How to do the Seed Stitch - Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials

Seed Stitch is also known as

Rice grain stitch / Rice Stitch _[EN], Puntada de semillas _[ES], Point de sable _[FR], Samenstich _[DE], Punto seme _[IT], Ponto de semente _[PT].

How to do the Seed Stitch

This stitch uses simple Running Stitches in a single direction to fill in patterns. Visually, it is more or less like the Darning Stitch, but there is a slight difference – it has shorter stitches above the fabric and longer stitches on the reverse side. They remind of strawberry seeds, probably, which inspired its name. Often Seed Stitch is often used interchangeably with the Rice Stitch due to the similarity in its nature and name. They are essentially the same – only, variants of each other. I am going to work inside a leaf-like pattern to demonstrate this stitch and its use. Seed Stitch adds texture to the fabric while adding strength to it.


Fig 1: Make rows of short Running Stitches as illustrated. You need not do row after row, as long as the strawberry seed pattern is more or less maintained.	Fig 2: Try not to bend with the curves of the pattern. The rows of running stitch should essentially be done in straight lines.