Stitch Dictionary

The stitch dictionary is arranged in alphabetical order and will help you to go to a stitch directly. Just click on the alphabet given in the index to go to the stitch beginning with that alphabet. Some stitches are known by multiple names and all names are included here. Hovering over the stitch names will give you the most common name by which the stitch is known.


A .B . C . D . E .F .G . H I . J . K . L . M .N . O .P . Q.R . S . T . U .V .W .X . Y .Z


A
Alternating barred chain
Alternating twisted chain stitch
Antwerp edging stitch
index

B
Back stitch
Back stitched spider’s web
Barb stitch
Barred chain
Barred witch stitch
Basket stitch
Basque knot
Basque loop stitch
Basque stitch
Blanket stitch
Blanket stitch honeycomb
Blanket stitch scallops
Blind knot
Bonnet stitch
Braided chain stitch
Berwick stitch
Bulls head
Bullion knot
Bullion stitch
Butterfly chain stitch
Buttonhole bar stitch
Buttonhole stitch
Buttonhole wheel
Buttonhole wheel cup
index

C
Cable chain stitch
Cable stitch
Chain stitch
Catch stitch
Caterpillar stitch
Checkered chain band
Chequered chain stitch
Chiara stitch
Chinese knot
Chinese stitch
Closed blanket stitch
Closed cretan stitch
Closed feather stitch
Closed fly stitch
Closed pearl stitch
Coil stitch
Colonial knot
Coral stitch
Coral knotted herringbone stitch
Crested Chain Stitch
Cretan stitch
Crewel stitch
Cross stitch
Crossed blanket stitch
Crossed fly stitch filling
index
D
Damask stitch
Darning stitch
Danish knot
Detached chain stitch
Detached wheat ear stitch
Double blanket stitch
Double chain stitch
Double cross stitch
Double feather stitch
Double herringbone stitch
Double knot stitch
Double running stitch
index

E
Eastern stitch
Encroaching satin stitch
index
F
Feather stitch
Feathered chain
Figure 8 knot
Fishbone stitch
Fishnet stitch
Flat stitch
Fly stitch
Fly stitch filling
Four-legged knot stitch
Forbidden stitch
French knot
index

G
German interlacing stitch
German knot
German knotted blanket stitch
Ghiordes knot
God’s eye stitch
Grub knot
index

H
Half crossed blanket stitch
Head of the bull stitch
Heavy braid chain stitch
Heavy chain stitch
Herringbone stitch
Herringbone Ladder filling stitch
Holbein stitch
index

I
Indian edging stitch
Indian herringbone stitch
Interlaced band
Interlaced herringbone stitch
Interlaced running stitch
index
J
Japanese stitch

K
Knot stitch
Knot stitch edging
Knotted cable chain stitch
Knotted chain stitch
Knotted cretan stitch
Knotted diamond stitch
Knotted herringbone stitch
Knotted loop stitch
Knotted pearl stitch
index

L
Laced cretan stitch
Laced herringbone stitch
Laced running stitch
Ladder stitch
Lazy daisy
Leaf stitch
Leviathan stitch
Line stitch
Long armed feather stitch
Long french knot
Long tailed daisy
Looped running stitch
index

M
Magic chain stitch
Maidenhair stitch
Mirrored blanket stitch
Mossoul stitch
index

N

O
Ojo de Dios
Old english knot stitch
Open chain stitch
Open cretan stitch
Open fishbone stitch
Open loop stitch
Opened fishbone stitch
Outline stitch
Oyster stitch
index

P
Paded satin stitch
Palestrina stitch
Parallel running stitch
Pearl knot
Pekinese stitch
Pendant couching
Persian stitch
Petal chain stitch
Pistil knot
Plaid filling stitch
Plaited fly stitch
Plaited stitch
Point de cable
Point de chainette
Point de riz
Point de sable
Porto rico rose
Portugese stem stitch
Post stitch
index
Q
Queen anne stitch, The

R
Raised chain band
Raised fishbone stitch
Raised spider’s web wheel
Reverse chain stitch
Reversed Palestrina
Ribbed spider wheel
Rice stitch
Rice grain stitch
Roman chain stitch
Rope stitch
Rossette stitch
Russian chain stitch
Running stitch
index

