Also known as: Mossoul stitch, Plaited stitch, Catch stitch, Witch stitch
This is the basic herringbone stitch made of crosses that are not cut exactly in the middle, but in quarters. Herringbone forms the base for many embroideries across the word. It can also be easily incorporated onto aida fabric.
I will be working between two parallel stitch lines.
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| Fig 1: Bring the needle out through the first stitch line at A. Now, take the needle in through B, which lies diagonally across A on the second stitch line. Then, take the needle backwards out through C, which lies near B. | Fig 2: Now, the same procedure will be worked on the first stitch line. Take the needle diagonally across to D and bring the needle backwards out through E. | |
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| Fig 3: Continue to make such crosses on both stitch lines alternately. Make sure the diagonal stitches are parallel to each other to bring out the best look. | Fig 4: A finished sequence of herringbone stitch would look like this. | |
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Tags: catch stitch, embroidery tutorial, hand embroidery, herringbone, herringbone stitch, indian embroidery, kutch work, mossoul stitch, plaited stitch
Thank you for the tutorials!!
You are welcome Kerry.
Do you have any plans to make this into a book? I printed out a bunch of pages as reference so I can work on some embroidery during a 6 hr road trip but I was thinking how much easier it’d be if I had a book full of these! Your pictures and instructions are very clear and wonderful and I’d happily purchase a book of them as is.
Dear Aimee,
It is so nice to know that you have printed out pages from our tutorial for reference, and I hope you enjoy them.
Yes, we have been thinking of publishing a book, but don’t know how long it might take before it is printed and out on sale. Maybe a year? I must thank you for letting know that you are interested to see a book from us…it is truly encouraging.
Have a safe and wonderful road trip.
Hi Sarah,
I have been lurking around your website for quite a while now, but I think its high time for me to post a comment !
I had started browsing for embroidery related sites, and quite accidentally, or rather should I say fortunately, came across your site 2 months ago ! Being more of a visual person, rather than taking help from printed instructions, was so awed by each of your post !
And i too second Aimee’s comment where she had asked you about publishing a book ! I think it would def become a big hit
Keep up such an excellent work….! and would love to get more inspired …and was wondering if you can put up posts on more types of Indian Embroideries…Am sure you have your kid to take care of…but pls do give it a thought on introducing more tutorials on Indian embroideries…I think I have read of more names, but could recognize only Kasuti from this list….
Nevertheless, I really love the way you are presenting this entire thing !!!
Way to go…and looking forward to seeing more from you 
And oh yes, one more thing I forgot to comment/ask was….I was wondering if along with the tutorial for different kinds of stitches, would it be possible for you to show their usages/applications…I mean, I know it would really depend on each one’s creativity…but just for beginners like me, who would want to know where we can apply the stitches, say by either using random pictures from the net, you can say that this stitch would apply on this kind of pics…
I really understand that this takes quite some effort, but I hardly get to see such kind of information….am currently doing a short term course on basic embroidery, but sometimes I really wonder if we had some designs to work on or practice such stitches…it would get registered in our minds…good or bad, atleast thats the way my mind works !
anywayz that was just a thot, but if you could help me with any other external links also to practice these stitches, or even if you could put up something on your own website that would be great !
Hope you got what I have been trying to blah blah all thro’ this comment !
Dear Sarah,
Your site is very useful for people like me who want to practice embroidery. The types of stitches displayed has helped me a lot. I have recently finished for table cloth and pillow cover. Tihe demonstration given by you is quite easy to learn and has made me more confident. Appreciate what you have been doing.
Will herring bone stich be suitable for leaf pattern? If yes, can you please demonstrate how it can be done? I am not very confident with this. It will be helpful if you can let me know this.
Regards,
Aruna
I agree wholeheartedly with Aimee and Vidya. PLEASE publish in some form or other–a book, an instructional DVD or a series of demos on YouTube. These are the clearest embroidery instructions ever and so well illustrated.
Your demonstated notes were so much help ful for me, please include sozini ,bead work and darwari embroidery techniques too for reference.
rgds
resmi
Dear Resmi,
Thanks for referring our pages.
