It’s that glorious time of year! Time to spread some pre-Christmas cheer!
Today is the first installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018 – a series of delectable pre-Christmas give-aways hosted here on Needle ‘n Thread, with prizes offered by small needlework businesses around the world.
The series runs intermittently from now until Christmas. On each give-away day, I’ll announce the prizes and then, in the future give-aways, I’ll announce the winners. It’s very simple to join – you just need to answer the question posed in the give-away article using the comment form on that article (I’ll link you straight to it, so there’s no guess work), and before you know it, you could find a beautiful needlework treat landing in your mailbox this holiday season!
To get started, then, we’ll turn to the kind folks at Inspirations Studios who published, this year, another gorgeous book, A Passion for Needlework, Factoria VII, and have offered five copies – one to each of five winners – for this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas.
I reviewed the book in depth here, if you’d like to see what it’s all about. There are lots of lovely projects in the book, all presented in a gorgeously photographed setting.
This book is a must-have on your Christmas Wish List. It’s a real treat!
Give-Away Guidelines
This give-away is now ended. Thanks for participating!
To join in today’s give-away, please follow the guidelines below:
1. Please answer the question below in the comment form at the end of this article. This link will take you directly to the comment form you need to use, in case you can’t find it (but you might want to read the question below, before you go to the comment form.)
2. Please do not leave anonymous comments. Leave a recognizable name (it can be a nickname, it can be your full name, it can be your first name and where you live…) and please make sure your email address is entered correctly. If I can’t contact you to let you know you won, I’ll draw a different name.
3. In your comment, answer the following:
Name your favorite embroidery (or needlework) stitch and describe the last project in which you used it.
4. Leave your comment before 5:00 am this Friday (Central Time), November 30th. The winners will be randomly drawn and announced here on Needle ‘n Thread on Friday, which is when the next give-away will also be posted.
5. You may enter each give-away in A Stitcher’s Christmas once. Duplicate entries on the same give-away will be deleted.
You only have a few short days to join in, so have at it!
Coming Up on Needle ‘n Thread
Last week, I launched A Thousand Flowers, both the e-book and the kit. The kit is sold out for now, but I will have more available at a later date. I’m waiting on news about a backordered color of silk, and until I know when that’s coming, I don’t have a time frame for the next run of kits. As soon as I know, I’ll let you know!
If you’re eager to get started, the download (charts & instructions) for A Thousand Flowers is available here. If you don’t live in the States, you might consider purchasing the e-book and sourcing your own supplies within your country. International shipping options are limited, and they are expensive. (I suppose I’m shooting myself in the foot, saying that…)
Later this week, it’s all about Crewel – a gorgeous Christmas crewel kit for the next installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas!
I’m working on another tapestry small, but I’m also doing some surface embroidery, finishing up some loose ends on pieces left over from this past summer. Yesterday, it was an especially pleasant diversion, stitching flowers and butterflies while a blizzard raged right outside the window!
Hope your week is off to a great start!
Hi Mary,
My favourite stitch is the humble cross stitch. I love such intricate and beautiful designs can be created with such a simple technique.
my favorite stitch is the chain stitch. I love how easy and pretty it looks and can be used almost anywhere on a project as an outline stitch or to fill in a space. i am working on a jacobean design and this stitch has many uses for outlining stems and filling in spaces on the flowers.
marysue c
My favorite stitch is the Ghiordes or Turkey stitch!! It is so versatile! I used it for the center of my flower and it gave my piece a 3D effect. I have also used it to embroider a hula skirt by making the loops long and cutting them afterwards!
Absolutely LOVE the fly stitch. It makes leaves look so beautiful.
Have a wonder holiday, Mary.
Colleen in Canada
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but one of my favorites is French Knots. Seems like they fit magically into so many places. Thanks! Gika
My favourite embroidery stitch is the lowly button hole stitch as it has so many variations and uses.
I last used it as a finishing stitch around the edge of some Christmas Ornaments,these were wool felt birds but I like it around canvas work ornaments as well. I do like to use the version with the extra wrap for a more finished look.
The new Inspirations book does look truly inspiring.
Cross stitch. As simple as it is. Because if am working on Ann Dale sampler these days
My favorite stitch is stem stitch. So versatile and flexible on tight curves! I last used it on a set of flour sack towels. My other favorite is the fishbone for small leaves.
Deb
I like the single corded Brussels stitch in needle lace. Adding it to embroidery adds a nice touch. I used it in a practice piece of a poppy. It is sort of meditative to me for some reason.
Thank you for having such a lovely giveaway.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the french knot. Fiddly, a giant pain sometimes, but I just love the look of them. And if I’m feeling especially dedicated to a project, they make a wonderful filler.
My favourite is the bullion stitch. I’ve recently used it to embroider many roses and a hedgehog.
Right now I’m rather smitten with blackwork. I whipped up a blackwork Christmas ornament a couple of weeks ago, and I’m currently adding a blackwork block to a long standing sampler project.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for giving us another opportunity to win goodies in your Chrismas giveaway. It starts the holiday season off really well.
My favourite stitch is palestrina but it’s been a while since I’ve used it in a project. I’ve been doing too many flower initials and am know on a long and short stitch project.
I would really like to find a tablecloth pattern using palestrina so if you know of any …
All the best
Kate
The feather stitch is probably one of my favorites, and I have recently used it in a crazy quilting patch and in a wool leaf.
Right now my favorite stitch is the stem stitch because I am teaching my 9 year old granddaughter different needlework techniques.
One of my favorite stitch in the BULLION! You can do so much with it. I’m working on a piece that has bullion roses, Hardanger and some cross-stitching.
Chain stitch. Such a versatile stitch in it’s many variations. I’m have recently used it in places on a lovely simple modern circle based sampler from Purl Soho. It is also the main stitch on a much longer term project (maybe a many years) – a Christmas tree skirt with poinsettia flowers in shades of reds as well as whites/silvers.
I love the Hungarian Braided Chain stitch. It gives such a sturdy smooth line (and I am thankful for the guidance on switching threads). I last used it as stems on a wool-applique-on-flannel quilt
My favorite is chain stitch and I last used it in making an initial brooch for my sister from your Stitch Sampler Alphabet.
Double Reverse Chain…I am using it to do some lettering on presents for my students.
Chain stitch. Such a versatile stitch in it’s many variations. I’m have recently used it in places on a lovely simple modern circle based sampler from Purl Soho. It is also the main stitch on a much longer term project (maybe a many years) – a Christmas tree skirt with poinsettia flowers in shades of reds as well as whites/silvers. Paula Monteith, Johannesburg
My favorite embroidery stitch is the “Boullion Stitch”…. LOVE it!!!!
Candlewicking colonial knot —used on pillow top
My favourite embroidery stitch is the French knot. I used it last in a piece based on a photo I took of the Angel Oak Tree near Charleston. I used hundreds and hundreds of French knots in various shades of green to represent the leaves. Much of the piece I completed while I was ill in bed with the flu, too sick to even go watch tv. Admittedly, by the time I felt better, I needed a break from the French knot. But now I’m back to using it. Thank you for your videos on the French knot. I watched them repeatedly awhile back.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I see results quickly when I use the speedy stem stitch! I used this stitch when I embroidered a bird holding a flower stem.
My favorite embroidery is actually smocking. I make baby bonnets for newborns, teeny bereavement dresses for babies who don’t make it and other items of a happier nature. Right now I am doing counterchange on a red and white striped fabric piece that will become a candy cane for my tree.
I love anything white work, especially Hardanger. The last piece I’ve done was a doilies in white on med. brown fabric, making the stitches stand out nicely.
My favorite stitch is chain. You can use it in so many ways to achieve just the right look. I used it this morning for feathers on a bird project.
Thank you, Mary, for all you do for the embroidery community!
Barbara
Bargello = I recently finished a piece for the top of a box I have beside my recliner
My favorite embroidery stitch is definitely the chain stitch, though in my work I more often use a French knot and a back stitch. My latest work, Calliope, used a variety of simple stitches on a collaged background of hand dyed fabrics. I love adding embroidery to my artwork.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the outline stitch. It is the meat and potatoes of embroidery – used so much and gets so little glory. I last used it to put a new baby’s name on the quilt I made for her.
I rely most heavily on the stem stitch for multiple applications. I use it nearly every piece I stitch and love how easy it is to control and create shapes.
My favorite stitch is buttonhole because there are so many ways and versions to use it. My current project is a crazy quilt and I’ve been using many versions of the buttonhole.
My favorite stitch would be the one I am presently using. I like variety in my stitching so tend to use a lot of different stitches. The latest one would have been basket weave which I used for my Grandson’s Christmas stocking.
My favorite stitch is the chain stitch. I used It yesterday in the A block in Snownen A to zzz by carabapple hill.
My current favorite stitch is the couching stitch… because that means that I’m working on one of two projects I have going from Winterthur… Tricia Wilson Nguyen’s Stuart Silk Purl Flower or Bobbi Chase’s Aesthetic Movement Tea Cozy- fun, fun, fun!!!
Favorite embroidery stitch…I have to pick just one? It will have to be good ol’ back stitch! Lovely and useful on its own, but so many ways to dress it up (pekingese stitch, anyone?). I did a stitch sampler tote where one of the areas is composed of swirls of back stitch. Then I went back and embellished the the back stitch lines in as many ways as I could think of. So much fun! My current project is a mandala outlined with (mostly) back stitch.
My favorite embroidery is crazy quilting. I had so much fun doing a Halloween cat from an EGA petite project, trying all the different stitches I could find.
My favourite stitch is the Plaited Braid. i recently used it in a project entitled More than a Rose. thanks so much.
I will have to go with the humble straight stitch, which I used last week to make leaves in a Thanksgiving garland! Thank you!
I have recently discovered cut silk pile which is an old stitch worked on 17th century examples of stumpwork. As I am replicating a stumpwork mirror frame I am enjoying discovering this stitch and am going to work it on other embroidery projects in the future. I think it is important to preserve these old stitches for future generations.
My last needlework stitch has been redwork- well actually ‘whitework’ on premade items. Christmas gifts with a little personality!
Blanket/button hole as this is my go to for wool applique
I don’t know that I have a favorite stitch but am working on Mary’s Christmas trees from last year and enjoying all of those stitches.
My favourite embroidery stitch is the French knot. I have been experimenting with embroidery on handmade lace and paper. I used a lot of knots to create texture and depth on my pieces. I can do French knots forever!!
After using the stem stitch “forever”, I have started using the backstitch for many things! My latest project was to embroidery some little pieces that were added to a purse for my local Back to School Clothing Drive.
Thanks for all you do for the embroidery world!
Cindy
my favorite embroidery stitch is the twilling stitch. It gives everything a nice 3 demensional look. If there is an area i want to really stand out i twill it.
I love the bouillon stitch, last used in a wool project on a Sue Spargo wool BOM. I love the texture this stitch gives. It is amazing when used to outline a shape as well as give texture to a focus area. It was used in the project I did in both ways & made a huge statement in the piece.
My favourite stitch is the french knot. I just love the texture, and the beautiful shading that results when it is done with variegated thread. I find that the french knot is used in almost every project, the last project where I used it was in the Nicola Jarvis design – Loveday.
The 2nd volume of a Passion for Needlework is on my wish list, it would be wonderful to win a copy.
Heather
Definitely the lazy dazy stitch and there are 2 ongoing projects now in which I have used this stitch. One is a wool rabbit coaster and the other is a garden of flowers to be used as a quilt center focal point. I have asked Santa for this book and it’s partner more than once and still don’t own it. Fingers crossed on this giveaway. Florida USA
In surface embroidery I don’t have a favorite stitch. I just love the combination of several stitches which together ‘make’ the embroidery.
As an embroidery teacher I love to teach the French knot, because so many people think that’s a difficult stitch, which it really isn’t. And now I’m experimenting with it, by using all kind of fantasy yarns en wools.
My favourite stitch is cross stitching over one thread. I love the challenge and the finished piece. It’s so small but the detail is beautiful!
And, Gill … you are the QUEEN of this technique. Every one of your projects is exquisite!
I love the stem stitch! It looks so elegant and can be used in almost any project. I’m completing a series of napkins to match a table runner I just finished. Each napkin has one of the leaves on it from the table runner. I used the stem stitch in many of the leaf outlines; then used other stitches as filler. The stem stitch looks wonderful and provides a strong line for showing off my other stitches. Without that stem stitch as an anchoring line, I don’t think the other stitches would look as good. The stem stitch is a great “team player” in that sense but can also carry off an entire design by itself! That’s why I love it!
This may sound crazy, but I absolutely love to backstitch!!! When you backstitch the entire project pops and comes to life! I have always waited until the end of my projects to backstitch, but with my current project, Joan Elliott’s Tree of Life I am backstitching as I go! Wish I would have tried that years ago! It is so fun to see it pop as I go, rather than wait until the very end! I am hooked on the backstitch!!!
My favourite stitch is crossstitch which i used to do my long dog sampler
My comfort zone is any stitch going in and out of clearly defined holes with even tension and not many color changes. Double running for blackwork or many whitework pulled thread stitches would qualify. As surface stitching goes, I’ve learned to like long and short stitch. To me it’s way more forgiving than any other surface stitch. The coolest and thus current favorite is spiral trellis which I learned this summer. It’s part of a Catherine Theron needle case.
My favorite stitch is Shisha. I just made an ornament using wool felt, pearle 8 and mirrors.
I love long and short stitch, and the beautiful textures which it gives, from the smooth gradation of colour in flower petals to the fluffiness of fur and feathers.
The last project I used it for was a small bird with fluffy breast feathers. Although I had been able to produce smooth looking long and short stitch I had been finding it a real challenge to make it look fluffy instead. I was very pleased that after some practice I managed to make the bird look quite convincingly fluffy!
My favorite stitch is stem stitch which I used in an embroidered butterfly quilt.
My favorite stitch is long and short used in silk shading. My last piece was a cedar waxwing that I designed myself. It was completed in June, just before hand surgery in July. Since then I have been unable to stitch, but hope to be managing a needle by the end of the year. So far, I can thread one, and managed a very sloppy hem last week, but dropped the needle three times in four inches. I will keep trying. The book would be great inspiration right now.
I really love “Raised Fishbone Stitch”. It is such an easy, effective stitch for small leaves that I currently use for the Floral Alphabets of Elisabetta Sforza.
I recently used the leaf stitch for tiny green leaves amid a mix of blue flowers on a red cotton top for the lid of a small embroidered box. They really added to the design. I likely will give the box away for Christmas!
My favourite embroidery stitch, or one of my favourites, there so many good ones, is the blanket stitch. It is very versatile and is used in many different styles of embroidery; cutwork, punto antico, appliqué, to name three. I’m currently using it in a wool appliqué wall hanging and a Christmas quilt. Happy stitching.
Hi Mary, I hope you are doing well, had a wonderful Thanksgiving day!!! My favorite needlework stitch is Jessica. I love this stitch, even though it can be painful, sometimes hahahaha It gives a different dimension to the design, makes me smile when I see it. Actually, almost every single project I do use Jessica (it does not matter if is 4 x 4 or any other number), I stitched last week for a Xmas ornament.
Thanks a bunch for your generosity!!!
Have a wonderful day!!!
Vilma.
Colonial knot. It was used in some quilting blocks. It’s much quicker and easier than french knots.
My favourite stitch is the Rhodes stitch and it’s many variations. I have even developed a couple of my own including a butterfly and a Hershey’s kiss. I use it in almost everything I stitch. I’m currently working on a hand embroidered piece on wool, with all different snowflakes (some of which are Rhodes stitches).
Thanks for your wonderful website and all you share.
