Hand embroidery stitches 

Hand embroidery involves decorating fabric with colourful stitches made in an attractive pattern with needle and embroidery thread. With hand embroidered designs you have a way of adding a personal style to your accessories, clothes, home accessories and many other cloth products.

Cross-stitch, counted thread, embroidery, needlepoint, smocking, crewel, punch embroidery, appliqué and quilting- all your favourite fabric embellishments uses hand embroidery stitches 

You can rejuvenate your old clothes into a new creation with a little ingenuity and knowledge of some basic hand embroidery stitches.

A lackluster old purse can turn into a designer piece with some metallic embroidery on it.

An old T-shirt can be customized with your logo embroidered on it.

An ordinary jeans can be turned designer jeans with some cool designs done on it.

You can delight your child by customizing his accessories with his name embroidered on them.

The beauty of hand embroidery is that you just need some basic simple tools to turn a designer – the fabric of your choice, needle and embroidery floss are the basics you should have to start with in your arsenal.The needlework stitches outlined here can form the building blocks for your ultimate artwork.

Checkout this post on basics of hand embroidery ( 10 FAQ answered) if you are a beginner to embroidery and the different types of hand embroidery needles to buy ; 10 sources of inspirations for embroidery designs  ; Different ways to make cross stitch patterns yourself

  

 100+ Embroidery Stitches Types      

The following basic embroidery stitches are the building blocks of all beautiful needle work creations.  You can combine them in various combinations to create the most creative and captivating hand embroidery designs

Outline stitches.

• Running Stitch (Saddle Stitch)

• Double Running Stitch ( Holbein Stitch, Line Stitch, Two-sided Line Stitch, Square Stitch and Spanish Stitch, Roumanian stitch, chiara stitch)

• Whipped running stitch

 

• Interlaced Running Stitch

 

• Back Stitch (Point de Sable)

• Kensington Stitch ( Split Stitch, Kensington outline stitch )
• Outline Stitch

• Back Stitch – double ( Closed Herringbone Stitch, Crossed Back Stitch)

• Back stitch – Double alternating
• Lazy Daisy stitch ( Double)
• Couching ( Kloster Stitch, Convent Stitch)

• Couching – Bokhara

Chain stitch and variations 

• Chain Stitch (Tambour Stitch, Point de Chainette )
• Chain Stitch (Back stitched )

• Chain stitch (Double)

• Chain Stitch ( Detached, Lazy Daisy)

• Chain stitch ( Twisted)

• Chain Stitch ( Zig Zag)

• Chain Stitch ( Cable)

• Chain Stitch ( Heavy Braid)

• Chain Stitch ( Whipped)

• Chained Feather Stitch

• Open Chain Stitch ( Ladder Stitch, Roman Chain Stitch and Square Chain Stitch)

Knot stitches

• Ghiordes Knot ( Turkey Stitch,Turkey Work, Turkish Stitch, Turkish Rug Knot, plush stitch)

• French Knot (Twisted Knot Stitch, Wound Stitch, French Dot, Knotted Stitch)

• Colonial Knot ( Figure 8 stitch)

 

• Bullion Stitch, also Bullion Knot and Bullion Bar

• Turk’s head knot

• Danish Knot Stitch

• Four legged knot stitch

Beading stitches

• Beaded Back Stitch
• Beaded Chain Stitch
• Beaded Cross Stitch
• Beaded Open Cretan Stitch
• Beaded Extended Fly Stitch
• Beaded Feather Stitch
• Beaded Fly Stitch
• Beaded Herringbone Stitch
• Beaded Tent Stitch ( Beaded Needlepoint )
• 3 Bead Back Stitch
• 6. 6 Bead Back Stitch
• Beaded Back Stitch
• Chain Stitch ( Beaded)
• Extended Fly Stitch – Beaded
• Feather Stitch – Beaded

Cross Stitch

• Cross Stitch ( Sampler Stitch, Berlin Stitch, Point de Marque )
• Cross Stitch – Half, three fourth,one by four
• Cross Stitch – Long Arm
• Cross Stitch – Reversible
• Cross Stitch – Three Quarter
• Cross stitch – Tied
• Smyrna Cross Stitch (Double Cross Stitch)
• Cross stitch – Large tied ( Double tied)
• Cross stitch – Italian
• Cross Stitch – Plaited
• Star Stitch
• Framed Double cross Stitch
• Rhodesian Round Stitch
• Diagonal Rice Stitch
• Rice Stitch
• Double Upright Cross Stitch
• Arrowhead Stitch
• Paris Stitch
• Barrier Stitch ( Bosnia Stitch )
• Half Cross Stitch

