If you’re just joining us here on Needle ‘n Thread, we’ve been exploring five different ways to interpret wheat in hand embroidery. Last Friday, we looked at how to embroider wheat in two quick and simple ways, using daisy stitch and granitos on two different stalks. Before that, in Part 1, I posted the free ...

Master the top ten embroidery stitches - running stitch, french knots and lazy daisy stitch - we've got all the beginner's embroidery covered!

Is your cross stitch project turning into a mess? Here are some quick, helpful tips and tricks on how to cross stitch neatly.

Years ago, I wrote a series of articles on hand embroidered writing. The articles take you step-by-step through different embroidery stitches that work well for embroidered writing. Today, we’re going to add a stitch to that list – particularly, a stitch known today as the “Quaker Stitch” because it was formulated to work as the ...

Essential Hand Sewing Stitches. Running Stitch. Backstitch. Blanket Stitch. Whip Stitch. Cross Stitch. Pickstitch. Catchstitch. Invisible Stitch

21 Websites with cute and free hand embroidery patterns. More than 21 free embroidery patterns to download and make today! Easy, beginner friendly hand embroidery designs to learn new stitches and make beautiful hoop art. DIY embroidery pattern freebies for beginners. Floral hand embroidery designs for hoops and decor. 21 Beautiful embroidery patterns to download for free.

This blackwork embroidery tutorial will teach you the basic blackwork stitches.

Hand embroidery stitches for outlines - from the most simple to decorative ones article dives deep and explores various stitches for outlines

Learn a fun new hand stitching tip that makes accurately spacing your hand stitches quick and easy.

Stitch Trish Burr's Pansies in this stitch along. We tackle all the hurdles of needle painting together!

As you probably know, I am very fond of the embroidery technique called long and short stitching, and I hope more and more people fall in love with it and see that it is actually not that scary and not that hard. Well, it is not that easy either and it requires some time and patience to get friendly with it. But it is totally worth it, isn't it? By today I actually have plenty of material on this blog about long and short stitch as well as needle painting. So I decided to gather it all up in this post for easy access! Save it to Pinterest or your browser bookmarks because if I ever write something new on the topic of needle painting or long and short stitch, I will be adding it here :) Long and short stitch tutorial Let's start with the basics. I recommend you going to the long and short stitch tutorial and trying to replicate every step from there. There are some tips at the end of the post, so make sure you check them out as well. Personally, I believe the two crucial points for your long and short stitch to take off are: keeping a consistent direction of stitches varying the "levels" where you start your stitches When there is a certain inconsistency in the direction of your stitches, it usually stands out and breaks the general “flow” of your stitching. Unless, of course, you make a conscious decision to break that flow for a certain artistic purpose. As for the second point... In my personal opinion (which kind of differs from many other artists) is that it is not the length of the stitches per se that should be varying. But rather, the “levels” at which you start the stitches. And this is something I have learnt on my own and found it much easier, to be honest. I speak about it in more detail in my online needle painting course since it is easier to explain in the video while actually showing you how it works. But in short, you can, in fact, keep the length of your stitches the same or they can end at the same level. It doesn't really change anything. The most important is where you start these stitches. And for your blending to be smoother, you need at least 2, but better 3-4 “levels” where you start these stitches. And then make them as long as you like, just make sure they end significantly below the mark for the next row (I will link a separate post on that below, called “getting your rows right"). Now, suppose you already worked the little petal from the tutorial. Congratulations if yours looks the same! If it doesn't that's totally fine, we all need some time to reach that point. I mean, I wrote that tutorial not at the beginning of my embroidery journey, you know what I mean? But let's be real, an exercise like that is quite an isolated practice. The real questions and issues will arise when you actually use it in your practice. And for your practice to go smooth, I have prepared a series of needle painting tips that I will also list below. Long and short stitch practice If you need some ideas on where to actually get this long and short stitching practice while not feeling too lost, I have several Stitch Alongs already completed and ready for you to start whenever you want! The benefit of these Stitch Alongs is that you have detailed step-by-step pictures for virtually every stage of working a design so the visual support is quite strong. (By the way, if you have any suggestions for a new Stitch Along, feel free to drop your ideas in the comments) I will list all the current Stitch-Alongs from this blog in the order of difficulty (from the easiest to the toughest): Cecelia Rose Trish Burr's Pansies Trish Burr's Magnolia If you want more guidance in your learning and prefer video material over pictures, make sure to check out the Needle painting for beginners course. There we work special exercises imitating various realistic situations you can encounter in long and short stitching and all of the material is presented in detailed video lessons. Long and short stitch tips And, like I said, while you start practicing your long and short stitching, inevitably, there will be new questions and confusing moments. I'm trying to cover them little by little and I made a special tag for these posts: needle painting tips. You can go to the tag and check them out there, but for better convenience, I will list all of the posts here (and I will be adding the new ones here too, that's why I encourage you to save it): Color blending tips (color theory and case study on which color combinations work better) Leaves practice (another case study on color combinations) Levels of long and short stitch (a case study on the “levels” of starting your stitches) Diagonal shading (step by step guide) Shading in patches (step by step guide) Shading on shading, is it worth it? (contemplating on one of the ways of multiple-row long and short stitching and looking at the pros and cons) Must watch Youtube tutorials (I wonder if you noticed how much I LOVE visual learning) Importance of correct direction (a case study with examples and tips) Filling a shape with long and short stitching (it can be used as a filler in a solid color too) Secret behind getting your rows right (how to make sure that your rows will correspond to the pattern) Youtube video of a process More layers = better shading? (does the number of rows and colors affect the result of your shading?) So here's your guide! I know this pile of information can be overwhelming but don't get discouraged, okay? Just learn it step by step and continue your practice. You will reach your goal as long as you move even if it is an inch a day. And, most importantly, enjoy! :)

