Stitch Library by technique
There is no one official or right way to classify the stitches.
I think that hand embroidery stitches can be grouped by the technique used to make them or by their purpose in surface embroidery. You can read an article about Hand embroidery stitches and their groups HERE.
On this page, you will find hand embroidery stitches categorized by the technique used to embroider, also called stitch families. If you are looking for a specific stitch by its name, check out the Stitch library A-Z page.
- Chain stitch
- Reverse chain stitch
- Backstitched chain stitch
- Zig zag chain stitch
- Whipped chain stitch
- Wheat ear stitch
- Detached wheat ear stitch
- Alternating twisted chain stitch
- Twisted chain stitch
- Tulip stitch
- Detached chain stitch (single chain stitch)
- Lazy daisy stitch
- Long tailed detached chain stitch
- Threaded Lazy daisy
- Sinhalese chain stitch
- Russian chain stitch
- Rosette stitch
- Rope stitch
- Raised chain band
- Petal chain stitch
- Oyster stitch
- Checkered chain braid
- Open chain stitch
- Magic chain stitch
- Knotted cable chain stitch
- Knotted chain stitch
- Hungarian braided stitch
- Heavy chain stitch
- Feathered chain stitch
- Double Lazy daisy
- Interlaced chain stitch
- Crown stitch
- Closed chain stitch
- Cable chain stitch
- Butterfly chain stitch
- Bulls head
- Basque stitch
- Barred chain stitch
- Alternating barred chain stitch
- Couching stitch
- Couching stitch filling
- Underside couching
- Pendant couching
- Jacobean couching
- Couched circle
- Burden stitch
- Plaid filling
- Trellis couching
- Lattice couching
- Twisted lattice
- Torocko stitch
- Honeycomb couching
- Cross stitch
- Upright cross stitch
- Double cross stitch (Smyrna)
- Star stitch
- Tied cross stitch
- Chinese cross stitch
- Laid work with cross stitch
- Long armed cross stitch
- Fishbone stitch
- Open fishbone stitch
- Raised fishbone stitch
- Flat stitch
- Crossed fishbone stitch
- Basket stitch
- Star stitch
- Herringbone stitch
- Two layer herringbone stitch
- Threaded herringbone stitch
- Tacked herringbone stitch
- Tied herringbone stitch
- Double colored herringbone stitch
- Twisted herringbone stitch
- Mirrored half herringbone stitch
- Double herringbone stitch
- Closed herringbone stitch
- Otomi stitch
- Twisted lattice band
- Laced herringbone stitch
- Interlaced herringbone stitch
- Herringbone square
- Breton stitch
- Palestrina stitch
- Reversed Palestrina stitch
- Triple Palestrina stitch
- Sorbello stitch
- Basque knot
- Eastern stitch
- Satin stitch
- Padded satin stitch
- Whipped satin stitch
- Encroaching satin stitch
- Surface satin stitch
- Straight stitch
- Seed stitch
- Double rice stitch
- Zig zag stitch
- Granitos stitch
- Thorn stitch
- Sheaf stitch
- Paris stitch
- Fern stitch
- Fan stitch
- Radiating stitch
- Lantern stitch
- Eyelet wheel
- Diamond eyelet stitch
- Algerian eyelet
- Rhodes stitch
- Ermine stitch
- Bosnian stitch
- Arrowhead stitch
- Threaded arrowhead stitch
- Woven star stitch
- Woven cross
- Blanket stitch
- Buttonhole stitch
- Double blanket stitch
- Mirrored blanket stitch
- Whipped blanket stitch
- Closed blanket stitch
- Crossed blanket stitch
- Buttonhole wheel
- Buttonhole wheel cup
- Rosette of Thorns
- Buttonhole bar
- Barb stitch
- German knotted blanket stitch
- Honeycomb filling stitch
- Scallop stitch
- Antwerp edging
- Berwick stitch
- Blanket stitch filling
- Blanket stitch filling in circles
- Buttonhole shading
- Corded detached blanket stitch (Scotch darning stitch)
- Chevron stitch
- Chevron filling
- Threaded chevron stitch
- Double chevron stitch
- Staggered chevron stitch
- Mirrored chevron stitch
- Half chevron stitch
- Half chevron filling
- Cretan stitch
- Open Cretan stitch
- Knotted Cretan stitch
- Closed Cretan stitch
- Scottish Cretan stitch
- Feather stitch
- Single feather stitch
- Double feather stitch
- Closed feather stitch
- Maidenhair stitch
- Fly stitch
- Connected fly stitch
- Closed fly stitch
- Whipped fly stitch
- Twisted fly stitch
- Plaited fly stitch
- Crossed fly stitch filling
- Anklet stitch
- French knot
- Colonial knot
- Peking knot
- Scroll stitch
- Pistil stitch
- Pearl stitch
- Macrame stitch
- Loop stitch
- Point de galon
- Danish knot
- Coral stitch
- Bullion knot
- Plaited braid stitch
- Sword stitch
- Indian edging
- Turkey rug knot
- Four legged knot
- Stem stitch
- Whipped stem stitch
- Split stitch
- Side to side stitch
- Raised stem stitch band
- Portuguese stem stitch
- Outline stitch
- Japanese stitch
- Stem stitch filling
- Lock stitch
- Double lock stitch
- Pueblo stitch
- Weaving stitch
- Woven trellis stitch
- Woven bar
- Woven picot
- Whipped spider wheel
- Woven spider wheel
- Striped woven band
- Portuguese border stitch
- Woven oval
- Woven circle
- Color wheel
- Kamal Kadai
You might want to read these articles:
N.B. Some of the links on this page will take you to the EasyToMake designs blog. This is my older hand embroidery Blog. While I’m dedicating all of my energy to the Practical Embroidery Blog, the previous version still has a lot of great content!
