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A look at 14 types of embroidery stitches in this basic embroidery stitch guide covering fill stitches, outline stitches, and more.
Embroidery is the perfect hobby. It requires only a few supplies (all of which are very affordable), it’s portable so you can take it with you, and you can get started in only a few minutes.
You can learn one of the many types of embroidery stitches, and create a masterpiece you’ll be excited to frame and hang on your wall.
Now, imagine what kind of embroidery masterpieces you could create if you mastered all of these 14 different types of embroidery stitches?!
Here are the types of embroidery stitches you should learn as you start on your embroidery journey.
14 Different Types of Embroidery Stitches
#1. Straight Stitch
A straight stitch is the most simple of all embroidery stitches.
You simply come up to the front of the fabric with your needle and embroidery thread and then go back down.
Come up to the front of the fabric with your needle and embroidery thread.
Go back down.
That’s it!
This simple up and down stitch is what is used to make a running stitch and a satin stitch too.
One straight stitch, and the start of a second one.
#2. Running Stitch
A running stitch is when you make a series of straight stitches, all in a row.
Make a straight stitch like pictured in #1 above. Move a stitch-length away. Make another straight stitch.
Repeat.
A series of straight stitches form a running stitch.
You will see a line of running stitches form.
#3. BackStitch
A backstitch is similar to a running stitch, except it forms one continuous line of stitches.
To make a backstitch, you come up to the front of your fabric and go back down, making a stitch.
For a back stitch, come up to the front of the fabric …
… and then go back down.
Next, come up a stitch-length away.
Come up a stitch-length away.
Put the needle into the fabric so it’s touching your last stitch and pull tight.
This should create a stitch that touches the previous one.
Push the needle back down next to the previous stitch, and pull tight.
Repeat.
Each back stitch you make will add to a line of stitches that are all consecutive.
The backstitch is one of the most common types of embroidery stitches and can be used as a great outline stitch.
4. Split Stitch
For the split stitch, first – make a straight stitch.
Come up to the front of the fabric.
Go back down, creating a straight stitch.
Come up to the front of the fabric in the middle of your last stitch.
Come to the front, in the MIDDLE of your last stitch.
Your needle should split the embroidery threads of the last stitch in half.
Go to the back and pull tight to make a stitch.
Make a stitch and go to the back.
Repeat the process.
Come up to the front of the fabric again, in the middle of the last stitch you just made.
Come to the front, piercing the middle of your previous stitch.
Each time you come to the front of the fabric, your needle should pierce through the previous stitch, separating the threads to either side of the needle.
Go back down, pulling tight to make a stitch.
Repeat.
Go back down, making a split stitch.
The split stitch is ideal for making borders with visual interest.
split stitch embroidery
#5. Stem Stitch
To start the stem stitch, first, make a straight stitch.
Come to the front …
And go to the back.
Now, when you come up to the front of the fabric, come out just ABOVE the middle of the previous stitch.
Come to the front, just ABOVE the middle of the previous stitch. (On TOP of the previous stitch, not in the middle of it like a split stitch.)
(With the previous split stitch, you came out in the MIDDLE of the previous stitch, splitting the threads around your needle. This time for the Stem Stitch, you want to come out on TOP of the mid-point of the previous stitch.)
Put your needle back down into the fabric, in line with the previous stitch you just made.
Repeat.
- Come to the front right ABOVE the middle of the previous stitch.
- Go back down in line with where the previous stitch ended.
Come to the front ABOVE the middle of the previous stitch.
Go back down in line with where the previous stitch ended.
The stem stitch is great for stems, making curved lines, and creating borders with visual interest.
#6. Satin Stitch
Using the same technique as a straight stitch, a satin stitch is when you simply do a series of long, straight stitches right next to each other.
A satin stitch is most often used as an embroidery fill stitch; useful for filling in patterns.
I made my entire Minnesota Embroidery Project using a simple satin stitch.
Come to the front of the fabric.
Go back down.
Repeat. Come up to the front again, right next to the previous stitch.
Go back down again.
Repeat to create satin stitches; perfect to use as embroidery fill stitches.
#7. Chain Stitch
Next is the chain stitch.
This stitch requires you to make a loop with your thread, and then your next stitch anchors the previous one.
Come up to the front of the fabric.
Come to the front of the fabric.
Go back down through the fabric, right next to where your needle just came up.
Go back down RIGHT next to where you come up.
Pull slowly until you have a loop formed. (Don’t pull too tightly, or your loop will disappear to the backside.)
Pull slowly, and watch a loop form.
Come up a stitch-length away, and make sure your needle is on the inside of the loop.
Gently pull until the slack goes away.
Come up through the loop with your needle, a stitch-length away.
Pull taut and slack will go away
Put your needle back through the fabric on the inside of the loop, and pull gently.
This will create a stitch that anchors the previous loop.
Pull slowly and watch as another loop forms.
Pull slowly, and you’ll see another loop form.
Come up another stitch length away with the needle on the inside of the loop, and go back down on the inside to anchor that stitch.
Pull slowly as another loop forms.
Repeat.
This makes a beautiful border or can be used in designs for visual interest too.
#8. Detached Chain Stitch
A detained chain stitch is exactly what it sounds like; the same type of chain stitch you just learned, but not all in a row.
It’s a stand-alone stitch that can be done by itself.
Come up to the front.
Come up to the front.
Go back to the backside.
Go back to the backside, right next to where you started.
Pull gently to make a loop.
Bring the needle up through the inside of the loop, a stitch-length away.
Bring needle up through the inside of the loop.
Anchor the loop by going back down just outside the loop, making a small anchoring stitch.
Repeat for as many detached chain stitches as you want.
These stitches are often used in floral embroidery designs, as they look like single flower petals.
