This picture dictionary will help you to identify the stitches based on how they look. Hovering over the stitch picture will display the stitch name. Clicking over the picture will take you to the respective tutorial pages.

Back stitch family
Blanket stitch family
Chain stitch family
Chevron stitch family
Cross stitch family
Fishbone stitch family
Feather stitch family
Fly stitch family
Herringbone stitch family
Knots family
Running stitch family
Satin stitch family
Stem stitch family
Straight stitch family
Weaving stitch family

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Tags: back stitch, chain stitch, cretan stitch, cross stitch, embroidery tutorials, feather stitch, fishbone stitch, fly stitch, hand embroidery, herringbone stitch, knots, palestrina stitch, picture dictionary, running stitch, satin stitch, stem stitch, stitch dictionary, stitch family, stitch variations, weaving stitch

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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

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Tags: edging and border stitch, embroidery, embroidery tutorial, feather stitch, fly stitch, hand embroidery, hand embroidery tutorial, hand embroidery tutorials, herring bone stitch, knot stitch, needlework, palestrina stitch, running stitch, stem stitch, stitch dictionary, stitches

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This stem stitch looks sophisticated after being completed. It is not though. It follows a simple stem stitch technique with a little extra loopings between each stitch.

I will work on a slightly curved stitch line to demonstrate this stitch to you. You need to know the stem stitch to be able to do this stitch.

Fig 1: We start with a single stem stitch. Bring the needle out through A, take it in through B and out through C.		Fig 2: Now, take the needle under the stitch A-B without pluckign the fabric beneath. Make sure the needle comes out from the left side of the point C, as shown. This makes a loop around the stitch A-B.
Fig 3: Make another similar loop around the stitch A-B, keeping it towards the left of the previous loop. So, we get two loops.		Fig 4: Now, make the next stem stitch. After making both loops, continue to take the needle in through D and bring it out through E. Then, make the two loops. Make sure the loops encircle both A-B and C-D.
Fig 5: Half way through, our portugese stem stitch would look like this. It gives out a complicated look.		Fig 6: A full curved stitch line woud look like this. Observe how the stitch shows up at the two curves.

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Tags: embroidery tutorial, hand embroidery tutorial, stem stitch, stem stitch family, straight line stitch

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This is just to give a feel on how bluework will look like.

Bluework and redwork share the same history. Only that, bluework came as a successor to redwork when a new colorfast blue thread was available in the market. Later, a lot many other colors came into availability and many other threads were experimented with. Contemporarily, bluework has been done in many shades of blue in a single design. I have used anchor thread number 0162 to work on the below given design.

Here is a step by step procedure on how this  design was completed in bluework. Click on the stitch names to go to the lessons of each stitch.

I have traced the design to a white cotton fabric using carbon paper.
		Back stitch: I began by making the girl’s face, hands and feet using this stitch.
		Lazy daisy: The flower pattern on the frock is done in lazy daisy. I also made the girl’s eyes and ribbons using this stitch.
		French knot: The best way to fill in dots or small circles is using french knots, which I did on the frock, at the centre of each flower pattern.
		Outline stitch: The outline stitch was used  for the frock, shawl, and hat as it would give a thicker easy flowing look.
		Split stitch: The split stitch looked good for the hair as it would give a thicker look. Two strands of the blue floss were taken and doubled, so that the ‘spliting’ is easy.
		Running stitch: The design on the shawl was apt for a running stitch.
		Straight stitch: I added finer details to the girl by making single straight stitches (single running stitch). I made its eyebrows, eyelashes and the stem pattern on the frock using straight stitches.
		Stem stitch: I used this stitch to do the flowers.
		Our finished ‘dutch girl’ would look like this.Click on the image for a bigger version.

Note: This design helped me to incorporate all the stitches traditionally used in redwork and bluework helping me to explain this lesson to you. Contemporarily, different kinds of straight stitches can be used to work these embroideries.This free design called ‘dutch girl’  has been borrowed from needlecrafter.com.

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Tags: embroidery tutorial, french knot, hand embroidery, lazy daisy, outline stitch, penny square, redwork, running stitch, split stitch, stem stitch, straight stitch, turkey red embroidery

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I have traced the design to a white cotton fabric using carbon paper.
		Back stitch: I began to start the embroidery with back stitch. Personally, I felt it will be good to make the girl’s legs, hands and face using this stitch.
		Outline stitch: The outline stitch was used  for the frock as it would give a thicker straight looking flow stitch.
		Running stitch: The design on the girl’s frock was apt for a running stitch. Usually, running stitch is good for making strawberry seeds. I used this stitch to even do the glow around the candle light.
		Lazy daisy: All the flower pattern in this design is done in lazy daisy. The girl’s yawning mouth is also done using a single lazy daisy.
		Stem stitch: Just to demonstrate the stitch, I decided to incorporate this into the candle stand.
		Split stitch: I felt the split stitch was apt for the hair as it would give a thicker fuller stitch. I took two strands of the red floss and doubled it, so that the ‘spliting’ is easy.
		French knot: The best way to fill in dots or small circles is using french knots, which I did on the frock and at the centre of each flower pattern.
		Straight stitch: Finally, I gave the finishing touch to the girl by making single straight stitches (single running stitch). I made its eyebrows, eyes, knees, and inside of ribbon using single straight stitches.
		Our finished ‘sleepytime girl’ looks like this. Click on the image for a bigger version.

Note: This design helped me to incorporate all the stitches traditionally used in redwork and bluework helping me to explain this lesson to you. Contemporarily, different kinds of straight stitches can be used to work these embroideries. This free design called ‘sleepytime girls’  has been borrowed from needlecrafter.com.

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Tags: embroidery tutorial, french knot, hand embroidery, lazy daisy, outline stitch, penny square, redwork, running stitch, split stitch, stem stitch, straight stitch, turkey red embroidery

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