The back stitch is my favorite because it stitches fast and is versatile. I last used it to outline the sections of a sampler I’m stitching
The stitch I use most is Back Stitch. Since I create quite a few things that are three dimensional, this stitch assists with their assembly. I like it for creating outlines for pulled thread and blackwork. Thanks for this.
Recently my most used, therefore favorite, needlework stitch has been the chain stitch. Inhave found it to be a versatile stitch for outlining small quilt applique pieces and even for some “fill in “ spots. I also like the outline stitch….
My most commonly used stitch is the basic stem stitch. I’ve learned a lot about other stitches from you ad am slowly expanding my skills.
Although it is very simple, the lazy daisy stitch is still one of my favorite stitches to use. This might be because it was my favorite stitch when my grandmother taught me to embroider ( more years ago than I care to count).
French knots used in a small crewel piece by Barbara Jackson.
Palestrina Knot is my favorite embroidery stitch. I used it for a stem on a pumpkin embroidery I did recently.
Dear Mary – the French knot. Definitely the French knot. Solo or a scattering or in a more solid mass—- monochromatic or multi-chromatic. So versatile and so cheery!! You have taught me the magic of the French knot.
Hoping for more magic and having my name picked for this beautiful book!!
My favorite stitch is split stitch, and I am using it in my current project – embroidering flowering vines on a sweater for my brother. They’ll go up the sleeves and around the collar and cuffs. My second favorite stitch is wheatear stitch – so pretty, but too complex for this sweater project.
I’m so boring, but I love COUCHING!!! I use it all the time as I am a goldwork teacher and designer. I have taken on Or Nue as my specialty so of course you have to love couching for that 🙂
My favourite embroidery stitch is the Jessica Stitch. They make up one row on the sampler I’m presently embroidering. ❤️❤️❤️
Favorite stitch—bullion—using in wool Applique project.
I’m not sure it is my overall favorite, but my current favorite is fly stitch because I loved how it looked on one of Mary’s trees. I’m planning on doing another similar tree but with some personal changes to it, so I get to play with it again.
blanket stitch working on project right now.
I love tent stitch on silk gauze. I can control tension easily and it stitches quickly. I did a tiger that fortunately took a few ribbons at 2018 ANG Seminar exhibit.
Mary,
I have been looking forward to this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas!
My favorite stitch is stem stitch. I last used it in a monogram gift for a family member.
Thank you!
I love all counted stitching but i think my favourite is cross stitch. It was the first stitch I learned and is the one I am still most comfortable using and designing for. I am using it currently in some christmas ornaments that I am making for my family inspired by christmas/scandinavian knitwear.
My favorite stitch is long and short – needlepainting – and I am currently using it a lot on a Trish Burr design of 2 chubby birds on a branch of holly. Just love your blog and thanks for the chance to win
My favorite stitch would probably be the blanket stitch, and all the variations of it. I last used it in a sampler of stitches that I was creating for crazy quilt type work. Thanks again for all the wonderful give aways, and Happy Holidays!! Sandi
Mary — I got so excited about the
book that I forgot my name ! Sorry!!
French knots was me — Christie B.
And I used them on a Christmas tree embroidery.
Hi, Mary! I love cross stitching and now I am stitching a few projects. One of them is Poinsettia art. 1729 Riolis. Thank you very much!
My favorite stitch is the French knot. I last used it to embroider over a patterned fabric for a pillow to give it depth and texture.
My favorite stitch is the Chain stitch. I just think it’s really fun to work and completed an abstract circle all in chain. Love it!
Love using the mosaic stitch on canvas. It is such a versatile stitch and fits in many small places.
I like the versatile lazy daisy/chain stitch but I love all hand embroidery.
My favourite stitch is the long and short stitch, because I love needle painting. Long and short allows me to blend colours…and if I don’t like it, I can just remove the stitch and try again…which is a bit more difficult in non-needle painting 🙂
Love this question and would love to win this book! My favorite embroidery stitch of the moment is the padded satin stitch, which I’m currently using on Trish Burr’s Prancer and also on her Chloe and Katarina (if I’d just work on one at a time I might actually finish one of them!). Thank you for the opportunity!
My favorite stitch is the Palestrina stitch. I used it for Fresh Cut, a Sue Sparge BOM project. It makes flower stems with great texture using any thread weight 8 or heavier.
My favorite embroidery stitch at the moment is cross-stitch because that’s the one I’m most familiar and comfortable with! I want to learn others as well! My latest project using cross-stitch is The Lord’s Prayer.
Although I have not done this stitch in awhile I love doing the bullion stitch. Making flowers with bullions is one of my favorites!!!
I really like doing stem stitch because it is very versatile and gives such a lovely finish. Most recently I have used it while stitching Jenny McWhinney’s “The Bobbin Tree” at Australia’s “Beating Around The Bush” – a veritable feast of stitching!
My favourite embroidery stitch is
BULLION KNOT. The last project I used this.for was Lorna Batemans Elizabethan Knot garden pin cushion.
I could never do bullions knots when i first joined the E.G uk and someone lent me there A-Z book of bullion knots and practised loads. The rest is history. Would love to win this book to have on my coffee table. 🙂
I love doing French knots! If they don’t look quite right- add some more. They’re like thread pixels. I used them two days ago to cover a moth hole in a cashmere sweater. I embroidered a small flower and used French knots for the center.
Your email posts are like little presents – something pretty, something to think about or try, and a little update about what you’re doing. Thank you.
My favorite stitch is the Montenegrin stitch. I love historic samplers and this stitch is often used on them. The most recent piece I used it on was an Ellen Chester design called Long May She Wave. It’s a small needle book with a flag that uses many different stitches.
Hi Mary, Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. My favorite stitch is the chain stitch which I used recently on some seam treatments for a few crazy quilt blocks.
I love the whipped spider web. I recently did it in a crewel project with french knots in between the spikes and it looks amazing!
My favorite stitch right now is the chain stitch. As I do mostly wool applique and add embroidery stitches to them. The chain stitch has become my favorite stitch for making stems on flowers. It gives a little more depth to the project than a stem stitch does, and is fun to do.
Favorite stitch. That’s an easy one for me. Without a doubt the chain stitch. It’s very versatile, I add many changes to it that it’s become my go to stitch. I use it on every project. Currently I ‘m using it on a snake pattern that I appliqued to the back of a sweatshirt to enhance the different parts of the snake. It’s a guild challenge. I’m also using it on a wool snowflake project. I work on many projects at the same time.
Palestrina Stitch! I used this stitch to finish a lot of Christmas Ornaments for my Grandchildren this year.
Though time consuming and often times frustrating, I have to say my favorite stitch is the french knot. I used it on an 18th century reproduction pillow I just finished and it made the sheep look especially fluffy. I just love the texture you can create with this one stitch, whether it be leaves on a tree, hillocks beneath or tiny dot flowers in a meadow. Thanks Mary for this wonderful giveaway, I’m eying the crewel project on the front cover!
Making holiday cards using basic embrodery stitches. Also during this process learning new stitches and ones I had forgotten.
Denise Rodriguez
i love pulled thread. i used it last in a hardanger project for an intermediate training class. i did add some pulled thread stitched because i thought it gave a special twist to the project.
I really am learning to love long and short stitch. I was always afraid of it but after taking a Craftsy class on Stumpwork I have truly enjoyed it. The project I am using it in right now is Trish Burr’s La La Land.
French knots, Santa’s fur round his hat and coat and, nativity scene sheep.
Definitely fly stitch and I have just used it to good effect ( my totally unbiased opinion of course!) bunched and overlapped in a variegated thread to mimic feathers on the wing if a bird.
Wheatear. An amazingly versatile, pretty stitch, it can accept all kinds of embellishment. So in effect you are embellishing an embellishment. Just the thought makes my creative juices effervesce. I use it on crazy quilting seams.
My favorite stitch is the bullion knot. It took some time before I got the hang of them, but now I love the diversity of little forms you can make all with one stitch.
Thank you for again for such an amazing blog!
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I like how it looks and it’s fun to do. I used it on the last tea towel I embroidered.
Hi Mary, I love stitching French knots……flowers, buds, flower centres, fill-ins……. Fun to stitch and lovely to look at!
My favorite embroidery stitch is the chain stitch, both in its simple form or as a foundation for other stitches. I just used it on an applique project as a foundation for embellishment.
I do love to use French knots as one of my favourite stitches. I used this stitch when I recently completed a needlework book entitled ‘A Wander Through Essex’. I used this stich on a page depicting a garden named ‘Bridge End Garden’ grade II listed which is in Saffron Walden in north Essex. It was the only stitch I used and often wonder how many knots I used to complete it!
I cannot send this without thanking you for the most interesting and inspiring website. Inspirations is my inspiration and I absolutely love looking through the brilliant work.
My favorite stitch is the bullion as it is so versatile. I have recently completed a Jacobean piece in which the bullion was used in several different ways.
I have recently moved to Wales, UK and hope to find a group to join soon.
My favorite stitch right now is the satin stitch. I am embroidering a tablecloth with the satin stitch that I found in my Mom’s possessions when I was cleaning out her things after she passed. I have been working on it for 4 years – 2019 is the year – I will finish it this year! YEA!
New to surface embroidery and one of my favorite (recent) stitches is stem stitch which I learned in the TAST challenge. I’m using it right now in the covering of an embroidered pencil cup to be given in the white elephant gift exchange, Christmas this year. The style of the embroidery is Jacobean and the design is an owl.
My favorite stitch is the Double Running Stitch. It’s used extensively in Catherine Jordan’s Jamestown Map which I am stitching now.
My favourite stitch is the long and short stitch, because of the excellent opportunities it gives for shading and shaping my images. I’m using it right now on a picture of a snow leopard that I hope will turn out good enough to be part of a “vanishing” series.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the granito found on Madeira embroidery. I just recently worked on a series of pillowcase designs where I stitched several granitos!
A favorite stitch is the T stitch as it is great for backgrounds. I have just used it on a Christmas Needlepoint ornament.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the chain stitch. My oldest grand designed a mandala in art class last Spring when she was 10 years old. I enlarged the design, transferred it to linen and embroidered the design in her favorite colors. I then made a pillow for her and gave it to her for her Halloween birthday. She loves it!
My all-time favorite stitch is the satin stitch. I do hand embroidered monograms on linens and I love the way it settles into the fabric over time between washings.
I love making French Knots. When I was young, I stitched a lamb just to get my fill of making them (I did, at least for then!). I last used them for the center of some flowers on a quilt top I’m making.
Good Morning, Mary….my favorite stitch is the stem stitch. It’s simple but excellent as a filling stitch. I last used it on a monogram to fill the letter and accented it with silk ribbon flowers. So very pretty!
Split stitch – ever since I saw the Opus Anglicanum exhibition at the V&A in London. I last used it to outline some Celtic figures in an etui I made for my embroidery diploma. This was the 3D section. I used peacock blue raw silk on the outside and dupion silk inside – a gift from a friend who was getting rid of her supplies due to her impending death from oral cancer. She died a month later so making the etui has been a labour of love in more than one sense.
Hi Mary,
I like to mix technique. My last work is mixing goldwork and Brazilian embroidery. I use detached buttonhole on cast-on stitch. It is lovely.
Thank you very much.
Nicole
My favorite stitch is the Boolean stitch. I used it in a wool embroidery wall hanging by Amy McClealen and under the garden moon.
Stem stitch, very versatile!
I love the Lazy Daisy. Connecting them together to make a chain stitch, or just making a beautiful flower with it. I am working on a Wedding Cake pattern and the lazy daisy stitch is giving the icing on the cake a textured look. Love it!
I LOVE French knots and the last project I used them on was a mixed media, hand stitched, greeting card
I love everything embroidery ,as well as needle turn appliqué. Look forward or every article from Needle n thread
I would love to win this Inspirations Book. The Feather Stitch (my favorite) was used in Sue Spargo’s
“Fresh Cut” wool applique BOM finished May 2018.
Stem stitch is one of my favorite stitches and I used it while working on the 12 Christmas Tree project that you Mary designed. I finished so far 5 Christmas trees and the designs are marvelous – Happy Holiday Season to you !
I really like to make French knots. I have been working on a sunbonnet sue baby quilt with daisies on the hems of theskirts.
My favorite stitch is Queen Stitch. A bit fiddly, but the results are so lovely and have such wonderful texture. I’ve used it on many 16th-17th century style samplers. Currently I’m using it on the sampler from the Goldwork Master Class from Thistle Threads.
I recently learned detached buttonhole stitch and used it in a nametag sampler pattern that had acorns in it. The tops of the acorn were this stitch. I can see so many uses for it.
French Knot! I learned this stitch over fifty years ago as a beginning stitcher, and have found it useful for many occasions through the years. It definitely adds texture to an area of stitching. I also works as a stitch to emphasize a small point in your work. It needs to be worked with precision, and part of the enjoyment of the stitch is accomplishing this precision when doing a group of them in a definite pattern. It also reminds me of my joy in learning to do embroidery when I was young.
My favorite stitch is the queen stitch. The last project I used it on was a Sharon Cohen sampler.
Hi Mary,
I could do stem stitch all day long. I love how it looks when the stitch length is just right and it’s a pleasure to stitch. I’m working on a Catherine Jordan map sampler at the moment and there’s just a little stem stitch in it for the rivers.
Thank you for putting together another month of giveaways – so much fun for us.
Amy
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch is cross stitch because it is so relaxing and easy to get a beautiful look. The project I am working on right now is a cross stitch sampler for a Christmas. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway.
Mary Ann, Cincinnati
It is ever changing! But I currently love Brazillian and the last project was a gift for my mother in law for last Christmas. But Goldwork is running a close second. I’ve spent the year trying to finish partially done projects and not start new ones so I haven’t done any in a while!
My mother collected “old fashioned” Santas for years. I purchased an old fashioned Santa needlepoint kit over 8 years ago in size 18 mesh, because I wanted it to look as detailed as possible. One month after I got started, my mother was diagnosed with what was terminal lung cancer, and died one month to the day from diagnosis. I was devastated and honestly, looking at St. Nick and having no mom to give it to, I put it aside.
Every year or so, I would bring it out in the hopes I will maybe one day finish it, and end up putting it back because it felt “too soon.”
This year, however, I have started working on it again and absolutely love everything about it. It may be a bit boring, but to keep it simple, I have used nothing but the continental stitch. I have wonderful books with a myriad of other stitches that I have used in other projects, but my mom was very simple and never asked for much and would have appreciated Santa for its time and simplicity. It seemed the best route for me to go with right now, so for today, and for the sake of finishing St. Nick, continental it is, but I may throw in a thousand French knots for his beard 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Penni
Well I progressed much in my embroidery higher learning since last year so I am still doing back stitch and stem stitch for redwork embroidery in my quilting. I have just gotten started working on a project that will use embellishment embroidery on wool work. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag but I ordered some thread for my Christmas present this year so hopefully shortly after Christmas I will be well on my way with this project.
I love the stem stitch. One of the first stitches i learned to make. I used it a lot on “Winter Wonderland” pattern from Crabapple Hill.
Trudy.bick
I enjoy silk ribbon embroidery. My favorite stitch is a spider web rose. I used it thru out a garden setting.
Mi puntada favorita es la que uso para redwork, por fácil y lucida. Aunque mi último trabajo fueron unas letras bordadas con múltiples flores en diferentes puntadas, y ha sido más divertido y creativo. Las he bordado en unos almohadones para mi cama con flores de todos los colores y creo que la que más me gusta hacer es el punto vapor, o “bullion stitch”.
Saludos desde España.
My favorite stitch is the feather stitch. I love it for it’s ability to travel over the work, for its versatility, and for its seemingly limitless variations. I recently began work on an art quilt which has a variety of mixed media in a theme of sea life. I’ve included many different hand embroidery stitches on the piece, as well as stenciling, hand-painted batik fish, hand-writing, and modular piecing. I’ve done extensive stitching of the feather stitch in a variegated thread to emulate sea plants and it is just lovely.