I will try to include your requested embroidery forms when I get a chance to. I have already posted tutorials on Darwari embroidery (also known as Kasuti). You can refer http://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/hand-embroidery/kasuti/
Cheers.
Herringbone Embroidery Stitch Instructions…
[...] middle, but in quarters. Herringbone forms the base for many embroideries across [...]…
I like it to learn
Thanks for teaching in such a clear and concise manner.I would like to make up a “Sampler” to practice all of these stitches you teach. What kind of fabric should I purchase for this and how would I set this up? I would love it to look like a “Vintage” sampler from the “pioneer days and make one up for my young daughter to work on with me! Can you give me some tips or have you ever seen anything like this for sale?
Dear Jane,
What a wonderful idea.
You can use a normal cotton fabric to make your sampler. But, if you want to give it some kind of a vintage look, try using an Aida cloth. It is an even weave fabric and can accomodate most of the stitches that I have illustrated. If you would want your younger daughter to be a part of it, I would say, aida fabric would be easy and interesting.
Also, try doing something like a child with bonnet, or include something like alphabets or sayings.
I hope to have given you some idea. Let me know if you want more help. Do let me know how it comes out to be.
what wonderful tutorials, love the clear instructions and beautiful photographs. I cant wait to get your book when it comes out. My friend who wants to knows basic embroidery will also benefit from your book.
Dear Smita,
Thanks for the interest and encouragement.
[...] Herringbone Stitch Tutorial [...]
Please do you have a book on the dictionary of the stitiches. I am just near 70 years young and want to teach myself this hand work. But, I need to see the stitches in front of my magnify glass.
Can you help. I also am not too computor wise.
Can you send me the pages to print off? Or is there a book ? Easy one?
Dear Kayenderes,
I appreciate you taking up hand embroidery to learn at this age.
Each of our tutorial page has a ‘print’ button which can be used to print out the tutorial. The button is in a small gray colored section just after the tutorial ends, and before the comments’ section begins.
We are working on a book, slowly though. I shall be glad to inform you of it, once it is done.
We would love to know how you are enjoying our lessons.
Dear Sarah,
Can herring bone stitch be used for a leaf pattern? If yes, can you please demonstrate how it can be applied? Found the coral stitch useful and I recently completed a nice bird pattern with coral stitch and it came out really well.
I found your site useful and learning something new every day.
Regards,
Aruna
Dear Aruna,
Sorry for responding late. Yes, herringbone can be used fro doing a leaf pattern. You can fill in the leaf by working the herringbone stitches between the two outlines of the leaf. So, instead of workgin between two straight parallel lines, your stitches will be worked between two curved lines that make the leaf. Hope this helped.
You can upload soem of your works here and share it with us and the others.
[...] includes any mount-making responsibilities, it may be worthwhile for you to practice this stitch. [Click here for a tutorial on the herringbone stitch.] It is a good way to secure a fabric layer to a substrate—like quilt batting—without having to [...]
Sara,
My trial using herringbone stitch.
shamiatcraft.blogspot.in/2012/06/herringbone-stitch-chudithar-project.html
Shami Immanuel.
Hi Shami,
Thanks for sharing. Really nice work.
Hi sarah ds tutorial is si very helpful m doin fashion designin 1 year n if at al i have mised my lecture of embriodery i dnt have to worry its really very much helpful
Hi sarah
yr embroidery tutorial is very wonderful and highly useful for me. possible can u pls. give notes on aari work.
thanks
vanitha
This is the easiest embroidery tutorial I have found so far. Thank you so much for posting this!
I tell everyone I can about your site.
thank you to help me lot.
[...] En cuanto a Bárbara les cuento que ella es una muñeca viajera que fue pintada con crayolas en El Salvador, bordada en aeropuertos y aviones durante mis vacaciones de Semana Santa, y cosida y rellenada hoy mismo, en su lugar de origen. Es mi primera matrioska con overoles y brazos. El pañuelo de su cabeza está decorado con flores pintadas y bordadas; su blusa blanca ha sido delicadamente punteada con seed stitch y la parte rayada de su overol ha sido rellenada con caballito (herringbone stitch). [...]