If you've always wanted to learn embroidery stitches, here's the perfect guide for you. I have a video tutorial for each embroidery stitch.

Japanese embroidery ideas and techniques to try something a little different and learn about a different culture.

My default stitch for when I need to fill an area in an embroidery pattern is satin stitch but I don’t particularly enjoy stitching it so I’ve been enjoying trying out a range of different filling stitches.

Check out this list of embroidery stitches that work great for filling areas. From the obvious satin stitch or chain stitch to more unique stitches.

Here are 9 of my go-to hand embroidery stitches for filling in spaces, step-by-step instructions, and examples.

Flowers are by far, one of the most popular things to embroider. And rightfully so! There are so many different embroidery stitches for flowers that lend themselves well to their shapes and silhouettes. In...

Also known as: crewel stitch, stalk stitch, point de cable Through my research, I found out that stem stitch is crewel stitch. It is one of the easiest to be done and perhaps even one of the first stitches to be taught to any beginner. But, many...

As you probably know, I am very fond of the embroidery technique called long and short stitching, and I hope more and more people fall in love with it and see that it is actually not that scary and not that hard. Well, it is not that easy either and it requires some time and patience to get friendly with it. But it is totally worth it, isn't it? By today I actually have plenty of material on this blog about long and short stitch as well as needle painting. So I decided to gather it all up in this post for easy access! Save it to Pinterest or your browser bookmarks because if I ever write something new on the topic of needle painting or long and short stitch, I will be adding it here :) Long and short stitch tutorial Let's start with the basics. I recommend you going to the long and short stitch tutorial and trying to replicate every step from there. There are some tips at the end of the post, so make sure you check them out as well. Personally, I believe the two crucial points for your long and short stitch to take off are: keeping a consistent direction of stitches varying the "levels" where you start your stitches When there is a certain inconsistency in the direction of your stitches, it usually stands out and breaks the general “flow” of your stitching. Unless, of course, you make a conscious decision to break that flow for a certain artistic purpose. As for the second point... In my personal opinion (which kind of differs from many other artists) is that it is not the length of the stitches per se that should be varying. But rather, the “levels” at which you start the stitches. And this is something I have learnt on my own and found it much easier, to be honest. I speak about it in more detail in my online needle painting course since it is easier to explain in the video while actually showing you how it works. But in short, you can, in fact, keep the length of your stitches the same or they can end at the same level. It doesn't really change anything. The most important is where you start these stitches. And for your blending to be smoother, you need at least 2, but better 3-4 “levels” where you start these stitches. And then make them as long as you like, just make sure they end significantly below the mark for the next row (I will link a separate post on that below, called “getting your rows right"). Now, suppose you already worked the little petal from the tutorial. Congratulations if yours looks the same! If it doesn't that's totally fine, we all need some time to reach that point. I mean, I wrote that tutorial not at the beginning of my embroidery journey, you know what I mean? But let's be real, an exercise like that is quite an isolated practice. The real questions and issues will