My favourite stitch is the Cross stitch. The last time I used it was for a gold chasuble with a picture of St. Teresa of Avila in front to celebrate the 5th centenary of her birth. And the band at the back had a Eucharistic design of chalice, wheat and grapes also in cross stitch.
Silk Ribbon spider web rose is a favorite of mine! I last used it in a floral bouquet picture embroidered on moire taffeta. The flowers were stitched in multiple shades of yellow. Just makes me happy to look at it! 🙂
I have been doing some kind of handwork since grade school days with simple embroidery (I’m now 83). Through the years, this has included counted cross stitch, crewel, stump work, cutwork, needlepoint, bargello, fancy stitches of all kinds, etc., and, although a really hard choice – my absolute favorite has to be a challenging piece of counted thread work. Love the detail! Thank you, Mary! This book would be a dream to own!
My last needlepoint piece was a 16 x 16″ cushion, designed by Kaffe Fassett (whom i adore!) I used the continental stitch which IS my favorite stitch for the thick cushiony, filled look it gives……. BUT for needlework in general, the STEMSTITCH has my vote everytime.
From Jan-Oct of this year, I have been hand embroidering a wedding veil: silver metallic thread on tulle. The chain stitch is now my absolute favorite stitch! I chose it because the back is pretty much a mirror image of the front, so that the front of the design would look exactly as planned with no “noise” (?) showing through from the back. That said, I had to use a wash-away stabilizer to back the tulle and it wasn’t until the design was actually finished, 10 months later, that I knew for sure that the stitches on the back of the design were a perfect match to the front. The chain stitch did not let me down!! YAY! Plus, the chain stitch could be shortened or elongated to vary the look of various motifs in the design, it took curves well and beads and sequences nestled nicely in the centers.
Thanks for the tutorial, Mary, on how to get sharp points on leaves and turning corners!
Thanks also for the Christmas magic….. soooooo looking forward to a new project with every stitch
I can think of…. including my fav chain stitch!
The French knot is one of my favorite stitches. Recently I used it in a Christmas ornament. I scattered the knots around a circle much like you would the seed stitch.
I have just started practicing the basket weave stitch. That is my favorite today. Weaving stitches is so much fun. I am making samplers now using the basket weave.
Hi Mary, It is hard to pick a favorite. I love satin stitch, but struggle with getting it to look smooth. I recently used a small bit of it on a set of pillowcases. I keep practicing and hopefully will one day be good at it. Thanks for your site.
I like the long and short stitch. It is like “painting with thread”! I wish I was better at it, but I keep trying!
cross stitch and all it’s variations, from blackwork to lace, from simple X to complex patterns built of layer upon layer of x’s
My favourite stitch is the colonial knot which I’ve used on the surface of a burse as part of my City and Guilds diploma.
Thanks for another fun giveaway, Mary!
My favorite embroidery stitch is the Brazilian Cast-On. I last used this stitch in a bouquet of flowers that ended up on a little iPod case. The case has a special pocket for the iPod and a separate compartment for the charger, cable and earbuds. The case keeps everything together and is beautiful. 🙂
Thank you for the giveaway. My favorite stitch are eyelets. They are so neet and the little “eye” in the middle is so elegant and delicate!
My favourite stitches are lattices in all their variations. I’ve just used them on a Jacobean-style crewel pomegranate, but I think next up is your lattice sampler, Mary!
My favorite stitch is always the latest one I learned and executed on a piece . I took a cross stitch sampler and and instead of using cross stitch everywhere, I decided to make the hanging fuchsia like flowers in detached buttonhole and then before securing the final row with the bottom chain stitch, I stuffed them with a bit of fiberfill to puff them out. I am happy with the result.
My current favorite stitch is the Holbein or double running stitch. It is such a puzzle to figure out- it keeps my brain working. I just finished a pin cushion.
My favorite stitch is the French knot. I was privileged to use it on a tree in the “Take-a-Stitch” opportunity for the Shenandoah Valley Tapestry. The Tapestry is now complete and a beautiful work of art!
A well-executed bullion stitch. Been a while since i’ve done one since nowadays it’s mostly tambour work i’m doing.
Hi, Mary.
I enjoy nearly every type of embroidery, but recently have been passionate about about counted cross stitch. The project I just finished was a sun and moon sampler from the Scarlet Letter worked in silk threads. I started it during cancer treatment and found it to be very meditative. Working the motifs soothed my anxious brain! When I finished, I saw an error. I had not changed colors in a mirror image piece of statuary. I knew exactly at which low point that had ocurred! Love your newsletter. Mary
Hi Mary,
Thank you for this Chrsitmas give-away and thank you to all shops and stores who give beautifull prizes.
My favorite stitch is satin stitch. The look of it is fantastic. I like to do it with floche, but maybe one day I will feel secure enough to do it with silk! My last project I used it was a kitchen towel with initials for my friend’s birthday gift.
Thank you!
Marie-Josee
I love the long and short stitch. I last used it on an ecclesiastical piece for our Bishop.
I love making French knots. Took me several years to figure out how to make them but once I ‘got it’, I find an excuse to make them whatever I’m making – including the Christmas ornaments I just finished for my daughter’s Advent calendar.
So very difficult to name just one favourite stitch but for now it has to be chain. I have been stitching a series of cotton drawstring bags, my absolute nicest being one I have named Jolly Birds.
I did the original in bright colours with just two birds and liked it so much I am now doing a Christmas bag with five birds, in two rows, sitting on branches. This version has the birds in Christmas colours of red, green and gold with the chains forming patterns changing as I like for each bird.
One of my favourite stitches is bullion knots used for my Hallowe’en witches’ hair, Santa’s beard and flower petals on my last three needlepoint canvases. Bullion knots add depth and texture to projects.
I guess right now my fave is cross stitch and I’ve been working on Christmas stockings. But I also have plans to make some surface embroidery initials.
My favourite stitch is cross stitch.I made a sampler with gray embroidery thread on linen fabric and I’m trying to frame it right now
What a lovely book!
A favorite stitch can change for me, but currently, I like doing a blanket stitch. I use it a lot on fabric edges to prevent raveling. I love the way it looks! So… last time I used it was on all my ornaments.
Favorite (this week) embroidery stitches(s): Lacis, Fillet lace.
The group correspondence course sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America inspired my enthusiasm.
My go to embroidery stitch is the stem stitch closely followed by satin stitch. I recently used both to embroider a name on a small thank you gift of a crocheted cup sleeve. It looked beautiful and was received with much gratitude.
My favorite stitch is probably split stitch as it’s so versatile and gives such great detail. I’ve been using it in a piece of historically inspired embroidery of a heraldic coat of arms.
I simply love the Rococco (or queen) stitch. The rhythm of this stitch, when done in hand, is so satisfying! I used it in my design of a set of 7 embroidery accessories using a strawberry motif.
I love Hardanger. My favorite stitch is the Dove’s Eye. I used it last when teaching a Hardanger class. We made a Valentine heart.
My favourite stitch of all time has to be the simple French knot. So easy, so satisfying, and can be used in almost any project.
The last time I used it was just a couple of weeks ago, on a Christmas tree ornament for one of my granddaughters. ❤️
Hello Mary,
My favorite stitch is needlelace. I love creating a textured Lacey layer over a framework of outline stitch. My latest project with needle lace is Hazel Blomkamp’s “Small Change” a coin purse from the pattern in Inspirations issue #90. I’ve also enjoyed working the many variations of needle lace in Romanian Point Lace designs by Sylvia Murarui.
Thanks for all your inspiring articles and designs!
Helen S
My favorite stitch at the moment is silk shading…I just finished a project by Maggie Gee that gave me plenty of practice!
I love the simple cross stitch. I can (and have) spent hours making projects with it.
My favorite stitch is the buttonhole/blanket stitch. I just used it in making a dorset button for a hat that I crocheted. I love that there are so many ways to work it and they are all different. It is such a versatile stitch. Thank you so much Mary and the folks at Inspiration Magazine for the wonderful giveaways.
The Blanket Stitch is my current favourite . I’ve been doing some wool appliqué and have an idea developing with a Hudson Bay blanket theme.
I’m a new stitcher even though a senior citizen in years. I’ve been perfecting Stem Stitch and have just completed two little matching patterns using stem stitch entirely on two tea towels. These were part of the prizes which my community ladies’ club offered this past Saturday as a fundraiser in our little rural southern Alberta community in Canada. I was pleased with my towels and proud to able to offer them as prizes to a visiting lady who came to our event. I have the excitement of a child as I learn and practice my embroidery.
The basketweave stitch for needlepoint changed my life! An Englishwoman who led our church needlework group taught me the method and miraculously, my canvases stitched up with minimal distortion. (Thank you, Joan.)
Thank you for these chances to win a lovely gift. My embroidery experience is limited but I learn from your blog and adore your work.
I love all types of needlework but my current favorite is cross-stitch. I’m currently working on a piece called Barnwood Buttons. It’s full of cross-stitched leaves, stems, and designs accented with antique buttons.
I love the French knot. The latest project I am using it for is what will become a French poodle Christmas ornament. It is one of the most “addictive” stitches.
Hi Mary. If I have to choose just one stitch, it would be the bullion knot. I last used it on a Christmas star to be exchanged at our Embroidery Guild Christmas party. Thanks for the wonderful giveaways!
My favorite embroidery stitch is satin stitch, especially now that Mary has taught me how to space it! Most recently I used it in a series of three birds inspired by Nancy Nicholson’s applique designs. The leaves in the background are satin stitched slanting in opposite directions at the median; I love doing that so much it’s a wonder I ever got around to stitching the birds!
I love the lazy daisy stitch and most recently used it on a dish towel I embroidered.
Oh, I am drooling over the Inspirations book! Thank you for doing these wonderful giveaways! It’s hard to pick a favorite stitch, they all have their places in the creation of something wonderful. I guess I would have to say the long and short stitch, because subtle shading and coloring can be achieved using this technique. I admit I am not very good at it, but I keep trying!
Name your favorite embroidery (or needlework) stitch and describe the last project in which you used it.
I have a hard time picking just one – They all offer a great chance to explore – probably, if I have to pick just one, it would be cross stitch, because you can do so much with it. But I have not used it recently – I have been using variations of it (like Smyrna Cross and the other varioations)
We’ve been moving the last few months so my embroidery supplies have been packed away. This weekend I came across a half finished project I had stored elsewhere, and spent a few minutes critiquing my stitching before putting it aside. I’m a beginner still, so my stitches are simple. I love French knots, though! They add some exciting texture to the piece and it took me quite a bit of practice to be happy with the results!
My favorite stitch is a Crescent stitch in Needlepoint, because you can make it any size, and fill in so many spots. The last time I stitched it was an online class for a charted needlepoint design — sometime in the spring.
I like a french knot. Think they are adorable. I am using them in project from EGA-Summer’s Glory.
Thank you, Mary. I couldn’t learn how to embroider without you and your lessons.
Gladys Whitney
French knots! I love doing French knots and have done them most recently on a project for a girlfriend – who hates them!!!
Cheers! I thoroughly enjoy your weekly letters.
Lisa
Southampton, ON
Running stitch – It is so simple, but it can be long, short or varied. When rows are created different patterns are created, even the textures in the fabric made by subtle rippling in the cloth create their own effect. I like the play of positive and negative space between the stitches and their rows. It is like drawing on fabric.
I created a wall hanging for the local synagogue using mostly running stitch. The landscape was filled with lines of clouds, fields and hills using geometric and organic forms and stitching on several different fabric grounds. The play of value and warm and cool colors added a lot to each section, but it was the spacing and direction of the running stitch that added pattern and movement.
Hello Mary,
My favorite stitch is the Maltese Cross in Hardanger Embroidery. I have been doing this type of embroidery for years now. It’s a stitch that looks hard to do but is not at all.
I use this as much as I can in every Hardanger piece that I stitch. It gives the embroidery a beautiful dimension and the such beauty.
Voilà that is my little piece of happiness in embroidery.
Best regards,
Louise
G’day Mary,
Just now my favourite stitch is the French Knot, It can be beautiful and orderly and it can be perfectly messy in a country floral tribute. I’m using the French Knots in floral brooches and love the unique way each one turns out. French Knots give my stitching personality.
Thank you, and the givers, Mary.
Cheers Kath Grabham.
I used the Palestrina stitch to embellish a woolen appliqué wall hanging. It’s awonderfully versatile stitch that takes on a completely different look depending on what weight thread you use.
My favourite stitch presently is Palestrina when working on small tablecloth design. Satisfying to get it right and something so different than the “usual” stem stitch.
But, of course, there is always cross-stitch for working weekly project Randje per Week. It is a band sampler from Netherlands. Check out the blog!
Hi Mary, I am really enjoying being on your Needle ‘N Thread email list!
There are so many gorgeous embroidery stitches that it is hard to choose just one! But I guess my favorite stitch du jour is the Whipped Herringbone. I am currently doing ‘slow clothing’, sewing cotton knits by hand and decorating necklines & seams.
Bonjour Mary,
Mes points de broderie que je préfère sont pour la broderie blanche.
Le point de bourdon et le passé plat.
Merci.
Love reading your blog…thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and to add something beautiful to this world!
My favorite stitch is the blanket stitch. I have been working on several wool applique projects , such as , Thanksgiving table mat , 5″ blocks for a table mat and some small ornaments for Christmas. I love Embroidery but don”t know how to do very many stitches.
My favorite stitch is the feather stitch, probably because I use it on infant clothing. The last time I remember using it was on the inside back lining of a jacket I made.
My favorite stitch is the long and short stitch. I recently sewed myself a new bag and did a little embroidery flair on it—a butterfly. I just love blending colors with this stitch!
Just now is Crewelwork and I’m still doing the Tumbling Feathers from Phillipa Turnbull. I love silk emnroidery but till my nails are completly well I can’t do anything in silk… Concerning stitches almost all stitches with knots: French, Palestrina and so on and of course Satin Stitch.
Thanks Mary for this opportunity xx
I have just completed an embroidery in crewel work. I have made this into a bag for my daughter-in-law for Christmas. I used rope stitch(also known as twisted chain stitch) in this quite a bit with a great effect.
Thanks Mary, for another give-away and for all you do for us all year. My favourite stitch is French Knot. My grandmother taught me how to do them when I was a small girl and I think of her whenever I use them, and that is quite frequent! I find spots to stick them in many projects!
My current favorite is the eyelet. I’m working on When Though Art Rich by Hands Across the Sea Samplers and it is full of them over 2 threads and I’m using 40 count. Happy Holidays!
Thank you Mary and thank you Inspirations for this giveaway. One of my favorite stitches is the French knot. I last used it on a small geometric Christmas ornament. I used a metallic thread and the knots to create the illusion of beads.
I think the feather stitch is probably my favorite. It’s versatile, quick and easy. It can be combined with other stitches and embellished with beads and dodaws. Most everything I do will find some feather stitches in it somewhere.
Thanks for such a wonderful give-a-way! I’m still worried Amazon may not be able to get me a copy of this book.. so I’m really thrilled of the thought I could actually win it! About the stitches… Well, I guess I’m a bit bore, but I really love petit point stich especially when making basket weave. It is such a calming stitch. I was just using it on a small project featuring Victorian forget-me-nots and an antique vase.
The last stitch I did was cross stitch, which was done on Christmas ornaments for my family.
Good morning Mary
My favourite stitch is the French Knot.
The last time I used it was on three maple leaves (spring, summer, and fall) done with
silk thread on Dupioni silk. I do not like signing my work so I will leave a French
Knot somewhere it should not be. This time it was at the end of each stem.
Long and short stitch as part of a monogramme for a my German friends’ renovated home.
