Shell Stitch

About the Shell Stitch

The Shell Stitch is not to be confused with the Shell Chain Stitch. The Shell Stitch is kind of a combination of the Bullion Knot and the Chain Stitch. This stitch can be a bit challenging to do, and practice will definitely help. This is a pretty stitch to work as an edging stitch and over borders. This stitch is great for giving a creative angle to it.

How to do the Shell Stitch

Fig 1: Come out from one end of the stitch line.	Fig 2: Now, place the needle close to the stitch point and hold it down with your thumb – this is important.
Fig 3: Now, wrap a certain number of times around the needle, as shown. The more wraps you make, the more curvy the stitch will be.	Fig 4: Now, move your thumb up to hold down the wraps, as shown. Next, pull out the needle. You might need to coax the wraps a bit to let the needle pass. Using a milliner’s needle will help in this process.
Fig 5: What you get is a small curved bit of a stitch like this.	Fig 6: Now, make a Chain Stitch as shown in this picture.
Fig 7: Again, place the needle right next to the next stitch point and wrap around the needle the same number of times as before to create the stitch.	Fig 8: Now, make a regular Chain Stitch.
Fig 9: Keep up with this process. Ensure that the needle is always placed next to the stitch point.	Fig 10: A row of the Shell Stitch looks like this. Try using a thick thread to work this stitch.

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Other related stitches from the Chain Stitch Family