By Show Me Step by StepPublished
Based on a video by Needlepointers.
Feather stitch is a looped, branching line that looks like a fern frond or a little vine. Each stitch catches the loop of the one before, alternating left and right, so the row grows down the fabric in a zigzag of open V shapes. Needlepointers stitches it in pink floss on cream aida, which makes it easy to count where every stitch goes.
It is a classic on crazy quilts, where it runs along the seams between patches. It also makes a pretty border along a hem, a pillowcase edge or a baby blanket. Stitch a few curved rows and you have the stems for a flower spray. Add a lazy daisy at the end of each branch or a French knot for a berry.
Aida is a gift for learning because the holes are already there. Count the same number of squares across and down for every stitch and the row comes out even. On plain cotton or linen, mark two or three parallel guide lines with a water soluble pen. Use three to six strands of floss. More strands give a bolder line, fewer a finer, lacier one.
The center line of the row stays straight, and the branches swing out the same distance each side. If your row wanders, it is usually because the needle came up off center. Take a moment before each stitch to find the middle point between the last two branches. Keep the loop under the needle tip as you pull, or the stitch slips out and you get a straight line instead of a V.
On 14 count aida, try branches three or four squares wide and two squares apart. On plain fabric, about a quarter inch each way is a comfortable size for six strands. Smaller stitches look delicate but take longer, so save them for tiny details.
Feather stitch pairs well with other outline stitches. Try a chain stitch stem or a blanket stitch edge on the same piece.
8 steps · about 5 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Thread your needle with three to six strands of floss and knot the end. Bring the needle up from the back of the work at the top left of where you want the row to run. On aida, count your squares so you know where the matching point on the right will be. That pair of holes sets the width of every branch.
Tip
A 4 or 5 inch hoop keeps the fabric tight and the stitches even.
Take the needle down directly across from where you came up, on the same row of holes. Do not pull it tight. Leave a loose loop of floss lying on the surface. This loop is what the next stitch catches, and catching it is what turns a straight line into the open V of a feather stitch.
Tip
Hold the loop out of the way with your thumb while you find the next hole.
Bring the needle up from the back a little below the two points and right in the middle between them. The needle tip must come up inside the loop, so the loop wraps around the needle. On aida, a couple of squares down is a good start. The spacing you choose here sets the length of each branch.
Tip
Always come up from the back. Starting from the front undoes the loop.
Pull the thread through gently. The loop tightens around the needle thread and forms the first V. Stop when it lies flat on the fabric, with the arms open. If you pull too hard, the V closes into a slit. Your thread is now coming out at the bottom point of that V, ready for the next branch.
Tip
Keep the floss from twisting. Let the needle dangle and spin now and then.
Now switch sides. Take the needle down across from where your thread came out, this time on the other side, again leaving a loose loop. Come up below and in the middle, inside the loop. Each new stitch hangs from the bottom of the last one, which is how the row creeps down the fabric.
Tip
Count the same number of holes across each time for matching branches.
As you draw the thread through, press the loop down with a fingertip. That keeps it from flipping or twisting while it tightens. Ease the thread up until the new branch sits at the same angle as the one before. A little patience here is what gives the row its neat, even fern look.
Tip
If a loop twists, back the needle out and pull the floss straight before trying again.
Keep going, one branch to the left, one branch to the right. The center line stays straight and the branches fan out evenly to each side. Here the second row is starting to take shape next to the first. Work as many stitches as you need for your border, seam or stem.
Tip
For a curved vine, draw a curve and keep the center point of each stitch on it.
When you reach the end, the last stitch has a loop with nothing to hold it. Take the needle down a hair below the loop, on the far side of it, to make a tiny straight tack stitch. That pins the final branch in place. Then tie off on the back of the work and trim the tail.
Tip
Weave the tail under a few stitches on the back before you snip it.
Keep going
How to Embroider a Butterfly (Satin-Stitch Hoop Tutorial)
How to Do a Feather Stitch in Hand Embroidery
Similane
Bamboo Embroidery Hoops + Needles Set
Five hoop sizes plus a pack of needles, so you can mount any project and start stitching. Smooth bamboo that grips the fabric without marking it.
DMC
DMC Embroidery Floss, 36 Popular Colors
The industry-standard 6-strand cotton floss in a ready color range, with needles included. Colorfast and smooth, so it will not fray as you stitch.
Similane
Similane 215-Piece Embroidery Starter Kit
Hoops, 100 thread colors, aida cloth, needles, and tools in one box, so a total beginner can start today without a dozen separate orders.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links on this page may be affiliate links - clicking them and buying doesn't change your price, but helps support Show Me Step by Step.
Sunday How-To
One short email with the week's best step-by-step guides. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Did this work for you?
Hand-picked next reads based on the one you just finished.
Pick the categories you want to hear about. Weekly digest of new step-by-step tutorials. No spam, easy unsubscribe.
Send me tutorials about