I love all kind of embroidery and my last project was my first English sampler with the beautiful text “Close your eyes and now make a wish” in cross stitch and blackwork. After framing it becomes a a place on my embroidery wall. Thanks to a kind friend we buy the Inspirations Magazine from a Belgian shop. The also very kind lady of this shop orders several issued for the members of our embroidery class in Antwerp. Thank you for giving the opportunity to win this beautiful book.
I like queen stitch, and am currently stitching a little pincushion, a 17th-century style, with silk queen stitches and metal-thread stitches.
My favorite stitch is the back stitch; it can be used in so many types of embroidery. I have used this stitch on many things recently – a fun sledding snowman stitched on a kitchen towel, adding embroidered Christmas sayings transferred onto a quilt, and for an embroidered pillow to complement a blue and white quilt. While I don’t quite achieve it, I am always striving for even length of each stitch.
Thanks for the opportunity of the Inspirations book. Enjoy your stitching and the snow.
My favourite stitch is the stem stitch because I use it more than any other. I have been making little quilted table toppers which feature tiny double hexagons surrounded by a garland of stem stitches and French knots, They are Christmas gifts for friends and family.
The Knotted stitch and I used it in a multi-point fantasy project including ribbon.
I like very much your blog.
Est-ce que vous lisez le français, se serait plus facile pour moi..?
I read your blog for several years (20-21 years) I think. How long have you been with this site?
Thank you for sharing with us your experience and your discoveries.
ood
The blanket stitch. I’m making bird ornaments. So far have a woodpecker, cardinal and chicadee. Blue jay is next!
My favorite embroidery stitch at the moment is cross-stitch because that’s the one I’m most familiar and comfortable with! There are so many I want to learn as well! My latest project using cross-stitch is The Lord’s Prayer.
Cross stitch….xxxxxxxxx
Autumn ABC’s by Little House Needleworks
Mary, Thanks for your fun Christmas give away.
My favorite stitch is the Satin Stitch. Sometimes padded, sometimes not. I usually have a handkerchief in a hoop being monogrammed, right now it’s an M.
That is a hard question to answer, Mary, because it varies over time. Sometime you love a stitch because it is easy to do and it looks great and sometimes you learn to love it because it took you a lot of time to master it and at the end you are happy with the results and for having “tamed the beast”.
I really enjoyed doing serpentine hem stitch, a drawn thread stitch in a project taught and designed by Barbara Kershaw that I did at the Embroiders’s Association of Canada’s Seminar in Toronto in 2016. It was a band embroidered in Punto Antico to be put over a cushion. A magnificent piece I put several months of work on but enjoyed every detail of it.
Thanks for the Stitcher’s Christmas, Mary.
Louise from Montréal, Québec
I personally love the satin stitch, It fills everything in with such a nice 3D look. I last used it on a tapestry that I was working on and have recently completed and framed.
French knots might be my all-time favorite, for their texture, and I last used them to replace beads in your Octoberfest project.
That’s like asking someone to pick their favorite child 🙂 That’s what I love about needlework is the variety of stitches. Most recently I enjoyed some chain stitching on a quilt block, which reminded me of how enjoyable that one is.
I like back stitch, I like to used different threads to make different size lines. I think the last time I used it was on some wings for a bee!
Hi Mary, I’m a real french knot lover. I use them to fill, outline, for eyes on dolls. Big ones, small ones, wool ones and cotton floss ones. My last project were Christmas ornaments I have made my kids this year. They are all ready for Christmas and wrapped up. Have a good one!!!
Mary,
Your newsletter and website are so helpful and informative. Thank you!
My latest favorite embroidery stitch is the bullion stitch. I last used it for the center of a Matilija poppy. It’s a wonderful stitch to add texture and depth to a piece. It works especially well with shading when you use two strands of floss in the same color range, one just slightly darker or lighter.
Happy stitching!
Joan P.
Right now my favorite stitch is the French knot. I’m using lots and lots of them to fill the background of a voided monogram for my granddaughter. By the time I finish, they may be my least favorite! 😉
My favorite embroidery stitch is the back stitch! So many possibilities for decorating this stitch! I used this stitch exclusively for a small quilt I embroidered using farm scenes for the quilt theme.
I’m relatively new to embroidery, or I should say a new returner having learnt basic stitches as a child way back when! I think my favourite stitch (at the moment ) is chain stitch in all its various forms, although I do really enjoy the simplicity of running stitch.
Japanese Silk Embroidery – random long and short. Using on Pansies piece ie: realistic effect.
I don’t know about my *favorite* stitch, but my *best* stitch is my backstitch. I can do a perfect, fine line of tiny stitches that are so even they look like they were done by machine. If only the rest of my work was as pretty! I last used it to embroider a set of retro-cowboy-themed quilt squares for a great nephew’s baby quilt.
Thanks for doing the Christmas giveaways again this year! It’s fun to look at all the pretties and know someone is going to be very thrilled to win something.
I love the Queen Stitch (also known as Rococo stitch) and look to fit it into samplers and small projects whenever I can. I last used the stitch to complete a tea tray- one large field of Queen stitch! Though this took forever to complete, I really enjoyed the work.
My favorite stitch is satin stitch. It’s versatile and needle painting is my favorite way to use it. I just finished a handkerchief for my boss as a going away present, using satin stitch to needle paint a blue iris.
My favorite stitch is long and short stitch. I love how colors shift and blend over an area. I loved using it in a sampler in which my mother, her mother, and I all worked different parts.
My favorite stitch, this week, is the Fern Leaf Stitch. I am teaching a beginning/intermediate embroidery class and everyone loves this stitch, including me.
Cathy C.
My favorite stitch right now is the Japanese French knot. I last used it in my Phase 1 embroidery piece.
Carolyn
Stem stitch. Used it yesterday for filling on a tree of life.
My favourite stitch is the French knot, I’m using it currently in a colourful freehand hoop, using only French knots!
Thanks for the competition,
Rowan
My favorite stitch is hard, I like so many of them. I think I will go with Scotch Stitch. I did a doorstop in it not to long ago to keep the cats from closing the bathroom door where the food and water is. They like to lock the other cats out.
I’m principally a crazy quilter and find myself using feather stitch over and over in seam treatments and in motifs; rendered in floss, in wool, in silk, and in beads: on its own and in combination. It’s my starting point for most of my work. I just love feather stitch.
Hi Mary,
My new favorite stitch is the Raised Chain Stitch that I used on my Daughter’s “Joyeux Anniversaire” embroidery. I love learning new stitches and always watch your video’s until I get them right!
Thanks Mary, the book looks wonderful.
Connie Martin
My favorite stitch is the “fly stitch.” Makes a great statement when used for leaves and stems. Last used in my on going wool project.
My favorite stitch is the cast-on. I love its versatility. I like all forms of it including single cast-ones, double cast-one and up-down casr-on-site. I like the texture it brings to my designs. One thing I like to do is to “jumble” cast-one together to create an interesting texture. The last design I us d it on is a DIP (design in progress) that I call Circles.
Right now my favorite stitch is the braided chain stitch. I’ve been using it for outlining some flowers on piece that will be the cover of a book.
My favorite stitch is blackwork. I just finished Dutch Tiles SAL.
The blanket stitch is what I use the most, but it is fun to experiment with all the stitches, depending on the project.
So happy it is getting to wool embroidery time again.
thank you Mary. You are a joy.
I love the bullion stitch and even if not exactly planning to use it, well it just seems to pop into my project. I recently was looking for a way to make little cabbages. Yep bullion stitch was perfect for making the veins on the leaves. It is perfect for flowers and bumble bees, bows and more.
I’ve always like french knots and bullions. My most recent use of french knots is on a stumpwork piece where I used the knots to make raspberries and blueberries.
I love the bullion stitch. Last used in Sue Spargo’s BOM Homegrown.
My favorite stitch is the one I am working on at the moment. What I love to do is to see how I can find a new stitch that may embellish the piece. I am finishing a Christmas tree skirt for our kids. So when the new book from Inspirations arrived, I looked for some stitches I had never tried before. It changed the entire project from ordinary to brand-new beautiful! And simply looking at how Mary Corbet transforms her stitchery is so inspirational!
I love making bullion knots. I had to watch, watch,watch your U-tube video to get the hang of doing them properly
I used them on a Scottish Golfing Santa’s
Beard. So cute
My favorite stitch is stem stitch. I’m working on Christmas kitchen towels for gifts.
My favorite stitch is the WHIPPED BACKSTITCH.
My project is a sampler as I am a beginner and working in a sampler for future projects!!
I really don’t have a favorite stitch, I use quite a few. The drizzle stitch is one I really like doing in my wool applique. I love to do cross stitch, embroidery and wool applique.
I’m very fond of back stitch for some reason. It’s easy to do…and I love the beaded texture it leaves when done well. I used back stitch extensively on a little project I’m still in the middle of–one of Mary’s Kaleidoscopes placed strategically on the corner of a tea towel.
Favorite stitch… it has to be chain stitch. It’s so versatile. I used chain stitch in a beautiful candlewicking (white on white) pillow cover that I still have to finish!
My favorite stitch is Shadow Work. I love the elegant look on baby and children’s clothing, etc. I just used it to put a cross on a baby blanket for a gift. I love giving what I call Church blankets to new parents.
I’m going to go with the plain old tent stitch as my favorite. The reason is because I stitch miniatures on 84 count silk gauze, and there isn’t much else that works well with that. Right now I’m stitching an Erica Michaels design called Seaside Squared, and I’m just about finished with another of her designs called Random Threads. I have a friend who is both a stitcher and miniature artist, who sells these pieces for me.
There are so many wonderful stitches, it’s very hard to name just one. So for today I’ll say the blanket stitch. I’ve used it in many great projects, most recently to make flower petals in a canvas piece with Tudor roses. The petal edges had nice definition using that stitch.
I love the simplicity of the chain stitch. I have most recently completed Christmas ornaments and Mandalas.
When in doubt I always went to the sten stitch when I began embroidery and it is still a main stitch today.
Fern stitch is one of my favorites. I can make it very precise or more whimsical with ease. It’s a surprisingly versatile stitch that’s fun to use for larger lettering. I last used it for a series of monograms for a friend.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the raised stem band which I use very often for trees and branches. The last time I used it was for a fence I embroidered in a quilt wall hanging.
Hi Mary,
I love working the satin stitch. I use it whenever I can. I’ve been told many times how beautiful it is! The project I am working on now is from Di van Niekerk’s book “Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork” The satin stitch is not used as much as the ribbon and stumpwork, however my satin stitch turned out beautiful. I have the Pansy panel to finish and then I am finished. The project helped me after my lung surgery. I love your website and daily email. Thank you. Pat
The “lowly” cross stitch has to be my favorite. I have spend many happy hours taking a blank piece of fabric and watching a piece of art magically appear of of seemingly nowhere.
Without a doubt my favorite stitch is the feather stitch. I am a crazy quilter and I love it’s organic nature, it’s many variations. The way it looks in all kinds of threads & more.
My favorite stitch is the buttonhole stitch. It is a very neat pretty stitch and has a number of variations and adds good variety to any embroidery piece. I am presently working on a large vintage piece which incorporates several of these stitches!
Thanks again for the giveaway! The book looks lovely.
My favourite stitch? That’s a tough question! Choosing from among the ones I learned just this year, I would say the half-chevron was my favourite. I used it as a border when I stitched my name tag for my local embroiderers’ guild. Thank you for doing A Stitcher’s Christmas again this year!
Annie
I have recently renewed my passion for needlework. I forgot how much I enjoyed it and how relaxing it could be. I love Lazy Daisy stitch( and chain) and currently working it in on a Wool Applique Holiday table runner❤️
I would have to say French Knot. I have used it in every piece of textile art I have ever done! It makes such lovely “trees and bushes”. 🙂 I used it on a miniature piece I did for an international art competition last Jan. (and won First place!) and am using it now on a piece for a future art show. It seems to be my “go-to” stitch. LOL
I cast my vote for French knots. It’s rarely the main stitch (although I did once do a flock of sheep in wool French knots) but it can add a pop of color, or some texture almost anywhere. I most recently used some as flowers in a field in the background of the main subject.
Oh! Thank you Mary! What joy to find in my email your posts of inspiration! My favorite stitch – I don’t have one! There are a few that I don’t care for, but mostly, I like almost all of it – just so long as I’ve got a needle in my hand! Lately I’m doing cross stitch Christmas tree and stem stitch for some undone projects that need to be finished as well as a large hardanger tablecloth that is nearly finished. And for the lovely snow days we are having, we also have no power so it is board game days and cooking over the wood stove with the family!
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch is satin stitch – it’s so hard to make it perfect but so satisfying when I do. I’m currently using it in a set of curtains featuring cedar waxwings.
Thanks for all you do!
Georgia
My favourite stitch is chain stitch, it’s good for outline and as a filler. I’m using it now as the tires on an embroidered bicycle on a tea towel for a gift.
My favourite stitch is herringbone and its variations. I used it last in some lavender bags for christmas gifts.
My favourite stitch is the long-and-short stitch, I like the shadings that are possible with it and also just how it looks as a single-color filling. I used it last for a snowy mountain range.
Oh my, so many beautiful stitches but my current favorite is the fishbone. I’m using it on the purse I’m working on for my granddaughter – the stitch looks so elegant.
Thanks for this give-away, Mary.
Wishing you a happy, healthy holiday!
Hi Mary
My favourite stitch at present is Split stitch, I have been using it to get the detail/shading whilst I am working on the face of Queen Elizabeth 1st for a competition.
Satin stitch. Pleasure abounds when it all lays down smoothly! Found a preprinted floral design to calm the spirit. It has no name.
While I want to say it’s the bullion stitch, I’m still trying to get that one to cooperate. Currently my favorites are the drizzle and wheatear stitch. I can’t seem to stop adding them to my various wool Applique projects.
I think my favorite stitch is the chain stitch. The last time I used it was in a wall hanging I am designing featuring the Aaronic blessing. I used it in some flowers at the bottom.
Hi Mary,
My new fave is the coral stitch, which I used to fill seashells in a recent piece depicting the ocean floor. The nubby look of this stitch perfectly showcased the whorls in the shells.
Hi, my favourite is the stem stitch. The last project that I used it in was a pin cushion from “Patchwork Loves Embroidery” by Gail Pan. The Bluebird Pincushion called for back stitch but I prefer the look of flowing, rope-like stem stitch. I reduced the size of the pattern to about 5″ across.
Hi Mary,
Excited for this giveaway, so I was waiting for this since you mentioned it in Friday’s post. My favourite stitch is the immortal Cross-Stitch. While this doesn’t mean that I don’t like the other stitches in surface embroidery, cross stitch is the best in its simplicity of work and yet the final piece comes out so beautifully, no matter the size of the project. You don’t need endless practice for it, anyone can do it and cross-stitch projects, for me at least, are not just projects, they have acted as therapy so many times.
– Manasi (Toronto)
I have had to think a bit about my favorite stitch, and decided on the humble basketweave. I love how easy it is to stitch without the canvas warping and the full coverage – leaving no canvas exposed. This book is on my really want list after reading your review Mary.
Thank you for awonderful stitching resorce
Mikie
Hi Mary
My favourite stitch is long and short. It’s so easy, but such beautiful designs can be worked with it. I love embroidering flowers and birds with it. Hoping to have a go at embroidering animals when I feel confident. I’ve just completed a robin for Christmas.
Happy Festive Season Everybody! Xx
I have so many favorites, but if you shorten the ears on the wheatear stitch they look like baby sea turtles in a line.
My favorite stitch at the moment is the braided chain stitch. I’ve used it to outline flowers on a piece that will be a book cover.
