Plaited Fly Stitch

Plaited Fly Stitch is a decorative variation of Fly Stitch that looks great on borders or for embellishing outlines. The method of embroidering this stitch is very straightforward—the row of Y stitches is positioned so that the top V part of the stitch overlaps over the previous stitch, creating crossed areas.

Other names of the stitch

This stitch is also called plaited Y stitch.

Plaited Fly Stitch embroidery with pearl cotton thread — Plaited Fly Stitch embroidery in rows with pearl cotton thread

Plaited Fly Stitch rear side — Rear side of the sampler

Applications of the Plaited Fly Stitch

This hand embroidery technique creates ornamented thick lines. You can use it for borders, decorated outlines, or textural filling by positioning the rows of stitches close to each other.

The stitch takes curves and round shapes well and is often used to embellish the neck part of the garments and the seams.

More stitches from the Fly Stitch family

Learn how to embroider the Plaited Fly Stitch

Follow the step-by-step tutorial with detailed photos below, and you will learn the Plaited Fly Stitch stitch in no time. If you are a visual learner, watch a video lesson in the tutorial or on the Practical Embroidery YouTube channel to learn this hand embroidery stitch faster.

How to embroider Plaited Fly Stitch

Step-by-step hand embroidery tutorial

Instructions

1. Mark the line where you want to position your stitches. Take the needle to the surface at the left top corner and make a stitch to the right. Leave the loop of the working thread open.

2. Take the needle to the surface inside the loop, one stitch below, between the loop’s ends. Pull the thread to form a V shape.

3. Make a straight stitch down to form a Y shape.

4. Take the needle to the surface on the top mark, inside the previous stitch.

5. Make a stitch to the right and repeat the steps to create a Y stitch.

6. Add as many overlapping Y stitches as you need to fill the marked area.

Video tutorial

Tools and materials I used for this sampler

Disclaimer. To cover the cost of creating free embroidery patterns and video tutorials for this blog, I do sometimes link to products. Please assume these links are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through my links then THANK YOU – it will make it possible for me to keep doing this.

Embroidery fabric cotton linen neutral colors Etsy — Embroidery fabric

What’s next?

If you’re in the mood to explore more hand embroidery stitches, check out the Stitches and Techniques page for the list of other fantastic stitches available on my blog. From timeless classics to modern twists, a whole world of stitches is waiting for you to explore and master. So, grab your hoop and needle, and let’s stitch our way to creative bliss!