneven number of spokes, the next time you come around the circle you'll be doing the opposite of what you did before, so each spoke will alternate under and over. As you go around, guide the thread around the previous one with your thumb. You can keep the thread tight near the center but make it looser as you work outward. Otherwise, if you pull too tightly, it will pull over the previous thread. This is a little hard to explain but you'll understand once you start working this stitch.



When you want to stop, take your thread to the back slightly under the edge of the outer thread and near one of the spokes. This will help to hide the end.



Here's what it looks like when you stop the woven threads partway out and keep the ends of the spokes showing. (I've used a fade-away marker for my circle, so the lines will disappear in a day or so).



And here's another version with a second color in the center (just stop one color and start another) and the weaving taken all the way to the edge. The weaving creates a raised-off-the-surface texture and would be a cool way to do flowers!

Scroll Stitch

Also called single knotted line stitch, scroll stitch makes an attractive border. And marking a line on your fabric will help to keep your line straight when you work this stitch.

First bring your thread to the front. Make a loop with your thread to the right and in a clockwise direction.



Take a tiny stitch from from top to bottom beginning slightly above the marked line and coming up on the line itself. Make sure that the looped thread lays under both ends of the needle.



Pull the thread firmly so the loop tightens around the needle.



Then pull the thread through to complete your first stitch. You'll know immediately if you've done it wrong because there will be no loop holding the thread inside. If that happens (and it happened to me several times so don't worry) just undo that stitch and begin again.



Loop the thread to the right again and repeat.



And continue working your stitches in the same way until you've completed your line.



Voila



This would be good for waves, wouldn't it?

Roumanian Stitch

There are several stitches with braided or plaited centers that are wonderful for creating leaves—Cretan, Fishtail, and Roumanian stitches are a few. I'll show you Roumanian today and we'll get to the others at another time. None of these stitches are hard but they need a lot of photos to illustrate them properly.

I'm showing this worked as a wide band but you can also use it to fill a shape by varying the length of the side stitches and the position of the knotted center (the knots will form the center rib of the leaf).

First draw three parallel lines on your fabric to serve as guides. Bring your thread to the front on the first (left) line. Keeping your thread below the needle, take your needle down on the third (right) line then up again on the center line. Make sure these align with one another.



Pull your thread through. With your thread above the needle, take your thread from the center to the lefthand line slightly below your first stitch. Pull your thread through and you'll see it form a small "knot" in the middle.





Start back on the righthand line slightly below the previous stitch and in line with your thread on the left and come up in the center.



Continue working stitches in this way, working from left to right, then right to left, and alternating the thread position from on top to below. When you reach the end, take your needle to the back at the center forming one last "knot".





Here's a completed row. I used three strands of floss and it made a very delicate stitch. In future I may try six strands for a more substantial look.



And here it is done with a chunkier (wool) thread.



I think this looks best when the stitches are packed closely together because the centers form a tight line of knots. But you can try it spaced further apart, too.

Portuguese Stem Stitch

The Portuguese stem stitch is another of the knotted stitches. You start with a basic stem stitch and then wrap your thread twice around the middle before starting the next stitch. It looks like a heavy rope or chain and would make a nice variation on stem or outline stitches if you want a thicker line or one with more interesting detail. It, too, is from my One Hundred Embroidery Stitches booklet so I'll reproduce the drawings in addition to my photos. Sometimes it helps to see it both ways and this one was particularly hard to photograph.



So, working on a drawn line, begin as for a stem stitch (A in the above drawing).



Pull the thread through and pass the needle (from right to left) under the stitch you just made without entering the fabric (B).



Pass the needle again under the same stitch and below the first coil (C). Keep your thread above the needle.



Make another stem stitch (D), keeping your thread below the needle.



Again, pass the needle twice under the stitch and also under the previous stitch (E). I've skipped ahead a few stitches but you'll get the idea.



When you come to the end of your line, take the thread to the back in the same hole as the end of the previous stitch.



And here's what it looks like when complete (F):





Slightly tricky at first but you'll pick it up quickly!

Pekinese Stitch

The Pekinese stitch, also known as Chinese stitch, blind stitch, and forbidden stitch, can be worked as a single line or in lines packed closely together as a filling stitch. For some gorgeous examples of traditional Chinese embroidery incorporating this stitch in both one- and two-color combinations, check out this web page.

I’ve worked my example in two colors so it’s easy to see what’s happening with the second thread. To do this stitch, you have to start with a perfect line of evenly spaced back stitches. If you've been following this series, back stitch was one of the very first stitches we learned. If you're just joining us, you can find it here.

So, do your row of back stitch.



Then begin by bringing your thread up at the very end of the row. Slide your needle up under the second to last stitch. You’re not piercing the fabric but working under and on top of the back stitches.



Your thread has now formed a small loop below the first back stitch. Slide your needle under this stitch from top to bottom, keeping your needle under the loop as well. Pull the thread through loosely. You want to keep some of that loop so don’t pull too tightly.



Slide your needle up under the third back stitch.



Then from top to bottom through the second back stitch.



Keep looping your thread in this manner until you reach the end of the row. Finally you'll have a row of tiny loops above and below the back stitch. This does take a little practice to keep the loops even so don't get discouraged if your first attempts aren't perfect.



If you look at the page I’ve linked to, they’ve used heavier silk threads for some of their embroidery. In that case, I think you could pull the loops tighter for a pretty knotted effect. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different kinds and thicknesses of thread for different effects. If you’re not sure how it will look or whether you’ll like it, do a test first. Work out any problems before you start on the finished piece—that’s much easier than trying to take out stitches later.

reading patterns 2

Carrie-Lee asked "I was wondering with some of the free printable embroidery designs, there doesn't seem to be much detail. Just straight lines outlining the little girl, little boy, etc and I am wondering what stitch do you use with those?"

I talked about this a little here, but I hadn't covered many embroidery stitches at that point and I didn't want to confuse anyone. Now that we've advanced past the basics, I can expand on that post a bit.

When you have patterns separate from their original packaging (like most of the ones you'll find online) it's sometimes hard to figure out what stitches were intended to be used. That's good and bad depending on how you view it. If you're new to embroidery you probably want more direction; if you're more experienced you may see it as an opportunity to try something new.

Since you mentioned a little girl in your question, let's use that as an example. The simple answer is to use outline/stem stitch to follow the drawn lines. Use appropriate colors for her different parts—skin tones, hair, etc. But, if you want to get more creative, here are some ideas:

• Choose a print fabric, cut out the shape of her dress, and applique it in place. And then add embroidered details. This is a vintage bib I bought last year that I need to finish. Whoever started it used the same fabric for the binding and ties of the bib.



• Use a filling stitch and completely cover the shape of the dress. While it's difficult to cover a large area without distorting the fabric, cross stitches (like in the bonnet) work well, especially if you leave some open spaces. Filling stitches work best in small areas—like her hair. Try one of the braided stitches or French knots packed closely together, like this—



• Work a series of stitches over the blank area in the dress to simulate a pattern—like French knots for polkadots or small lazy-daisy flowers or tiny cross stitches. You see this a lot on the hoop skirts of Southern Belles.



If you're just learning to embroider, work with the basic stitches until you've mastered them. Then, don't be afraid to experiment. Often, when I do a Stitch School post, I'm learning a new stitch along with you. As I do them I can picture interesting uses for them. Where I may have used outline stitch for a basket before, now I'd probably try the woven filling stitch I showed you a few weeks ago.