My favorite stitch is the cross stitch and I am just completing the Farmhouse Christmas series by Little House Needleworks. My goal for 2019 is to branch out and explore some specialty stitches that are so beautiful. I figure if a 9 year old girl from long ago can do it so beautifully, so can I ! Have a great day and thanks for the opportunity to win this beautiful book.
I’m very partial to the Lazy Daisy/chain stitch. It’s easy and thanks to your blog, I have seen how versatile it can be. I recently used it to outline an applique heart on the Queen of Hearts costume I made for my niece’s Halloween wedding. The heart also had black & gold latticework and black wrapped purl pearl. None of which I would have known about without Needle ‘n Thread!
my favorite, most useful stitch is stem stitch. I mostly do canvas embroidery and use a lot of surface embroidery techniques there-upon. Right now I’m working on a 14″ square piece that is broken up into sections like a crazy quilt. Using stem stitch for flower stems of course, also to outline things that want to be outlined. Stem stitch is also good for filling long skinny design elements like scraggly long hair, tree trunks and branches, curvy shapes, flower stems of course, and so on. Also….can make a line of stem stitch and then either overcast it or weave in and out with same or different color.
I love the mosaic stitch and I made a beautiful clutch purse in silk threads using the stitch. It gives so much depth. This is needlepoint. Just love your blog! Merry Christmas Mary!
A fun stitch, drizzle stitch I used on a sewing tuck by Kerry Design.
A favorite needlework stitch (well, currently) is a simple whip stitch. I used this stitch almost exclusively to make a gift set of pojagi coasters. Pojagi is a Korean wrapping cloth, but the term seems to be used to generally mean Korean patchwork. To make the gift special, each one was stitched with an intention (love, peace, harmony, happiness), and so with each whip stitch I was repeating one of those words. I then stitched a little note on each stating that “this was stitched with the intention love,” etc.
A simple stitch, a meditative process, a special gift.
My favorite stitch is fly stitch which I just used for a border of leaves
Raised stem band….I used it for an embroidered quilt wall hanging.
Thank you for this opportunity! I’m a novice stitcher, so my favorite stitch is the simple chain. It makes the most beautiful monograms for gift tags and ornaments!
Hard decision! I never thought I would say “french knot”, but there are so many in the latest project and I’m really enjoying making french knots with the silk ribbon in Deborah Mitek’s fun piece, “A Garden View.”
I love the chain stitch! I remember learning it as a kid, and have always thought of it as the lazy daisy stitch gone wild. I think I used it last when I made a crazy quilt ring pillow for my daughter’s wedding.
I love the feather stitch and how it looks for covering seams in a crazy quilt. I last used it in a crazy quilt block I was making for a group project in my quilt guild.
My favorite all time is filet guipure and I haven’t done it in a while because I’m always trying out whatever classes are presented by my guilds.
I like the stem stitch. It is relaxing to stitch. I outline with it and also use it as a fill stitch.
What a fabulous way to start off your Stitcher’s Christmas. The projects in the Factoria VII are incredible. My favorite embroidery stitch would have to be the stem stitch. I teach a lot of needlepoint classes and use it for hair, beards, veins on leaves, definition between areas. It is very versatile.
My all time favorite stitch is the basque stitch. I am using it now on a crazy quilt vest I am making for myself.
I admit, my favorite stitch is the plain ol’ chain stitch. The last project I used it for is a large ornate rabbit to decorate a canvas shopping bag. The pattern was from Urban Threads, and it was so relaxing to stitch, with the small chain stitches forming the simple outline design.
The stitch I really love doing is Long and Short Stitch. To me this stitch brings out the absolute beauty of my embroidery and although it can take a long time to embroider a particular flower, such as a pansy,
the time taken is well worthwhile. I first pad the petal I am going to stitch, and once the petal is completely covered with long and short stitch, wow, the petal and eventually the flower are beautiful.
Stem stitch is my favorite stitch. I just used it on s wool appliqué Tooth Fairy Pillow for my 6 yr old grandson.
Since watching your tutorial on the stem stitch I’m using it every where, but am currently making an appliqué embroidered quilt entitled ‘The Handpicked Wardrobe’ by Val Laird on Craftsy.
Thanks for a great give away.
Hi Mary,
My favourite stitch has to be long and short stitch, I enjoy seeing an embroidery almost come to life when this stich is used in a design.
Mary, my favorite stitch in usually the one I am currently working with, which today is the Blanket Stitch. I have deconstructed a red pull over and I am using the blanket stitch to finish the neck edge and sleeve cuff. Thanks for the opportunity to participate in your book draw.
Linda on Casimir Rd
I love the way the long and short stitch makes things look so smooth and real. Have recently finished an owl from Trish Burr’s book White Work with Color.
Sorry I omitted the last part of the question. I last used it to embroider a camellia in a very pale pink and the final result was “stunning”.
I love the whipped chain stitch. I just used in on one of the trees in your Twelve Trees for Christmas e-book. I’m having a ball stitching them!!!
My favorite stitch lately has been the long and short used in needle painting. I have two projects I am currently working on that use the long and short – one project is flowers, and the other has a fox, both of which use long and short.
My favorite stitch is the feather stitch but once i get the hang of it I think it’s going to be the cast on stitch.
Anastasia worked in silk perle as a background for a piece painted by Peter Ashe.
I love the French knot. It is very versatile and can be used in many ways. Different size threads and number of wraps can change the appearance quickly. Last used in a quilting project where I added embellishments to leaves, flowers, and random places.
My favorite stitch is the blanket stitch. I use it in my crazy quilt projects. There are so many different ways to use it and to embellish with it. It adds a variety of stitches to the projects that make it all look different.
My favorite stitch is the Palesterina. I used it last on a crazy quilt block to outline waves.
I do lots of shadow embroidery for baby garments, so the herringbone stitch is definitely one of my favorites. Thanks!
My favorite stitch is buttonhole, rounds and curved areas. I’ve been working on dishtowels as gifts lately. The buttonhole stitch seems to provide filling for areas with a nicely edge to the outline. Flowers, letters and whatnot are filled nicely.
My favorite stitch is long and short stitch. I love needle painting, and there is just so much versatility in the stitch. Currently, I’m working on a Hazel Blomkamp piece with tons of long and short stitch.
My favorite embroidery stitch would be cross stitch. The last project I used it on was a 1/12 scale firescreen for my dolls house. I stitched a pink rose on 40 count linen over 1 thread. The piece is perfectly suited for the parlor where it resides. I use threads from silk to DMC for all my miniatures with cross stitch and love love love the finished pieces from samplers to bell pulls!
My favorite stitch is the French Knot. I know when I started embroidering it was my bug-a-boo, but as I got better at it and more comfortable it became a favorite! My last project had to be reconfigured and I got to choose all the colors, stitches and placement, so naturally I used French Knots to fill in the flower centers of my table runner. Thanks Mary for carrying on these contests for the Christmas season in 2018. Merry Anne
This may sound funny to some, but my favorite stitch is the blanket stitch. I made an advent calendar for my grandson where the beard of Santa Claus had little pockets for the 25 days until Christmas. Around the outside of his giant beard and the puff at the end of his hat were done with a contrasting blanket stitch. It just finished the project out perfectly.
Hello Mary: My preference for stitches is currently the long and short stitch. I love the shading with various colors and textures and am incorporating this stitch in my designs for the silk and metal thread embroidery correspondence course I am engaged in.
Jan in West Point, CA
Silkshading is hard – but I guess I must love challenges! I have just finished my 4th work using this technique: a lovely field mouse by Helen Richman from Blue Bird Embroidery. Silk shading if so perfect to give life and movement to this little animal!
Believe it or not, Vandyke. It can be made to look very different by altering the spacing, and works on both cloth and canvas. The last thing I used it on was a pillow cover.
Backstitch in my favorite. The last time I used it was on a cat cross stitch on Aida but I prefer appliqueing with it.
At the moment my favourite stitch is the French knot, just finished a wool & felt country wall hanging,(38 x 54 inches) flowers in vases and used it on almost the squares. Also using it on my Christmas cards.
I love the split stitch when I am working on animal fur. I am currently working on a Christmas stocking for my daughter which is a lion and a lamb. I have had so much fun stitching the lion’s fur is wool using 5 different colors of wool and a split stitch.
My favourite stitching to do is cross-stitching, but I finished a sampler (Carol Singers) this year in which I did several new-to-me stitches, including hardanger.
Queen Stitch
I made a strawberry scissor fob using one the queen stitch for the strawberry and an embroidery stitch for the cap. My design is not the normal triangle shaped strawberry.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I am currently using it in a series of winter snowmen blocks which I will incorporate into a table runner for winter. I better get finished!
I am working n a table cath kit right now and some little cross stitch. I love the chain stitch as it is fast and forgiving. I just am not using it right now. I use it to decorate my wool applique.
My favorite stitch is a chain stitch because it can become so many other stitches: blanket stitch, fly stitch, feather, plus all the variations such as reverse chain, all sorts of linear braid formations.
The last project I used it on was a crazy quilt.
I guess my favorite is the stem stitch. Love the rope effect it gives. I used it yesterday while finishing stitching on a pillow for my daughter for Christmas. Thank you Mary!
My favorite embroidery stitch is the Queen Stitch. I enjoy stitching it and it looks so regal and elegant especially when it is clustered. I am working on a Joanne Harvey kit, it is a man’s wallet.
Happy Holidays and enjoy the season!
For counted work my favorite is the long-armed cross stitch. I love Assisi designs and this stitch covers a lot of ground. For free-form embroidery, my favorite is the split stitch. It is a very forgiving stitch and is very calming to work.
I’m just an ol’ cross-stitcher. I like the soothing rhythm of it I guess. My last project was a set of altar linens. I stitched an oval frame of roses in gold with a crown at the top, and in the middle of the frame a monogram in gold and blue. I stitched the motif on the pall, corporal and amice. Thanks for this opportunity to participate!
I don’t know if I have a favourite stitch, but the one I use the most is split stitch along with its variation, long and short.
My favorite stitch is the feather stitch: graceful on its own and enhancing when combined with other stiches. Thanks!
I will choose the satin stitch as today’s favorite. I am currently working on Tea and Stitches from Victoria Sampler. The outside border is a “frame” of squares and rectangles formed with satin stitches.
I am teaching myself embroidery stitches. I do not have a favorite stitch at this time. As I learn about new stitches I utilize books and, if available, instructional videos to try and imulate the stitch.
My favorite stitch, these days, is the T-stitch! I used it on a custom canvas, designed by my daughter. A grey thread against a dark green background. The texture and dimension were so beautiful! I can’t wait for another opportunity to use it!
I’ve returned to embroidery after many years, so my favorite is the back stitch and the straight stitch which are easy and I still remember how to do. Working on the others. It will come.
My favorite stitch is the button hole stitch. I am fond of pansies, and use buttonhole stitch a lot.
Marny Arnold
I love lots of detailed stitches, since it adds so much texture to the piece. Just did bullion knots last night on a
Christmas ornament. I like to do the basketweave stitch on each piece, little area so a place to rest your eye.
Like many others, it is difficult to decide on just one. When I want to relax and just get a nice continuity going then I would say cross stitch is my go to. But I have just finished all of my ornaments for my exchange group and they are done in hardanger and they were a joy to stitch. I guess it just really depends on my mood. I could go on and on and on…. So many stitches, I just got a schwalm project to try.
My favorite stitch is a bullion stitch. So much fun! I last used it on Sue Spargo’s Wool quilt BOM Imperial Blooms, which I am just now working on. Finally. I think it’s about 10 years old!
Happy Holidays to you!
Adrienne
The queen stitch – a tree on a Christmas ornament
I recently started wool applique and embroidery using many of the stitches in Sue Spargo’s books. With so many beautiful stitches how can I pick one? I completed one of her pin cushions and love it. One of my favorites is the Fly Stitch because it is so versatile. Keep up the good work, Mary.
My favorite stitch is lazy daisy
For me it’s chain stitch, and it’s variations. It was the first stitch i learned when i was little, and i still find it satisfying to do. I’m currently using it in a series of little embroideries on felt which will get stitched onto bigger felt to make a sewing supply book.
I love French knots and they last time I used them was for little flowers on my niece’s birthday present.
Kendall Tersiguel
My favorite stitch is either the French knot or the drizzle stitch, I use both in stitching little flower gardens on felt for my tea cup fairy gardens. I keep floss and felt with needle and scissors in a small kit, a quick grab and go project. When I put together a fairy house scene in a tea cup, I have a felt piece covered with small gardens I can cut out the ones that work for my project.
My favourite stitch is the French Knot and I’m using it at the moment to decorate some of the characters from the twelve days of Christmas song. It took me ages to get to grips with this stitch, but I’m so pleased that I persevered.
I love long and short when the yarns are right for it. Just finished a mostly Jacobean piece I used for the face of a hanging bag for a walker, which I intend to take to a neighbor who finally had to enter a nursing home and misses her pretty things. The yarn/threads I used were pretty iffy for long and short but I wanted it to be washable. Turned out a bit “off” because of that, but she has seen it (I worked on it while visiting her) and loves it, so all is good.
My favorite stitch is whatever I happen to be working on at the time. But I do love long and short stitch used in threadpainting designs, particularly from Trish Burr. Her lilac breasted roller is the most recent one I did as a Christmas gift for a friend who collects all kinds of things related to birds.
I love embroidery because of the variety of stitches available to me. It is hard to pick one as a favorite; but, one of latest stitches I learned not long ago is the “tent stitch” used in needlepoint. I like it because I don’t have to think too much about it and it looks so pretty. I used it for my entry to the last San Francisco School of Needlework and Design’s Burlesque challenge – “Golden Pig having a good time”.
My favorite stitching is crewel. I am currently working on a design by Nicola Jarvis called Blossom Wood. It is a large project 24″x18″, and I will probably be working on it for quite some time to come!
I like French Knots. I like how one, used as an eye, can give personality to a bird or other critter, or many can be used to create a field of flowers. I just used them to make tiny eyes on two little birds on a Christmas gift wall hanging.
The Wheatear stitch is now a favorite. I recently discovered it while working on the Alphabet sampler. What a beautiful stitch and in combination the french knot accent and with different thread colors it is so pretty. I can see ots of possibilities with this stitch.
Hi Mary!
My favorite stitch is the whipped spider web in circular or arch shapes. I recently used it to fill in several places on a retro-style crewel project. My family thought I’d done something incredibly complicated when they saw the whipped spider web stitch!
Thank you for offering these fun giveaways!
Stitching Quaker Spring with Valdani thread and cross stitch. Would love to be the winner of that marvelous book
Just one stitch? I do mostly counted thread work and like many different stitches. I used two stitches that I really like (long armed cross stitch and honeycomb hem stitch )in Victoria Sampler’s Thanksgiving Sampler that I am still working on.
Hungarian Braid stitch, because it took me so long to “get” it! I used it in my Game of Thrones family sigil — House Reed. It’s a sort of alligator-like thing in a circle.
Thank you for the generous give away! My favorite embroidery stitch is the stem stitch. I challenge myself to make every stitch the same length and i love how it looks a little curvy even if it’s straight. The last project I used the stitch on was an embroidered tote bag that I use to carry around my knitting project.
The satin stitch. The last project was a simple wall hanging with “love” surrounded by flowers.
Sharon B
I did a sheath of wheat and used long bullions to represent the grain heads. It was a lot more work but the texture really made a nice difference.
Mary, I’ve learned so many beautiful stitches from you it’s hard to choose, but I’ll say the one I always go back to, the every-ready chain stitch. There are so many variations and it looks different with different threads, that it always shows up when I need a heavier line. So – the chain stitch.
And thanks for taking so much of your pre-Christmas time to arrange these give-aways, and especially this one. Books! I collect them like I collect thread!
I don’t have a favorite stitch so much as a favorite technique. I love Brazilian Embroidery, the 3 dimensional stitches make the designs come alive. The threads give it a vibrancy not seen with cotton threads.
