Stitch Library by Technique

Hand embroidery stitches grouped by the stitch family

There is no one official or right way to classify the stitches. 

On this page – Stitch Library by Technique, you will find hand embroidery stitches categorized by the technique used to embroider, also called stitch families

I think that hand embroidery stitches can be grouped by the technique used to make them or by their purpose in surface embroidery. I wrote an article “Hand embroidery stitches, stitch groups, and families. The classification of hand embroidery stitches by purpose and technique” on this matter.

If you are looking for a specific stitch by its name, check out the Stitch library A-Z page.

Embroidery floss skeins multicolor
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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