This Embroidery Stitch Picture Dictionary will help you to identify the stitches even if you don’t know the names! Dig through our embroidery stitch library of 200 stitches below—click over a picture and go directly to the stitch tutorial page.
When I started researching and documenting hand embroidery stitches way back in 2007, many stitches looked similar in their basic technique. To make identifying easier, I started categorizing them into different groups. I call each group a Stitch Family. This categorization should help you in easy reference, and for identifying and selecting the stitches. The Stitch Families are placed in alphabetical order. 🙂
We have a dedicated Hand Embroidery Book with the picture dictionary and step-by-step guides to each of these 200 stitches. Buy now and start stitching!
Back Stitch Family
Back Stitch |
Whipped Back Stitch |
Threaded Back Stitch |
Pekinese Stitch |
Interlaced Band |
Split Back Stitch |
Blanket Stitch Family
Blanket Stitch |
Buttonhole Stitch |
Whipped Buttonhole |
Double Blanket Stitch |
Closed Blanket Stitch |
Crossed Blanket |
Buttonhole Wheel |
Buttonhole Wheel Cup |
Rosette of Thorns |
Buttonhole Bar |
Barb Stitch |
Mirrored Blanket |
German Knotted |
Honeycomb |
Fishnet Stitch |
Detached Buttonhole |
Shaped Scallop |
Scallop Stitch |
Buttonhole Shading |
Antwerp Edging |
Berwick Stitch |
Chain Stitch Family
Chain Stitch |
Whipped Chain Stitch |
Double Chain Stitch |
Magic Chain Stitch |
Lazy Daisy |
Russian Chain Stitch |
Long Tailed Daisy |
Feathered Chain |
Basque Stitch |
Petal Chain Stitch |
Reverse Chain Stitch |
Heavy Chain Stitch |
Braided Chain Stitch |
Zigzag Chain Stitch |
Cable Chain Stitch |
Twisted Chain Stitch |
Alternating Twisted |
Barred Chain Stitch |
Alternating Barred |
Rosette Stitch |
Rope Stitch |
Tulip Stitch |
Bull’s Head Stitch |
Detached Wheat Ear |
Wheat Ear Stitch |
Oyster Stitch |
Butterfly Chain Stitch |
Raised Chain Band |
Knotted Chain Stitch |
Knotted Cable Chain |
Open Chain Stitch |
Back Stitched Chain Stitch |
Sinhalese Chain Stitch |
Crested Chain Stitch |
Checkered Chain Band |
ZigZag Cable Chain Stitch |
Interlaced Chain |
Berry Stitch |
Chevron Stitch Family
Chevron Stitch |
Detached Chevron |
Threaded Chevron |
Mirrored Chevron |
Staggered Chevron |
Double Chevron |
Chevron Filling |
Couching Stitch Family
Surface Couching |
Underside Couching |
Pendant Couching |
Jacobean Couching |
Couched Circle |
Burden Stitch |
Cross Stitch Family
Cross Stitch |
Double Cross Stitch |
Fishbone Stitch Family
Fishbone Stitch |
Open Fishbone Stitch |
Flat Stitch |
Raised Fishbone |
Basket Stitch |
Opened Fishbone |
Star Stitch |
Feather Stitch Family
Feather Stitch |
Closed Feather Stitch |
Single Feather Stitch |
Double Feather Stitch |
Maidenhair Stitch |
Cretan Stitch |
Closed Cretan Stitch |
Open Cretan Stitch |
Knotted Cretan Stitch |
Scottish Cretan Stitch |
Bonnet Stitch |
Laced Cretan Stitch |
Fly Stitch Family
Fly Stitch |
Whipped Fly Stitch |
Closed Fly Stitch |
Plaited Fly Stitch |
Twisted Fly Stitch |
Crossed Fly Filling |
Wave Stitch |
Herringbone Stitch Family
Herringbone Stitch |
Threaded Herringbone |
Tacked Herringbone |
Tied Herringbone |
Laced Herringbone |
Double Herringbone |
Twisted Lattice Band |
Interlaced H’bone |
H’bone Square |
Interlaced H’bone |
Laced H’bone |
Breton Stitch |
Closed Herringbone |
Knot Stitch Family
French Knot |
Pistil Stitch |
Colonial Knot |
Coral Stitch |
Scroll Stitch |
Chinese Knot |
Pearl Stitch |
Bullion Knot |
Sword Stitch |
Danish Knot |
Turkey Rug Knot |
4 Legged Knot |
Surrey Stitch |
Knotted Diamond |
Eastern Stitch |
Indian Edging Stitch |
Plucked Knot |
Palestrina Stitch Family
Palestrina Stitch |
Reversed Palestrina |
Sorbello Stitch |
Triple Palestrina |
Basque Knot |
Running Stitch Family
Running Stitch |
Looped Running |
Laced Running Stitch |
Interlaced Running |
Whipped Running |
Eskimo Laced Edging |
Parallel Running |
Stepped Running |
Holbein Stitch |
Japanese Darning |
Seed Stitch |
Darning Stitch |
Satin Stitch Family
Satin Stitch |
Whipped Satin Stitch |
Padded Satin Stitch |
Encroaching Satin |
Brick Stitch |
Leaf Stitch |
Surface Satin |
Stem Stitch Family