Hi Mary,
I really love the long and short stitch, or thread painting. I have tried my hand at it on a Trish Burr project.
I have always loved French knots. Once I mastered the technique, I used them often. They are fun to make and textural. I used them last for the center of a wool flower that tops a pincushion.
I am a fan of counted thread work on linen, so cross-stitch is my favorite stitch. My most recent finish: a large pin pillow with an alphabet and small critters stitched on it.
I enjoy doing colonial knots. I recently made a poodle dog picture with bullions and colonial knots and am at present working through a Candlewick cushion cover.
I really like the trellis stitch and the burden stitch. There are so many, it is hard to pick just one. My least favorite is the satin stitch. I never seem to get it looking smooth and even. Right now I am working on Hazel Blomkamp’s “Masterpiece”.
My favourite stitch is a french knot. I love how versatile it is. I last used it with some cream wool to make the little fluffy tail for a rabbit at the base of a crewelwork ‘tree of life’.
I love running stitch and use it in Sashiko projects. I also like to use it in the sort of mixed media work that looks like outdoor walls with peeling paint, old posters, etc. The beautiful precision of other stitches is lovely, but running stitches can be a true workhorse, filling large spaces around mysterious shapes. Its possibilities alone or in multitudes inspire me. Gaye Elder
I have to say that my favorite – and most used – stitch is the humble whip stitch. Indispensable for wool applique for those times when you just want the stitches to disappear into the wool so that the embellishing embroidery can shine on it’s own.
Hello,
My favourite stitch is a french knot. I love how versatile it is. I last used to to make the tail of a little rabbit at the base of a crewelwork ‘tree of life’.
First up, thank you once again for all you do Mary!!!
My favorite stitch is one up for debate! I really like the colonial knot. I know here and elsewhere, people argue they are the same but I disagree! They look the same, but my colonial knots never do the weird things my French knots do (namely, poking up a loop, if that makes sense). The last project I made with it is a wall hanging using a vintage kit I scooped up from my embroidery guild.
May everyone’s holidays be relaxing and filled with good food and good times:)
So many lovely stitches, but I think my favorite must be the humble back stitch because of it’s strong, fine line and because of the way it sort of leads you along its path. Hard to mess up with this one! I used it for simple little line drawings on dish towels that came out very cute on the fronts; pretty cute on the backs, too.
This year, my favorite stitch is the Wheat Ear stitch. It reminds me of all the farmland I see between Rochester and the Finger Lakes as we drive to our beautiful cottage on Keuka lake. I recently made some simple lined tote bags for gift giving, and I embroidered it onto one of the totes using Matte Cotton on a linen tote. I stitched the Wheat Ear in a circular border with various little flowers inside the circle.
My new (to me) favorite stitch is the Wheateater stitch. I used it recently in a self-designed autumn project to frame 3 projects. Using a variegated thread fro Colour Complements, the border turned out beautifully and lended some interest to the finished piece. Thank you for your great tutorial on the stitch!
My favorite stitch is the simple cross-stitch. Most recently, and most frequently, I have used it to create a border on baby-clothes.
Although it’s hard to pick just one, I would say my favorite stitch is the long arm cross stitch. It creates a nice not too solid line for a border or band. It looks lovely in a solid color, and even better in an overdye or variegated thread. But mostly I find it to be a very peaceful and meditative stitch to do as it has a nice rhythm to it once you get going.
One of my favorite stitches is the stem stitch or outline, depending on the usage. This stitch can be a wonderful curved line any where the design needs it.
I have a place in my heart for the blanket stitch (buttonhole). My first grade teacher taught it to us to make a Christmas tree ornament, a mitten. We did the stitch around the small felt item.
Detached chain, aka Lazy Daisy. I have always loved this stitch. It’s just so happy!
Pick me!
My favorite stitch is a dove’s eye in a hardanger piece. I like the delicate lace look. I used it most recently in a table runner.
Hi Mary! My favorite needlework stitch is probably the Jessica – so perfectly round! I have looked at the new Inspirations book, and would love to have it!
Thank you, Diana
I love all needlework it’s almost impossible to choose. I’ll say crewel work And the Mellerstain piece from the crewel work company. Just beautiful….
My favorite stitch is the queen stitch. I used it last month at Stitcher’s Hideaway when Thea Dueck from Victoria Sampler taught her “Bling Tree Sampler”. It does take time but the results are so intricate.
My favorite stitch/technique are the Kloster Blocks of Hardanger. Most people don’t, but I tend to cut out the centers of most of the blocks as I love the light, lacy look this gives to the piece! I’m currently finishing a Wedding Sampler for a nephew & his wife.
French knots, no doubt about it.
I’m using them in my current project, of course.
Huh, I don’t know that I ever thought about it before. I know that my nemesis is the deceptively simple French knot! Thinking about it, though, my favorite might be the delicate and versatile feather stitch. I’ve used it on fancy baby clothes, but the last project I did with it was my oddball Indian cow of plenty (which I shared photos of in the FB group; it became a small wall quilt). I used a zillion stitches on that one, including a bunch I hadn’t tried before with the help of your video tutorials. 🙂
My cow has the motto “To be literate is to possess the cow of plenty” (from the Madras Library Association) and is entered in my quilt guild’s 2018 challenge. The entries will be judged next week! I plan to win the ‘weirdest’ prize.
I always loved the lazy daisy stitch. I last used it on an Easter table cloth I gave my mom.
I think my favorite embroidery stitch is the back stitch. I use it in everything I do, often as a filler for empty spaces instead of satin stitch. In the last piece I did I used it to outline edges of large wave shapes and then inside them, I used it as filler to make little curves of smaller waves in striped color ways. Sorry, hard to describe. I just love the way, with a shiny thread, the back stitch can look like a series of little pearls on a string.
Thanks Mary for your wonderful blog. I always enjoy reading it, your photography is flawless and I very often learn something from it!
Jess
For some reason I always love doing the lazy daisy stitch. It’s so simple, but it’s fun! I last used it in a Christmas snowman redwork block that I am doing as part of a quilt. I only have one more block to do and then I can assemble them into a quilt.
My favorite stitch is a knotted and looped stitch used in stumpwork and in needlelace. This year I have been working on two handbags – one and evening bag with Japanese sakura blossoms in high relief and the other a retro shoulder bag with an abstract island scenery that uses the colors of summer evening on one side and fall morning on the other.
Recently I tried the cable plait stitch and loved the look of the finished design. I stitched the 12 Christmas trees in your book, Mary, on sacking towels. I’ll be giving them away as gifts. Many thanks for the designs and for this lovely giveaway.
Merry Christmas Mary! You are so generous to us to host these lovely Christmas giveaways!
My favorite stitch is the cast-on stitch, used in Brazilian embroidery! I love its frilly, lacey look! I have most recently used the cast-on stitch on a Box of Chocolates design by Debbie Kelley! The ruffles added a beautiful frame work around the heart shaped frame, and when I complete the chocolates, I will add yet more cast-ons around each chocolate, simulating the ruffled paper cups they sit in! A delicious design that is guaranteed not to affect my waistline! I actually plan to send to a dear friend who is a chef and has her own chocolates business! A perfect gift, eh? 🙂
My favorite stitch is the buttonhole stitch. I’ve made several wool applique projects, including three wool quilts, that are all loaded with embroidery. This stitch is the one I use to hold the motifs in place. From that, “the sky is the limit” as I consider my options including varying the width and length of the stitch, adding lazy daisy stitches and French knots (making flowers), wrapping it in contrasting thread, and creating lace edges with detached buttonhole stitches. I refer frequently to your website for ideas and tutorials. Thanks for all you teach and offer!
My go to stitch is the split stitch. I’ve gotten very good at it.
Way to put people on the spot! Picking just one??? To pick one, the plaited braid. This stitch whipped my ascii learning it, which is why it is, currently, my favourite. My first and latest use of the stitch was on a lovely kit designed by Pam Cousins of AngelsNStitches on fb and etsy called MountMellick Revisited.
I’m currently loving feather stitch as it’s so versatile for creating fine foliage and stems on quite “busy” flowers. The stitching group I run is currently working on a community project for adder conservation where we’re working on creating an adder habitat from fabric and stitchery. The feather stitch is proving to be perfect for creating the stems and leaves of the heather plant, with french knot and detached chain stitch flowers.
My favorite stitch is Backstitch, stem (although I still struggle), and split.
Janet in Michigan.
My favorite stitch is the greek cross that I’m usine in a l’étranger pièce.
The backstitch is my definite favourite- I am currently adding my new granddaughter ‘s name to her Christmas stocking.
I have so many favourite stitches but I’m thinking if I were restricted to only one, it would have to be the chain stitch and its many variations. I can be used for lines and for fillings so theoretically one could finish all embroideries with a chain stitch. I have just been stitching samples of the various ways in which it can be used.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch and the satin stitch. I love to use lots of color in my projects. Normally make quilts out of my stitchery projects for wall-hangings. I enjoy learning new techniques and projects. If I were to be chosen for the giveaway it would go perfect with the Christmas fabric that I recently purchased.
Hard to pick a favorite stitch. Most recently it is the outline stitch, used for redwork on wool Christmas ornaments.
I love red work. My last project mixed redwork Xmas baubles with sprigs of fly stitch greenery and red beading on a Xmas runner.
I love chain stitch – a simple stitch but a very effective one. I last used it to decorate felt motifs for a Christmas Garland – I cut out the letters for Merry Christmas twice from felt, decorated the front with chain stitch, sewed the two sides together with a tab at the top and stuffed them. Now I have a lovely little garland spelling out a Christmas greeting that will come out every year!
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. It is the perfect outline stitch and is also great for filling spaces. I recently completed a quilted wall hanging with 6 different wildflower panels. I used the stem stitch extensively and found that it was especially effective for creating texture and patterns in all the leaves.
My favorite stitch is French knot. I have just completed a cushion for my sister-in-laws Christmas present with a hare sat among flowers and grasses. The knots were used on the flowers and the hare’s nose.
Hi,
My favorite stitch is the fly stitch. I used it to embellish a name tag for my EGA group.
Thanks for running the giveaway, Mary! I enjoy reading the responses.
Beth
One of my very favorite stitches is the buttonhole stitch. It is so versatile- straight lines or curved or even circles; flat , detached or with extra rows added for dimension; widely spaced or closely spaced it’s a wonderful stitch! I’m using it right now on Joan Thomasson’s Three Kong’s, but my last finished piece is Joan Thomasson’s Golden Iris.
Hi Mary – My favourite embroidery stitch is a tough choice. Easier to say which stitches I don’t like – lol. But I guess one of my top 5 would be the French knot…they’re like mini-roses sitting there on the fabric. Our guild is currently doing a group project and the first section highlights French knots. (we linked to your tutorial for help for the participating members). So that’s the last project I used it in.
Thank you for what you do
My absolutely favorite embroidery stitch is the long and short stitches. I have not used it yet in a project but have been learning and practicing it on a piece of linen following the book, “Needle Painting Embroidery” by Trish Burr. It takes embroidery from beautiful images to fabulous pictures. My goal is to be able to create a fabulous picture of birds sitting on a tree branch.
I love french knots. They’re so simple but so pretty. My last project was Captain America’s shield. I made a valiant attempt to recreate it in just french knots. The project I made and the image in my head didn’t quite match up, but it was a fantastic learning experience – I’m much better at french knots after that project!
If I must chose a favorite, today I would chose the lazy daisy stitch. The name and the stitch make me happy, like an old friend that has come for a visit. I am sure there are more stitches (friends) that would like to join us to make a most interesting story.
My favorite stitch is long & short stitch. It always amazes me how lifelike & beautiful the shadings turn out to be. My current project, which has a lot of it in, is a peacock with lots of fall leaves in full color, a big central rose, & trailing wisteria. Looking forward to finishing this piece as the tiny details go on forever.
My favorite is stem stitch. I am currently using it on an arts and crafts style linen runner. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book.
I am making a needlework accessory kit to carry around to the Buckhorn Quilter’s Guild. I know, it’s a quilting guild but these women are always challenging themselves to greater needlework and I’m happy to be part of the group. Oops I’ve detoured! I finished a needle book keeper in canvas work and working on a scissor fob. I am experimenting using different stitches and found that I really like the the Half Rhodes stitch. It’s so pretty and has a 3D effect.
My favourite embroidery stitch is the stem stitch. The last project I made in which I used it was a tea towel. I embroidered an Aunt Martha’s pattern for a friend, who likes such things.
I have a newfound love for couching, specifically Bokhara with six strands of satin floss. I’ve been practicing on a doodle hoop and am looking forward to using it in upcoming projects for texture.
I love the Queen stitch ,it’s so elegant and well worth the many steps to execute one! I used many in a spot sampler by Catherine Theron .
Chainstitch. This is my favorite for 2 reasons, it is versatile and looks good whether it is stitched small or a little larger. The 2nd reason, it was the first “big girl” stitch my grandmother taught me. The straight stitch and whip stitch were my first stitches, but they were very utilitarian, but the chainstitch made me feel like part of Grandma’s sewing circle pals.
My favorite stitch, though simple and easy, is basketweave. I love to stitch small projects with basketweave in between my more complicated projects. I find it relaxing and relieves the tension of a busy day at the office. Plus I can knock out small projects in a flash to give as gifts. I recently used it on 3 Stitch and Zip cases that are so fun to work on. ~ Liz
I love the chain stitch as it is fast and easy. I also love the short and long stitch especially for filling in birds and the like. I used both of these stitches in a Hungarian embroidery project.
A PASSION FOR NEEDLEWORK from INSPIRATIONS caught my eye a month ago and I would be over the moon to get this book.
Thank you for brightening up my Christmas season!
I love to do the Greek cross on hardanger. I just made an angel ornament for my granddaughter.
Long and Short stitch…. which I used in a crewel on black wool kit my daughter gave me from Sweden…. turned out lovely!!!
Hi, Mary,
Thank you for all the hard work you put into keeping us well-informed and up-to-date on all-things-embroidery!
Favorite stitch: the plain ol’ satin stitch. I love it for its versatility and beauty. Am using it, currently, in a hardanger piece I designed.
The last embroidery stitch I used was the coral stitch. I used it to embellish the seam at the top of a drawstring bag.
Merry Christmas !
My very favorite is the Smyrna Cross. I last used it in two name tags. On one of them, I was having so much fun stitching the crosses I lost count and stitched about 30 of them in row when I only needed 10. oops. . . .
Teeny tiny featherstitch is my favorite. I have used it most recently on pillowcase hems, but my favorite featherstitch was on a baby boy’s daygown stitched in between sections of pintucks.
cross stitch last project Bell Pull
It is quite difficult to narrow it down to one favorite stitch – I have recently finished needle painting one of Trish Burr’s miniatures, a child feeding the hens, and thoroughly enjoyed doing it, also I am embroidering tea towels and find I really like doing stem stitch.
I can’t get enough of French knots! I embroidered a landscape made up entirely of them.
From Jan-Oct, I hand embroidered a wedding veil using silver metallic thread on tulle.
The stitching on the back had to mirror the front, since you can see the back of the tulle from the front of the tulle! Enter the chain stitch! It mirrors itself, takes curves well, can be shortened or elongated for variation in the design and you can easily add beads and sequences.
Thanks, Mary, for the tutorial on how to change direction and keep the point sharp on leaves!
10 months of not knowing for sure how it would actually look was so very stressful, but the chain
stitch did not disappoint! YAY! It was one very beautiful & sparkling motif!
That said, can’t wait to start a new project and use as many different stitches as possible!
This will indeed be a Stitcher’s Christmas thanks to your thoughtfulness, Mary!
I just love the Hungarian braided chain stitch! The last thing I did the stitch on was one side of a heart piece I am working on for my daughter.
