The world of embroidery can seem enormous and infinite to a beginner. There are so many different techniques to grasp, materials to choose from, and stitches to learn. It can be difficult to know where to start. So I'm here to help you out! The following stitches are perfect for beginners and will give you enough of a range to complete a whole heap of designs.
Click on the name of each stitch to see a video tutorial
The back stitch is probably one of the easiest stitches to get the hang of. It's mostly used for stitching lines or outlining shapes. And it's ideal for stitching text!
Variations: whip your back stitch with a contrasting colour for a twisted effect. Or build up lines of back stitch to fill a space - often called brick stitch.
Satin stitch is used for filling small spaces with a single block of colour. Really great for things like flower petals, leaves or any other small, simple shapes.
Variations: padded satin stitch can be used to give your work a slightly raised effect.
The woven wheel is sometimes called a woven rose or spider web rose because it makes these beautiful flowers. Simple but very effective. Woven wheels can be great for framing a word or quote.
Variations: Use ribbon instead of thread for an elegant look.
This is one of my favourite stitches! Fly
stitch is most often used for adding leaves to a design. An open fly stitch gives the leaf a sort of 'fern' look, while closed fly stitch creates a more solid shape with a line down the centre.
French knots can be a little tricky for some, but once you get the hang of them there's no stopping you! It creates a small circular knot on the surface of the fabric, so they're great for anywhere you want to add a small dot or detail. They also look great bunched together to create a flower, or even just add texture.
I hope this list helps you along on your embroidery journey! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below or email alice@bealice.ie For more stitch tutorials, check out the video library here.