Eyelets 

• Algerian Eye Stitch (Algerian Eyelet Stitch, Star Eyelet)

• Diamond Eyelet Stitch (Diamond Eye Stitch)

• Eyelet – Pierced

Filling Stitches

• Phulkari stitch ( Surface Satin Stitch)

• Ray Stitch
• Satin Stitch

 

• Satin cushion stitch
• Four sided stitch 

• Parisian Stitch
• Tent Stitch (Basket weave)
• Tent Stitch (continental)
• Chequer Stitch
• Scotch Stitch
• Cashmere Stitch
• Cashemere stitch – condensed
• Mosaic Stitch
• Mosaic stitch – condensed
• Kelim Stitch
• Queen stitch
• Queen stitch – diagonal
• Bullion Tipped Lazy Daisy Stitch( Lazy Daisy, Bullion Tipped and Detached Chain, Bullion Tipped)
• Seeding Stitch (Simple Knot Stitch, Rice Grain, speckling stitch, isolated stitch )
• Long and short stitch

Edge Stitches

• Blanket Stitch (Open Buttonhole Stitch)

• Buttonhole Stitch (Closely Placed Blanket Stitch)
• Button hole stitch (Button Stitch, Close Stitch)
• Blanket Stitch – Double
• Blanket Stitch – Uneven
• Blanket Stitch – Up and Down
• Tailor’s Buttonhole Stitch

Other beautiful Stitches and embroidery styles

• Applique work
• Basket weave
• Braiding
• Bosnia Stitch, also Barrier Stitch and Fence Stitch
• Chevron Stitch

• Closed Feather Stitch
• Closed Fly Stitch
• Closed Herringbone Stitch
• Crossed thorn stitch
• Daisy Stitch
• Detached Chain Stitch (Lazy Daisy, Daisy Stitch, Tied Loop Stitch and Picot Stitch)
• Double Back Stitch ( Shadow Work Stitch, Reverse Herringbone)
• Double Blanket Stitch
• Double Cross Stitch ( Smyrna Cross and Leviathan)
• Double Feather Stitch
• Double Leviathan Stitch
• Double overcasting
• Extended Fly Stitch
• Feather Stitch
• Feather Stitch – Chained
• Feather Stitch – Closed
• Feather Stitch – Double
• Fence Stitch ( Bosnia Stitch )
• Fern Stitch
• Fishbone Stitch
• Fly Stitch
• Fly Stitch – Closed( Closed Fly Stitch)
• Fly Stitch – Extended
• Four-sided Stitch ( Square Openwork Stitch and Four-sided Openwork Stitch)
• Four-sided Openwork Stitch ( Four-sided Stitch )
• Gobelein stitch
• Herringbone Stitch (Plaited Stitch, Catch Stitch, Fishnet Stitch, Witch Stitch, Mossoul Stitch, Persian Stitch, Russian Stitch, Russian Cross Stitch)
• Herringbone Stitch – Closed ( Shadow stitch, Plait stitch)
• Herringbone Stitch – Tied
• Herringbone – Double
• Invisible Ladder Stitch
• Jacobian Trellis

• Lattice Stitch
• Lazy Daisy Stitch
• Line Stitch
• Mirror work ( Shisha work)
• Montenegrin Stitch
• Open Cretan Stitch
• Cretan Stitch – Closed
•  Pekinese Stitch
• Pierced Eyelet
• Raised chain band

Smocking

• Sheaf Stitch
• Shell Stitch
• Split stitchSplit
• Back Stitch
• St. George’s Cross Stitch ( Upright Cross Stitch )
• Stalk Stitch ( Stem Stitch, crewel stitch South Kensington Stitch)
• Cable Stitch (side to side stem stitch)
• Portuguese Knotted Stem stitch
• Whipped Stem Stitch
• Straight Stitch ( Stroke Stitch )
• Scroll Stitch
• Tailor’s Buttonhole Stitch
• Tête de Boeuf (Bull’s Head) Stitch
• Thorn stitch
• Thread-up Stem Stitch ( Outline Stitch)
• Tied Cross Stitch
• Trellis Stitch
• Triangle Stitch
• Turkey Stitch, ( Turkey rug stitch, Turkey Work Stitch and Plush Stitch)
• Uneven Blanket Stitch
• Up and Down Blanket Stitch
• Wave Stitch
• Wheatear stitch
• Woven bars

 

Embroidery styles

• Brazilian Embroidery
• Hardanger Embroidery
• Kantha embroidery

 

• Kasida embroidery
• Kasuti embroidery
• Kutch embroidery

 

• Sashiko Embroidery

 

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