The buttonhole stitch (which is actually the blanket stitch, technically, but both terms are used interchangeably today) is used in many types of hand embroidery – general surface embroidery, crazy quilting, whitework and cutwork, Mountmellick embroidery, needle lace, filet work – you name it, buttonhole stitch fits in somehow.
It’s a super versatile stitch, and once you have the basic stitch down, it’s just a matter of applying it in a variety of ways.
The length and pattern of the stitch can change, according to what you want to do with it. You can use the buttonhole stitch effectively to create filled flowers and leaves, by spacing the stitches very close together.
The stitch can also be used to edge raw blanket fabric or felt, as in the photo above.
In the photo above, all those open, “spiky” lines are created with buttonhole stitch.
And in this photo above, you can see that buttonhole stitch can be used effectively for lettering. Here, it’s combined with stem stitch to create some embroidered text.
Here’s the video:
If you’re looking for more embroidery stitch instruction, you’ll can find many more hand embroidery stitch videos right here on Needle ‘n Thread!
Hi There,
Two things, firstly, I LOVE the videos, a great help for any embroiderer.
Second, you’ve titled this video Blankt/Buttonhole Stitch. These are two different stitches. What you are demonstrating is blanket stitch, but buttonhole is done slightly differently, and in many ways is a much stronger stitch than blanket stitch.
The best illustrations I’ve seen of the difference between the two is at: http://heritageshoppe.com/heritage/stitches/blanketstitch.html
The reason I point it out is that I use the true buttonhole for doing eyelets on bags, and they are much more robust and last alot longer tan just the closely placed blanket stitch.
Cheers,
Laren
Hi, Laren –
Thanks for the tip on the name of the stitch. The buttonhole stitch has an extra little loop at the top that definitely makes a sturdier ridge. I use the “real” buttonhole stitch often in certain pieces of cutwork that I want to be extra-sturdy. In my illustrated buttonhole stitch, I went into the difference a little bit. Mostly, people associate blanket stitch with buttonhole stitch, and many books illustrate them as the “same” thing, unless they also add what is called the tailor’s buttonhole.
Thanks again for the tip!
Wow, what a great tutorial! Very helpful when learning to make a buttonhole stitch!
Bev
OMG! Thank you so much for the video on the blanket stitch, I have tried frustratingly to use this stitch time and again and your tutorial was so easy, I completed an appliqued block for my quilt this evening. Thank you so much for doing this for all of us that are just learning to embroider! I appreciate you very much!
hello mary, love your videos! thank you so much for them.
I am having terrible trouble doing the Blanket Stitch around corners, i just can't get it right.
Please could you help?
Do you have that in any of your videos?
thank you so much
For corners, I think I'd end the stitch on the one line, the start on the other, with a 90 degree angle for the lines and a 90 degree angle where you stop and then start, if that makes sense. You would work the last line a stitch length away from the end of the line your stitching. I'll see if I can demonstrate it in a photo tutorial for you – but it'll be a bit before I can get that done!
thank you so much mary for that!
i'll keep an eye out
really grateful
x
hola
excelente trabajo amiga las puntadas estan super bonitas, gracias y saludos.
Thank you so much for this video tutorial! I was searching for how to do this, and your guidance is just perfect. Thank you.
Hi Mary,
Thanks your videos are a great help. I cant do it well like you but I wish I could sew better.To be Honest i am a very very poor artist.
You rock MARY .. I just wish i were you
Es lo que estaba buscando, he tardado unos años en encontrarlo. Muchas gracias.
Un abrazo,
Carmen
It would be helpful to have instructions on how to start when the interlocked side of the stitch is on the edge of the fabric.