S
Satin stitch
Scottish cretan stitch
Scroll stitch
Seed stitch
Seeding stitch
Shaped blanket stitch scallops
Side to side stem stitch
Slipped detached chain
Sinhalese chain stitch
Single feather stitch
Smyrna stitch
Smyrna cross stitch
Snail trail
Sorbello stitch
Split back stitch
Split stitch
Stalk stitch
Stepped running stitch
Stem stitch
Straight stitch
Surface couching
Surrey stitch
Square chain stitch
Square stitch
index

T
Tacked herringbone stitch
Tailored blanket stitch
Tambour stitch
Tete de la boeuf
Threaded back stitch
Threaded herringbone stitch
Tied coral stitch
Tied herringbone stitch
Triple palestrina
Tulip stitch
Turkey rug knot
Twilling stitch
Twisted chain stitch
Twisted daisy border stitch
Twisted fly stitch
Twisted lattice band
Two sided line stitch
Two sided stroke stitch
index
U
 Underside Couching
 Up and down blanket stitch
V
Vandyke chain stitch
index

W
Wave stitch
Wheat ear stitch
Weaving stitch
Whipped back stitch
Whipped buttonhole stitch
Whipped chain stitch
Whipped fly stitch
Whipped running stitch
Whipped satin stitch
Whipped spider wheel
Whipped stem stitch
Witch stitch
Worm stitch
Woven bar
Woven circle
Woven oval
Woven spider wheel
Woven trellis stitch
index
X
Y
Y stitch

Z
Zig zag cable chain stitch
Zig Zag chain stitch
index

60 Responses

  1. I
    Insiyah says:

    Hello Sarah ma’am

    I would like to thank you for creating such a wonderful library of stitches, am so much over whelmed that i cannot express my words.
    Almost after 20 yrs i have taken the needle back in my hand with the mindset to share my knowledge of hand embroidery to others who are interested to learn by creating videos of stitches.
    while searching for stitch name came across your site and my search ended as it has everything that i needed and more than that….

    Honestly, I respect you for your time, effort, dedication and hard work that you have given to create this mind blowing site 🙂

  2. M
    Margui Mello says:

    Margui

  3. V
    Valerie says:

    I want to make a book of sample stitches in order to learn them and have a fun record of how they look. How can I arrange and make this book? What might be the background fabric?

    • Sarah says:

      Thanks for inquiring, Valerie. I feel the best way to record the stitches would be according to each ‘Stitch Family’. This will help you to identify stitches and remember them easily. You can check the picture dictionary in our website for guidance.
      You can also arrange them based on their nature, like if they form lines, or fillings, or loops, or if they are isolated stitches. A full categorized list is available in my ebook, which will be out in a couple of weeks.
      For background fabric, use a simple cotton or linen fabric.
      I hope this information helps.

  4. B
    Brenda L says:

    Sarah,
    This is wonderful, but is there any way to get it in “book form”? I teach a class of beginners – school girls learning this old craft! – and it would be WONDERFUL to share this tool with them.
    Thanks,
    Brenda

    • sarah says:

      Hi Brenda,
      We are working on an E-book at the moment. Planning to get it out by mid 2018.
      I hope you are not surprised at my late response- had a busy year. 😀

  5. J
    Jyotsna says:

    Dear Sarah,
    Many thanks for sharing your knowledge about hand embroidery and creating the most wonderful and informative website I have ever come across! I have learnt so much from your website and am eagerly waiting for your e-book to be out. Will you be having a kindle edition too? Thanks a heap once again.
    Best wishes,
    Jyotsna

  6. S
    Sumeera says:

    Hi Sara,
    Could You please share any word or PDF file. which including all Stitches details.
    I need all.
    Thanks

  7. s
    sidharth says:

    do you know how to do hemming stich

  8. J
    Jazzmin Suarez says:

    Do you have a book similar to the information on the website?

  9. C
    Carmen Gonzàlez Pèrez says:

    I just discover Pinterest and it was a great surprise for me to find your blog. Congratulations, you make feel so happy with all these embroidery stitches. I only can say woow, woow and woow. Thank you very much for your generosity and kindness. Blessings and greetings.

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