Greetings, my latest favorite stitch is the scroll stitch. I use outline stitches around padded appliqué and it gives a nice texture and definition to the work. I hope all have a lovely holiday filled with peace and love, and thank you Mary for all you do in the world of stitching!
I love the cross stitch. The last thing I made using it was a kitty bookmark.
Oh, I have definitely more than one favourite needlework stitch. I’m currently focussing on Assisi embroidery, and I like the Holbein stitch and the Montenegrin stitch very much. I’m doing a sampler with three motifs by Thérèse de Dillmont, every one in a different traditional background and outline colour (red without outlines, blue with black outlines and green with dark green outlines) and a different traditional stitch (Italian cross stitch, long-armed cross stitch and Montenegrin stitch). The outlines in Holbein, of course.
When I was doing surface embroidery (a short time, but I will be doing it soon again), my absolute favourites were stem stitch and long and short stitch shading, but I came to love French knots and spider webs as well. They all were part of your Party in Provence project, which I was stitching along with you and many others. 🙂
Angela from the Ore Mountains
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch is the Queen stitch also known as the Rococo stitch because I just love the effect after it is completed. The last project I completed that it was in, was The Betsy Davis sampler from the Scarlet Letter. The border is filled with beautiful Queen stitched flowers. I love it!
I love the feather stitch. I last used it on a quilt it took me 2 1/2 years to embroider. But it was worth it because I won two first places in the Roseville Quilt Guild show for Viewer’s Choice and Best in Show.
My favourite Stitch is not so much of a stitch as a technique – Hardanger. I am currently on a cruise and have brought 7 different designs for Christmas ornaments with me to work on sea days.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I’m using it quite a bit in a Halloween quilt that I’m working on and hopefully will have done for next Halloween.
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch is satin stitch because of the sheen it shows off with cotton or silk. The last time I used it was on the covering for a brick doorstop.
My fave will always be the chain stitch. It’s simple and meditative, and links us to embroiders from past centuries and to modern day haute couture.
My favourite Stitch is not so much of a stitch as a technique – Hardanger. I am currently on a cruise and have brought 7 different designs for Christmas ornaments with me to work on sea days.
Right now I’m infatuated with the back stitch. It works up lovely kitchen towels fast.
At this time, my favorite stitch is the French Knot , used in large bunches in pastel colours on the front of a Biscornu, and smaller groups in the four corners of the back. By using different amounts of turns, I have been able to vary the size.
Absolutely LOVE your site, and would love to receive one of your Christmas giveaway items.
I love the feather stitch & use it as an embellishment in my Baltimore album quilt blocks. I use it a lot along the edge of rose leaves to add texture.
I love the back stitch and recently used it on small winter designs that will become a lovely wall quilt. It makes it easy to make neat rounded shapes.
Bullion stitch, Des Fleurs Pour Grandmere, while not on the charts I added flowers!
My favourite stitch is drizzle stitch. I used this stitch to stitch ringlets on little girl in my last stumpwork project. It is also good for bushes in my 3D stitched art
Hi Mary,
My favourite stitch changes often but I love the Bayeux stitch, it’s useful and versatile but it’s the historical resonance that really makes it special to me. Also, I just really love doing laid work!
Marry Christmas, and thank you for all of the wonderful teaching you have done over the years, I appreciate every single word you have shared.
All the best,
Renata
Well, if you had asked me yesterday, it would have been buttonhole stitch.
However…
Overnight, I became an enormous fan of battlement couching. Yesterday evening I tried it for the first time in an attempt to stitch pomegranate seeds in a small pomegranate, and I really liked how it turned out. The result inspired a possible future project: a dragon, filled with battlement couching. It would be fun to figure out how to manipulate the stitch to give the appearance of scales that actually follow the curves of a dragon properly, and don’t just look like the dragon ran into a chain-link fence and got stuck. I don’t know if it is possible, but if it is, I want to do it.
I’m not sure it is my favorite, but I seem to go to using it more than any other stitch I know. It’s all forms of the chain stitch. I’m using it on little hoop samplers to create name and birthdates as well as bark on tree, flowers, leaves, and outlines. The variations I can do just seem endless.
– – good question. Should it be Queen Stitch, which I am using on the Cabinet of Curiosities panels for some grass – – – and I always enjoy doing – – – or maybe good old Cross Stitch, which I am using for two, 2019 ornaments and a panel for the Longest Sampler project at San Francisco School of Needlework and Design? Cross Stitch it is! We’ve been friends since I was about 10 years old – traveled the world together – countless lovely projects – and always enjoyed each other’s company.
My favourite technique is long and short stitch. My last project was a pop art portrait of Freddie Mercury! I am amazed how the face comes to life when the eyes are completed.
The stitch I like best is such a simple stitch seems almost unworthy of the title favorite. Perhaps it is my favorite stitch because it’s the one I was taught first. Sometimes there is elegance in simplicity. Recently I used it for a monogram to fill the letter, the repetition of the stitch created a deep and rich color of common DMC thread. My favorite stitch is the stem stitch.
Thanks for the opportunity to share.
The lazy daisy stitch — easy for me to do and I use it often. Working
on a crazy quilt block at the moment — lots of little flowers in a
colorful garden.
My favorite stitch is couching gold thread with silk. I’ve been working on a couple Natalie Dupuis goldwork projects which I’m loving. The Steampunk Snail is absolutely divine.
One of my favorite stitches is Nobuko. I use it in needlepoint and am currently using it in a needlepoint ram’s head.
I love the simple French knot.
I work in many different fiber mediums. I made a bunch of little spinning wheel oil bags for my friends spinning wheels each embellished with a simple free form embroidery. Lots of French knots!
My favorite stitch is the bullion knot – so versatile depending on the size of the thread and the number of wraps, from delicate to full blown sunflower petals! I last used it when adding free-form embroidery to a “Village” quilt inspired by Yoko Saito.
Oh, yes. Satin stitch is the best. You want to stroke it and snuggle under it and revel in its smooth perfection. …not that mine ever looks as it should though.
So many wonderful stitches -i’m not sure I have a favorite. But last night I was stitching twisted chain stitch with #5 Perle Cotton and marveling at what a beautiful line it made. So i’ll Go with twisted chain stitch.. I am currently working on some crazy quilt blocks.
I finished the American Quaker band sampler yesterday. The queen stitch is a new stitch I learned for this sampler, I love making those.
My favourite stitch is Mountmellick stitch. I love doing white-on-white embroidery inspired by the Mount Mellick tradition, although I’m nowhere as skilled yet as the beautiful embroidered items I’ve seen in books. I last used Mountmellick stitch on the white-on-white tray cloth I was stitching for a special friend’s birthday.
Back stitch! So useful. Used it in a Christmas ornament. Thanks!!
I suppose I’d have to say the satin stitch. If not exactly my favourite, it’s probably the one I use most often. I stitch a lot of Hardanger and other drawn & pulled thread techniques. Satin stitch is often the base that allows me to play with interesting and fun needleweaving stitches. I used it in a Reticella needlebook just recently – a new technique for me, and lots of fun!
Mary in MN
My favorite stitch, must be the X stitch and all it’s many variations. I’ve spent hours, days, weeks, years using X ever since my first project in 1975. Interestingly the kit my LNS owner gave me to try X stitch was on 22 count fabric, over two and it was a Nativity! I’m about to take down all my regular X stitch patterns and put up all the lovely Nativities I’ve X stitched since 1975!
How to choose a favorite stitch when I enjoy so many of them? If I need to choose one, though, I’ll go with the French knot. It involves a little thread manipulation, which is fun, and it is so satisfying to see the end result of a cute little knot either by itself, or in a field of others. I just used French knots to make blackberries on slips, added to a stumpwork piece.
My favorite stitch right now is stem stitch and the last thing I used it on was a practice sampler.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the the feather stitch. You can move it around your piece and embellish it with french knots, beads etc. I used it many times on a crazy quilt that I completed this past year.
My favorite stitch is the back stitch. The last project I used it on was a beautiful cardinal sitting on a branch.
So many to choose from! I love the Mountmellick stich, it adds just a touch of something extra to the piece. The last project I did was a tree skirt for my grandma, I used the Mountmellick stich to do some of the details in the ornament in one of the panels.
My favorite stitch, right now, is a buttonhole stitch that I used on a finish for a quilt.
My favorite embroidery stitch is probably the blanket stitch. It makes beautiful edgings and borders and I use it in everyday mending/hand sewing as well. I most recently used it to hem a dress I made in June for a special occasion. Thank you to your sponsors and you for these giveaways!
I am embroidering a series of small stitch samples, and loved working on small flowers of bullion stitch. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but well worth it !
My favorite stitch is the Colonial Knot. I’m going to make a Muslim bag for knitting and plan on making some colonial knit sheep on it. I so enjoy your column!
I am trying to get the buttonhole stitch even & perfect for a hardanger piece. I have a card table size piece of gorgeous hardanger that my great aunt did in 1916 and the blue ribbon she won is still with it. I hope to at least do a small piece in her memory.
My favorite stitch is the one I’m actively working. Presently it is stem stitch on a crewel project from one of Inspiration’s Magazine. Good luck to everyone entering Mary’s Give-Away!
The half cross because I use it to attach beads to the many Mill Hill ornaments I’ve done. Thanks for the give away.
My favourite stitch is the French knot. I used it in the adorable Woodland Threads Snowdrop Mouse kit. I am incorporating the work into a crazy quilt Christmas stocking for my daughter.
Favorite stitch is the French knot, which I used in a recent project making a doily. The reason it is my favorite is that the secret to consistent, well-formed French knots is thread tension. While that could be said for most embroidery stitches, the French knot can be most easily undone/redone until perfection is achieved.
Hi, Mary…thank you and Inspirations for the opportunity to win this lovely book! So, one of my favorite stitches is the Palestrina knot. Most recently I used it quite a bit for outlining animals in the Sue Spargo wool quilt, Folk Tails. It creates a definitive textural outline and can be used on all kinds of shapes. I’ve used it a lot on stems, leaves, etc., as well. Thanks, again, Mary. Happy Christmas!
Stem stitch because it is versatile, easy to do, easy to vary, and has enough texture to make it interesting but not so much as to overwhelm its line. I just used it in a crewelwork design last night.
My favourite needlework must be the Italian Punto Antico. I love the combination of geometric designs and openwork. The last project in which I used it was a needlecase project I wrote for Piecework magazine.
My favorite type of embroidery is what I am working on at any given time! I have a punch needle project started, a cross stitch Christmas pillow and a beadwork project. Love it all. Not enough time in the day.
Mary, feather stitch is my favourite stitch. I am currently making a long, thin surface stitch sampler and did a feather stitch band just a few days ago. Now, do I attach some beads to it or leave it au naturel?
Thank you so much for doing these giveaways. It must create a lot of work for you.
I do hope that your good health is totally restored.
Many blessings. You are a special lady.
It would be easier to say which stitch I least like, as there are so many which I
Do. I guess stem stitch is it for embroidery, so useful. For needlepoint, I love
Bargello stitches, for their variety and flow. Thank you for the chance to win a prize.
I never thought I would ever say this, but I believe my favorite stitch is “drum roll”——silk shading. I love the subtle results and the dramatic results that you can get with the same stitch.
At the moment, my fav is the chain stitch. I just finished a small piece of zakka embroidery, using just two colors, a gorgeous dark Sublime floss (called Eyeliner which describes it perfectly), with the one accent color in a deep lipstick red. All the dark stitching was done in the chain.
I must choose the plain old cross stitch!! Basic, so useful, and relaxing for me! Thanks for the chance to win!
My favorite stitch at the moment is the black work running stitch. I try to use it in other work when I can to avoid thread showing through the fabric.
Name your favorite embroidery (or needlework) stitch and describe the last project in which you used it.
The backstitch is my favorite embroidery stitch. The last project I made using the backstitch was a set of flour sack dish cloths embroidered with ducks.
Right now, my favorite stitch is the cross stitch. Am working on “Dresses” by Nora Corbett. It also includes lots of beads. One of my favorite combinations.
Thank you for the chance to win one of these gorgeous books!
I love using the stem stitch. The most recent project has been a wool applique piece; graphic pattern, colourful, with beads and decorative stitches.
I don’t seem to have a favorite stitch, but I do have some that I use a lot. One of them is stem stitch. Since I also applique, I find this an excellent stitch to finish off the edges of my applique patches to give them that extra charm. The last time I used this stitch was yesterday while outlining the elf hat on a gingerbread boy. He is the center piece of the last of eight blocks that will form a Christmas crazy quilt – which, by the way, has provided an excellent medium to try all kinds of stitches.
Hello!
My favorite stitch is the long and short stitch. I like how you can blend colors using this stitch.
I like the classic French Knot. I’m currently using it to create texture on a pomegranate worked in crewel wool. So pretty!
I love Queen stitch. I made a small needle book with a heartsease pattern on the front based on V&A pieces I have looked at online. I love the overall fabric look created by Queen stitches.
My favorite needlework stitch is the outline stitch because I am a beginner and it is super easy! I am making pillows for my living room of various snowman. I am using blue thread on white fabric.
Stitches that create texture are among my favourite stitches….so I would have to pick one that surprised me, both as to how it looked and how fun it was to stitch. I used the drizzle stitch in an encrusted sea bed piece. It worked up nicely as the end of a sea cucumber creature (the top end of a felted wool 1/2 sphere) and again as the spines of a sea urchin . I like to combine both surface and stumpwork so this stitch is a useful bridge between the two. But truth be told…..I think I enjoy what ever stitch I am using at the time.
I love Smyrna stitches. There are a lot of them on The Holland Mandala by Chatelaine. I took a first place ribbon for it when I entered it in my local county fair!
Hi Mary,
Thank you for once again offering your wonderful Christmas give-aways. My favourite stitch has got to be the Jessica stitch which makes for a beautiful eyelet style stitch that works wonderfully with overdyed silk floss. It can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes which makes it a very versatile stitch.
Pick a favorite stitch! That is like choosing a favorit pet or child. They all have their “specialness” about them but since I am forced to select one it would have to be the simple cross stitch. Perfect little Xs come togther to create beautiful works of art – amazing!
Currently, I am using this particular stitch to create Christmas tree ornaments.
Hi Mary my favourite stitch is fly as it can be used in so many ways. I’m actually doing a quilt at present which is called “Town andCountry” this is for the machine as they are 4in squares but I’m doing it all by hand so as to practise many different stitches instead. It was originally a Block a day so started in May this year and have 3 more rounds to go. My grandson of5 just loves it as it has themes airports diggers etc so I get told that a person needs to be put here etc from him. It is very colourful with lots to look at and is reducing my stash of threads! The biggest problem is stitching through batik sore hands and bent needles never again ! Hope your well and have a nice Xmas with your family just love your updates as they are so helpful x
My favourite embroidery stitch is the humble buttonhole stitch. I’ve used it in so many different embroidery projects over the years and what I love about it is that it can be dressed-up or dressed-down! By that I mean that it can look absolutely beautiful in Elizabethan embroidery as detached buttonhole or it can be more utilitarian. The last project I have used it on is a series of Hardanger Christmas stars I am making to give to my family and friends this year.
Penny – Rockhampton, Australia
I know it’s dull but I’ve got to go with stem stitch. I used it to fill in a tree on a name tag for the back of my last quilt- it’s always beautiful and so relaxing
I really like the look of long eyelets. I have only ever seen them in Yvette Stanton’s book Early-style Hardanger. I lasted used them making the biscornu from Yvette’s book, but I really want to try and put them on something of my own design. I will get round to it one day 🙂
My favorite stitch at the moment is chain stitch. I most recently used it as an outline stitch for a set of butterflies on a baby quilt (just finished the quilt two days ago). Besides using it as an outline stitch, I’ve also used it as a filling stitch in an embroidered linen scarf I’ve been working on for some time (all in wool thread); it’s such a versatile stitch, I’m discovering. Don’t you love it when something that has been right in front of you all along takes on new meaning? For now, it’s my stitch of choice. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of “A Passion for Needlework, Factoria VII.” It looks so beautiful!