arise when you actually use it in your practice. And for your practice to go smooth, I have prepared a series of needle painting tips that I will also list below. Long and short stitch practice If you need some ideas on where to actually get this long and short stitching practice while not feeling too lost, I have several Stitch Alongs already completed and ready for you to start whenever you want! The benefit of these Stitch Alongs is that you have detailed step-by-step pictures for virtually every stage of working a design so the visual support is quite strong. (By the way, if you have any suggestions for a new Stitch Along, feel free to drop your ideas in the comments) I will list all the current Stitch-Alongs from this blog in the order of difficulty (from the easiest to the toughest): Cecelia Rose Trish Burr's Pansies Trish Burr's Magnolia If you want more guidance in your learning and prefer video material over pictures, make sure to check out the Needle painting for beginners course. There we work special exercises imitating various realistic situations you can encounter in long and short stitching and all of the material is presented in detailed video lessons. Long and short stitch tips And, like I said, while you start practicing your long and short stitching, inevitably, there will be new questions and confusing moments. I'm trying to cover them little by little and I made a special tag for these posts: needle painting tips. You can go to the tag and check them out there, but for better convenience, I will list all of the posts here (and I will be adding the new ones here too, that's why I encourage you to save it): Color blending tips (color theory and case study on which color combinations work better) Leaves practice (another case study on color combinations) Levels of long and short stitch (a case study on the “levels” of starting your stitches) Diagonal shading (step by step guide) Shading in patches (step by step guide) Shading on shading, is it worth it? (contemplating on one of the ways of multiple-row long and short stitching and looking at the pros and cons) Must watch Youtube tutorials (I wonder if you noticed how much I LOVE visual learning) Importance of correct direction (a case study with examples and tips) Filling a shape with long and short stitching (it can be used as a filler in a solid color too) Secret behind getting your rows right (how to make sure that your rows will correspond to the pattern) Youtube video of a process More layers = better shading? (does the number of rows and colors affect the result of your shading?) So here's your guide! I know this pile of information can be overwhelming but don't get discouraged, okay? Just learn it step by step and continue your practice. You will reach your goal as long as you move even if it is an inch a day. And, most importantly, enjoy! :)

Discover the art of hemstitching with a wing needle! In this sewing tutorial, you'll learn how to create beautiful and delicate designs on fabric using this specialty needle. Follow this step-by-step guide to master this technique and add a touch of elegance to your next sewing project.

A list of the most helpful sashiko embroidery tutorials, including videos and how-to make patterns. Plus, sashiko projects and free patterns to inspire you.

Couching is the process of using embroidery stitches to stitch a cord (or yarn or decorative thread) to the surface of your fabric. It's a fun way to add some nice dimension to your work and it can give you a really unique effect. Give it a try! If you want to couch using your

If you want to do hand embroidery, you really need to know how to backstitch. The backstitch is probably THE most common outline stitch. It gives a nice, smooth, continuous line. If you're going to be stitching tight curves make sure to use a shortish stitch length. Otherwise, just use a stitch length you're comfortable with and