#9. Lazy Daisy Stitch
The lazy daisy stitch is made using detached chain stitches and making them in a flower-shaped design.
Each petal connects in the middle to make up a flower!
After making several detached chain stitches that meet in the middle, go to the back to finish making a final petal.
Pull slowly to form a loop. Bring the needle up to the front a stitch length away, INSIDE the loop.
Go back down on the OUTSIDE of the petal to make a small stitch that anchors the flower petal stitch in place.
A complete lazy daisy embroidery stitch.
#10. Fly Stitch
The fly stitch is similar to the detached chain stitch, except you’re not making loops, you’re making V’s instead, that will be anchored with a small stitch.
Come to the front of the fabric.
Come to the front of the fabric.
Go to the back, a stitch-length away.
A stitch-length away, go to the back.
Pull gently, leaving a little slack in your stitch.
Come up to stitch an anchor stitch, creating a V shape from your Fly Stitch.
Come to the front a little bit away to create a small anchor stitch that holds the stitch in a V shape.
Go to the back to anchor the V stitch.
Come to the front, and then go back down a stitch-length away.
Come up to form an anchor stitch.
Go back down on the other side of the V anchor stitch to secure.
This creates a series of Fly Stitches, which look like birds, leaves, or flower petals.
This adds visual interest to your embroidery art.
#11. Blanket Stitch
The blanket stitch for embroidery is a modified stitch based on the blanket stitch you can use to finish the edge of a sewing or stitching project.
Come to the front of your project and make a backward L shape; going to the backside of the fabric a little bit to the right and up from where you come to the front.
Come to the front. Move to the RIGHT and UP, and go to the back of the fabric with your needle.
As you pull tighter, you’ll see a curve begin to form.
Come to the front of the fabric a stitch-length away, on the inside-bottom corner of the stitch.
Come to the front on the inside-bottom of the stitch.
Go to the right and up again, and insert the needle to the back of the fabric here.
Insert to the RIGHT and UP of the previous stitch.
Come up to the front again, on the inside-bottom of the stitch.
Come up on the inside-bottom corner of the stitch as pictured.
Move over to the RIGHT and UP again, and inserting the needle again.
Come to the front on the INSIDE-BOTTOM corner of the stitch, again.
Repeat to create a row of blanket stitches.
Blanket stitches are often used as a pretty border or outline stitch.
#12. French Knot
French knot embroidery stitches can be very easy to do if you do them right, or they can fail miserably.
Here’s how to make a french knot embroidery stitch.
Come to the front of the fabric, holding your needle in one hand. (Let’s say it’s your Right hand.)
With your LEFT hand, grab the section of thread that is coming out of the fabric.
Place the needle near the fabric, and using your left hand, wrap the thread toward you, around the needle two times, as shown.
Wrap the embroidery thread toward you two times.
KEEP HOLDING THE THREAD TAUT as you place the point of the needle back into the fabric, next to where you come up.
Slowly push the needle down through the fabric and pull the needle out the back of the fabric.
Your french knot will form!
Repeat as many times as you want.
French Knot embroidery stitches.
I have found that the secret to a successful french knot is holding the thread taut in my left hand.
This requires me to set my embroidery project down in my lap (since I usually holding my projects in my left hand, and can’t hold the project and hold the thread taut at the same time.)
This is one main reason why some people like using an embroidery hoop stand; so they can have both hands free for types of embroidery stitches like the french knot!
#13. Woven Wheel Stitch
The woven wheel stitch looks way harder than it actually is!
To start, make 5 straight stitches in the shape of a star.
Then, you will feed your needle OVER and UNDER each of the “spokes” of your star.
Over one, under one.
Pull tight.
Over one, under one.
Over one, under one.
Repeat as you go around and around.
Always over one of the star-spokes, under the next star-spoke.
As you go, the woven wheel flower will form before your eyes!
You can make the straight stitches for your star as big or as small as you want to.
The bigger you make the stitches, the bigger your finished flower will be.
If you make the stitched star smaller, your finished embroidered flower will be smaller too.
Over one spoke, under the next spoke of the straight-stitch flower.
Over one, under one.
Over one, under one. Repeat.
#14. Feather Stitch
The feather stitch involves making stitches similar to the fly stitch, but they are all connected.
Come to the front of the fabric, and go to the back a stitch-length away.
Pull gently, stopping when you have a loose curve remaining.
Come back up to the front of the fabric at the middle-bottom of the stitch, as if you were going to make a “V” Fly stitch.
Come to the front, and pull the slack.
Instead of simply sewing an anchor stitch as you do with a “V” fly stitch, go to the back of the fabric a stitch length away.
This will create another loose curve.
Come up in the middle-bottom of it.
Pull the slack.
Go to the back of your fabric a stitch-length away, pulling gently until a loose curve remains.
Repeat back and forth, to form a series of connected loops that make a feather stitch.
Come to the front of the fabric at the middle-bottom of the previous stitch’s curve. Pull gently to remove any slack.
Go to the back of the fabric a stitch length away, pulling until there is a loose curve of embroidery thread remaining.
Come to the front at the middle-bottom of the loose curve. Pull gently to remove slack.
Anchor the final stitch in the series and you’re done!
Anchor the feather stitch series with a small stitch to keep the last loop in place.
My favorite use for this stitch is to make seaweed for underwater scenes like this fun embroidered ornament.
– – – – –
You can make an entire embroidered project with only one single stitch.
I made my Minnesota Embroidery Project by using only a satin stitch, and I have embroidered other projects using only a simple backstitch.
That’s why embroidery is such a great hobby for even the earliest beginners. All you have to do is master one single stitch and you can make tons of designs!
But once you master these 14 types of embroidery stitches?
The sky is the limit for your embroidery project options!
Let the fun begin!
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