Stem Stitch |
Whipped Stem Stitch |
Outline Stitch |
Cable Stitch |
Split Stitch |
Portuguese Stem |
Japanese Stitch |
Straight Stitch Family
Straight Stitch |
Fern Stitch |
Algerian Eyelet Stitch |
Diamond Eyelet Stitch |
Ray Stitch |
Radiating Stitch |
Lantern Stitch |
Eyelet Wheel |
Eyelet Stitch |
Rhodes Stitch |
Arrow Head Stitch |
Arrow Head Threaded |
Rice Stitch |
Granitos Stitch |
Speckling Stitch |
Weave Stitch Family
Woven Circle |
Woven Oval |
Woven Spider’s Wheel |
Whipped Spider’s |
God’s Eye Stitch |
Weaving Stitch |
Woven Trellis Stitch |
Woven Bar |
Learn the stitches from our Hand Embroidery Book
Learn all the 200 stitches through our 450-page Hand Embroidery Book.
Is there a stitch that looks just as good on the back of the item?
Hi Anna.
Some stitches that can look as good on the back are:
1. Running Stitch
2. Holbein Stitch
3. Satin Stitch
4. Closed Herringbone Stitch (shows a double back stitch on the back)
5. Chain Stitch (shows a back stitch on the back)
6. Herringbone Stitch (shows running stitch on the back)
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much!
Hello! This is a wonderful resource, and I’m very excited to find it. I’m just learning embroidery, and this will be a great resource!
I do wish to inform you of a little known fact: Esk*mo is a slur against the Inuit people, meaning “snow-eater”. Would it be understood in the embroidery community at large if I referred to that stitch as the Inuit stitch instead? And I’m curious! Was it named by the people, or because it looks like a stitch the Inuit use in their clothing?
Hi Heather,
Thank you! I never knew that the term ‘Eskimo’ is a slur. I appreciate you letting me know of it. I did a little research and feel compelled to explain that it is wrongly understood that the term ‘Eskimo’ means snow-eater or raw-meat eater – though it is still a popular belief. The term originally means…
According to Wikipedia it’s a term the Algonquin tribe, a Canadian native tribe from the southern part of Canada, used to refer to the natives from the north.
Algonquin: Ayas̆kimew – “A person who laces a snowshoe”.
French: borrowed from Algonquin and made into a french word, Esquimaux.
English: simplified from either French or Algonquin, Eskimo
The embroidery community might not understand if you refer to this stitch as the Inuit Stitch, but they might learn that it is an alternate name. For those who feel the original term is not appropriate, they will be relieved to have the alternate name. 🙂
I am not sure of the origin of the name of this stitch. But, here is my explanation-
The Inuits and Aleuts used a reversible stitch to join the seams of their parkas, which means it looked the same on either side. To do that, they would make a row of Running Stitch closer to the edge, and then, with a heavier thread, they would start lacing it under the Running Stitches on both sides. This process is explained in the Stepped Running Stitch Variation 1 ( Gut Raincoat Stitch) tutorial- https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/stitch/running-stitch/stepped-running-stitch/.
What you see here is an imitation of how the stitch would appear on one side- a decorative adaptation into surface embroidery.
Thank you Sarah! Both for the explanation, clarification, and the little tidbit of history! I much appreciate it. 😀
This picture dictionary is amazing! Thank you very much for this. I just knew some basic stitches but am definitely going to try out all these beautiful stitches.
Thank you, Ruby! 💕 This is a growing dictionary, which means, new stitches are being added to it periodically. I hope you enjoy trying them out. You can also share some of your stitches as a part of the comment! ☺️
Merci pour ce dictionnaire d’images ainsi que pour les explications pour exécuter les points. Cela va beaucoup m’aider pour un petit patchwork crazy. Votre site, que je viens de découvrir, est super, merci encore. Bonne soirée.
Awesome, Marijo! Thank you. ❤️
Thank you for your picture dictionary…………..Beautiful site you have and it is helping me a lot. ALWAYS have a good day and enjoy the good work you do. I’ve sent you a picture of my first attempt…….Thanks again