This topic is something I've wanted to cover for a while now. It is especially beneficial for beginner embroiderers who are currently exploring long and short stitching and needlepainting. So, today's topic is actually not just “using long and short stitch as a filler”. I mean, we all know that it can be used as one, right? And we all know the main “how's” of using it as a filler: outline the shape and fill with long and short stitches. In fact, the main point that I wanted to speak about today is using long and short stitching to fill a curvy/wavy shape. Or, in other words, a shape where the direction of your stitches has to change slightly. This wording, however, is a bit too heavy for a headline and I just don't know how to phrase it better, haha. Anyway. Why is this topic important? The main problem here is that long and short stitching consists of straight stitches. And one of the characteristics of stitches is that you can't really bend or curl them. Most of the time, it is a straight line between point A and point B that we use in a lot of various ways. It is not a brush stroke that you can lay in any curvy or wavy way you want. So how can you use these straight stitches to not only fill a shape but keep the “flow” of that shape? Actually, the main trick here is the same as with stem stitch. If you go to the Stem StitchCrash Course and take a look at the last point, you will see there what I said about using it for curves. Stem stitch is a straight line, so that's why the secret is the same. Make your stitches shorter! You can start with guiding stitches, as usual, keeping their direction aligned with the shape's outline. After filling the empty space between the stitches, you can start with the second row of stitches. Now, if I'm completely honest, I lose the sense of which stitch is short and which one is long, quite soon after that. So I just vary the length of my stitches and vary the place where they come out from the previous row. If one stitch started lower, I start the other stitch higher, and so on. This is the longest that I allow myself to make the stitches in such cases. The shape didn't reach the main curve yet and is still pretty straight, so I can slack off a little bit and make the stitches longer. Also, don't forget to keep your stitching dense. Currently, there are definitely more stitches here than there were at the beginning point. As you reach the curve, make your stitches shorter. Look carefully at my stitches here and imagine that they are continued longer and longer. If you do that, you will realize that they actually would bump into the outline. That's why we make them shorter. The other rows of stitches will soften the “straightness” and will create an illusion of bending stitches. We are on a finishing line here. The shape is narrowing down and the number of stitches we use to fill it at this part is decreasing, but we still need to maintain the same density. And so, this is the final result. By the way, this is a new design I'm currently working on! It is going to feature a lot of long and short stitch and color blending so it is going to be a GREAT practice for you! :) Hope this post was helpful! Check out the other Needlepainting tips to master it better :)

First things first, before you dive into your embroidery project, I’d like to show you how you can start and finish your embroidery thread to secure it. Traditionally using knots to start and finish your embroidery thread is a big no-no. And there are several reasons for this. Firstly the knot can show through your

Looking for hand embroidery stitches for lines or letters? Find 8 stitch tutorials and their pro's and con's in this article.

The split stitch is a lovely outline stitch. It's raised a bit from the surface of the fabric, and it has a lovely, almost-braided look to it. It also forms a more continuous line - unlike the backstitch where you can see the individual stitches. Here's how to split stitch. See how easy it is?

You want to learn to embroider? Discover beautiful and simple flower embroidery designs that are ideal for beginners.

Stem stitch is so versatile, I often think of it as my 'if in doubt' stitch. Follow this tutorial and tips for perfect stitching every time.

Find out 4 of the best embroidery stitches for script lettering. I'll tell you why each stitch works and why you want to use it.

Sometimes we are stumped with what embroidery design we want to use. Perhaps we are bored with our normal go to pattern, or maybe we just can’t find the perfect fit for a project. This amazi…

Also known as: Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch The braided chain stitch is worked almost the same way as the heavy chain stitch. There is only…

How to work satin stitch and satin stitch tips. Learn of the classical stitches of hand embroidery.

The white work embroidery is self-explanatory. The name alone hints at what this stitching is all about. It is the fine delicate embroidery done on white cloth with white thread, as seen on table l…

Instructions for doing Chicken Scratch Embroidery on gingham fabric

For beginners, advanced stitchers, and everyone in between, this page is full of hand embroidery stitches everyone should learn.

Finish your hand embroidery piece with edge stitching with this tutorial. This sewing technique is a beautiful way to display your art.

Rope stitch is probably the richest looking embroidery stitch of this family. It follows a series of closed up twisted chain stitches to form an embossed rope look. You need to know the twisted chain stitch to be able to do the rope stitch. I...

Chain stitch is a must-have in your embroidery vocabulary! These valuable tips will show you the way to work curves and corners, join the ends and save the thread as you chain stitch.