I absolutely love the long and short stitch and look for projects that will allow me to use it. My last project I used it in was a scene with several animals, all different shapes and textures of fur. I love the challenge of “painting” with needle and thread!
I am currently working HARD to complete Mary Corbet’s 12 trees for Christmas.
My dear friend has been collecting the Spode Christmas tree China for many years, and l can no longer afford to add to her set. This pattern is perfect, even though my actual stitching is far from.
I am finding the Daisy Chain to be my new favorite stitch. I am even seeing improvement in the quality of my stitches as l go along.
I love this project, and hope l hsve it completed by Christmas. Even if l have to frame it for her after December 25th, my wish is that my friend loves it as much as l am. And l am Jewish!
Thank you,
Amy
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch. I love the plump and smooth look of it. The last project I used satin stitch on was for a Dutch style birth announcement.
I love stem stitch as it looks good straight but curves beautifully too. I am working on a pretty tablecloth with garlands of flowers so I use it a lot.
My favorite is the Woven Spider Web. I last used it to create the shell of a snail in a project with my EGA chapter.
My favorite stitch is the long arm cross stitch which made such a lovely border combination on the “Southwest” sampler I recently finished. Since the sampler contained six borders, I wanted something that would emphasize some of the border patterns and turned to the long arm cross stitch with wonderful results.
My favorite type of embroidery….that is hard to choose but it must be crewel. Inspirations new book would be a great addition to my research library. Choosing my favorite stitch is also hard to do but I have t say it is a composite stitch, the Trellis Stitch and I used it last on a design I made for a Christmas ornament exchange at our EGA chapter luncheon.
My favourite is stem stitch. A simple versatile stitch. The last project I used it in was a Christmas Themed swap at my local Soft Doll & Craft group. I embroidered 4 x 5″Hexies with Ginger Breadmen using Stem Stitch to outline them. For the additional details (candles, stars etc), I used stem stitch as a filler on some and plus whipped stem on others.
Simple, fun and the end project looked beautiful.
I still love the cross stitch, It was my constant companion for many years and in many sizes and many fabrics. Like many of us I started with printed and quickly mastered the counted form.
My favorite needlework stitch is herringbone. I use it a lot in my crazy quilts. And the last time I used it was in October to teach a class. Thanks for sharing!
Favorite stitch is stem stitch and i last used it to put names on a quilt. I also enjoy doing counted cross stitch, but quilting has kept me busy lately.
My current favorite stitch is Lazy Daisy. I get to combine french knots with open chain stitches and in no time have a whole bunch of flowers stitched.
Stem stitch. I’ve mastered it and can do it consistently. Simple but fills areas well and looks wonderful.
I do love surface work best of all. I love putting in my own stitches. Like saying phooey to stem stitch and using a buttonhole stitch to make a stem look thorny.
I made a Dalla horse last week as a surprise ornament for my EGA group. Nothing fancy, simple red cotton, but it came out very cute with a download from Urban Threads. I love that I was able to stitch it, stuff it and wrap it in a day!
Thanks for the give away. Love books.
Currently I am working on a gold work piece and laying gold threads is instant gratification and oh so sparkly.
Hi Mary- my favorite stitch is the chain stitch. I recently made frequent use of it throughout a crazy quilted mug rug.
thank you for running the give away again this year – I have been looking forward to it.
I enjoy all stitches for their individual challenges, but the one that gives me the most satisfaction is French Knots. Now that your videos (thank you very much for those) have taught me how to do them properly I am enjoying filling in flowers and seed pods on my current summer and autumn window pictures projects.
My favourite stitch comes from needlelace and is up and down buttonhole stitch last used to make a small detatched leaf.
I like to do whitework. I just finished a small Terri Bay piece with white thread layed on white fabric. I love layed thread stitches.
My favorite stitch is the French knot. I love the texture and they are fun to work!
I love making bullion stitches of all shapes and sizes!!
My latest bullion project was embroidering a heart shaped design around the crucifix from my mothers coffin.
My favorite stitch is stem stitch. I love the texture it gives and the ease of following curved lines, and I use it for just about everything. I find it easy to shade with stem stitch also. I most recently used it to stitch a dress on a female figure on one of my goddess dolls, and before that I used it to stitch an octopus. I use that stitch almost exclusively for tree trunks.
I have fallen in love with the simple backstitch. I just finished a Christmas pillow in red work and use the backstich instead of a stem stitch and loved the way it looks.
I would love to have A Passion for Needlework. I received the first one as a gift and love to just sit and read it. It would be such a joy to have.
i like the chained lazy daisy stitch. i just did a mug rug with that stitch included in it.
I am a newbie in hand embroidery. I picked your “Christmas Ornament from your stash” as a way to learn new stitches. I love the ribbed spider web stitch! And really love the scallop made with a buttonhole stitch over the chain stitch.
As a newbie, let me say a big “THANK YOU” for your wonderful, easy to follow YouTube videos on the different stitches.
I have a future project in mind, a memoriam for someone, which is why I’m learning! Would love it if you could comment on the design, when it’s done.
I love Palestrina stitch! I most recently used it around the edge of a silk needle book.
My favourite stitch is split stitch I love using it for its simplicity, most recently I completed 2 large Saints and a skeleton in wool almost completely in split stitch.
Lately I’ve been loving couching! I’ve used it today on a goldwork piece. The most I’ve used it recently was on my entry to the San Francisco School of Needlework stitch at home challenge with the burlesque theme. My “Moonlight Masquerade” has a raccoon with loads of Kreinik sparkly stuff couched in different effects. Didn’t realize couching was so useful!
Hi, Mary!
My favorite embroidery stitch is Sardinian Knot Stitch! I learned it from a book by Yvette Stanton and made the embroidered cushion from her book “Sardinian Knotted Embroidery”. I learned of the book from you in one of your reviews! It was such fun to learn a new technique!
I Love the queen stitch. I am using in on a piece by Catherine Therons Elegant Sewing roll. It is beautiful! Thanks for the giveaway! I would love to win!
It’s a really hard question as I enjoy them all! Needlelace would probably just nudge ahead the rest as it so versatile. I have just finished Jenny Adin-Christie’s wren which is amazing.
These holiday drawings are something I look forward to each Christmas. The book is beautiful and thanks to Inspirations and to you Mary for making these books available for 5 lucky people. My favorite stitch is a French knot……always room for one more in each embroidery I do. Also enjoy the fly stitch as it is relaxing to do and always looks impressive. I work mostly in embroidery on wool. Thanks and happy holidays.
Chainstitch: easy, quick and can be used in hundred ways! I have used it last in my sampler. What a lovely give away!
My favourite embroidery stitch is the raised stem stitch and last used when I made the “Home Sweet Home” cottage, I enjoyed it so much that I’m looking for more times to make use of it.
Thank you Mary for another lovely chance at these beautiful give aways. Today my favourite stitch is raised satin stitch and I’m getting plently of practice as I am currently stitching Trish Burr’s Prancer. He is quite lovely.
Hi Mary
One of my favourite stitches is back stitch. I find there is so much scope with this stitch. I am working on a square to be inserted into a quilt for my local quilting group who make small quilts for premmie babies. The stitch is ideal for this project as it lays flat, can use any colour thread and looks impressive with not as much work as other stitches.
Chris
Hi! My favourite stitch at the moment is the Portuguese Stem Stitch . I have just finished a butterfly candlewicking project which included this stitch. Adds a lovely framing element to the design. Cheers to all!
Hello Mary! I’m entering this contest because my Mum told me to! (I think she might just want a double chance at the book coming to our household. c: ) To be honest I’m more of an embroidoodler, so I can’t remember what the name of the stitch I use the most is. It’s the one where you take two or more threads and as you come up you go between the two threads from the previous stitch. The chain stitch?? Who knows. It’s a really versatile stitch that I’ve used for some very cute projects, though I have a hard time getting it to do sharper curves.
If favorite means most often used, my favorite is the stem stitch. However, I am greatly intrigued by the infinite possibilities in the fly stitch. I would love to wind this book because all Inspirations publications are great.
Hello Mary,
One of my favorite stitches is the fishbone stitch and the last project I used it in was to make leaves next to flowers on a sachet pillow.
Regards,
Kelli
My favourite stitch is Long armed Feather stitch and I use it in all of my projects. It makes a beautiful leaf.
My latest, a Mountmellick Rose among the Oak Leaves piece, had these leaves.
Deb Love.
My favourite stitch is the palestrina knot – it is easy to work and gives such an interesting result. I’m currently working it (interspersed with beads) around the edge of a circular Christmas decoration.
Hello! Thank you for another year of Stitcher’s Christmas goodies! These give-aways are always so amazing! My favorite, although impractical stitch is the spider web. I love how they work up and look so intricate but are actually pretty easy to do. The last time I got to use it was on a sampler kit I did for my mom for Mother’s Day. I am always on the lookout for designs with round areas that could hold a web or two!
My favorite stitch is cross stitch. Pat
My favorite stitch is the cross stitch. I am doing a Heaven and Earth chart and a project where I converted one of my photos into a cross stitch chart.
Good morning Mary
I use the humble chain stitch a lot. I have used it a lot on canvas pieces using different thicknesses of threads. It makes a definite line used as a single row or can make quite a statement when massed together row after row.
I love to do Redwork. The stem stitch is what I use the most. But my favorite is the French knot. I add it where ever I can. The most recent project was Redwork hearts in blocks for my “Love is” quilt.
One of my favorite stitches is the Diagonal Scotch. I recently used this on a needlepoint Petei Santa. While there are many, the one that I used the Diagonal Scotch stitch on was the Italian Santa in his very Royal Purple robe.
My favorite stitch is reversible blackwork. I’m enjoying stitching a Blackwork class project by Eileen Bennett
C of A’s Pen-Pillow and Scissor Fob.
mi bordado favorito es el bayeux, y el último proyecto que realicé con esta puntada fue un escudo celta para mi hijo que estudia batallas y armamento medieval. Es un círculo que mide un poco menos de un metro de diámetro, bordado con estambre de lana (en México no es fácil encontrar la lana como hilo para bordar). Al mismo tiempo, mi hijo también aprendió a bordar (tiene 25 años) y él mismo se bordó un blasón también celta, para enriquecer su vestuario medieval, ya que realiza demostraciones en la universidad. Yo soy apasionada e investigadora de artes textiles antiguas y medievales, por lo cual me fascina tu blog.
I just finished the Pertinacity from Hazel Blomkamp’s Crewel Intentions. It is such a magnificent design and full of advanced stitches. I was specially impressed by the relatively simpler vermicelli couching and just loved how elegant the stitch looks on those leaves!
For my next project I’d like to explore more on chain stitch and use it as filler like those simple Japanese approach.
So for now I think chain stitch is my favorite stitch since new projects are always more exciting than old ones.
The chain stitch is my favorite stitch to use. Currently, I am participating in a Stitch Along hosted by Amina on her blog STITCH FLORAL. I am trying to expand my hand embroidery stitch knowledge and reading/watching tutorials on the variety of stitches to learn. Just last night, I was watching a couple of your videos on filling stitches. I chose to try the Detached Buttonhole stitch and did not have much success. I know it is due to the shape that I tried it on ( a rounded petal) and also because I made my outline stitches far to small, which you mention in your video to avoid doing. So today, I hope to avoid that mistake again and try again. Thank you for all of help with tutorials and daily articles, plus so much more.
My favorite stitch – that is a hard question since I enjoy all of them ! The thrill that accompanied the challenge of learning a new stitch ; the quiet reassurance of sampler stitches, the soothing qualities of cross stitches and needlepoint all have their special places in my heart.
Realistic technique and all the nuances of color and shading within that grouping is perhaps one of my favorites, but I enjoy and like the finesse and immense flexibility a simple straight stitch can offer ( blackwork or Japanese techniques).
When done well, the bullion knot is my favorite. I last used it to form the yellow and black stripes on a pair of little bumble bees on a basket sampler quilt. I put them in just one of the 14 blocks on the quilt but, along with hand quilted flight path lines, they really added a lot. Interestingly, the basic pattern for the bees came from an e-booklet I bought from the wonderful folks at Inspirations!
I love satin stitch. It looks so rich. I last used it to embroider my initial on the front of a needlebook. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Buttonhole is by far my my favourite stitch a there are so many variations.I’m just finishing a Grandmother’s Garden hexagon quilt for one of my grand daughters. I’ve used buttonhole stitch pointing outwards as stamens on the flowers and I am about to use the Up and Down version to make a couple of caterpillars crawling up the stems. It’s so much fun to do.
My favorite stitch is all forms of blanket stitch and the last time I used it was for a Christmas stocking in crazy patchwork for a friend
My favorite stitch would be the long and short stitch as used in needle painting technique. I used it extensively on a needlepainted rendition of Redoute’s Pansies!
My favouite stitch is Queen stitch and the last time I used it was on a Needle Roll
I love and use many embroidery stitches. However, the cross stitch is my favorite. It is the stitch that I find totally relaxing. It was the stitch that helped me rediscover needlework as an adult. I am currently working on a JUST NAN kit called GYPSY ROSE. When complete she will be mounted in a box for my granddaughter’s birthday in April. I hope that everytime she looks at her box she will see me smiling as I stitch.
Hello Mary,
Thank you very much for your blogs and website. I have learned so much from you and each week I am looking forward for your emails.
My favorite embroidery stitch is stem stitch it makes beautiful outlines for initials and I embellish the initials with silk ribbons. The ribbon stitches make beautiful flowers. I am working on my grand daughter initial at this moment.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Sophia
My favorite stitch is the very simple but so easy to use THE STEM stitch. I can embroider almost anything with this stitch . Its like drawing with a needle. The last project I used it with was to create a goofy, happy looking goat on the pocket of an apron for my friend’s granddaughter’s Christmas present.
Thank you
I love silk shading/needle painting. I used this stitch with Phillipa Turnbull when she was in New Zealand for our biannual conference. It is lovely using this stitch with the Appleton wools and the lovely shades they produce!
Hi Mary! Thanks for doing this again this year, so fun to see what the giveaways are! Even if I don’t win one, my
wish list grows 😀
My favorite embroidery stitch is the feather stitch. Not only is it fun to do, it looks great layered or combined with
other stitches. The most recent ways I have used it are as some coral in a seascape and in a little evergreen tree
with feather stitches layered in different shades of green for the boughs. It came out sooooo cute!
My favourite stitch is satin stitch! I am completing a dressing table set that my Mum started.
My favorite stitch is long and short, there is something fascinating to me to watch a space till in.
My favourite stitch is probably cross stitch, since I’m working on cross stitch 95% of the time 🙂
My favorite stitch is easily stem stitch – especially since learning the difference between it and outline stitch on your blog 🙂 I just love the way it smoothly rounds curves, but it can also turn sharp corners. I last used it in a crewel embroidery kit that I finished a week or so ago. Just have to mount it and get a frame and it will be hung on my embroidery wall near my desk – where I do much of my embroidering 🙂
Holly
Boyne City, MI
What a beautiful book, it can’t help but give five lucky winners a lot of inspiration. My favorite embroidery stitch is the split stitch and I find myself using it more and more. I love to use it as an outline stitch as well as a filler stitch to add texture and dimension. The last project I used it on was a Rocky Mountain themed quilt where I embroidered six wildflowers from Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah.
Thank you for this fun Christmas contest.
Linda
Most definitely my favorite stitch is split stitch, which I usually use to outline shapes. Most recently I used it to outline some neurons in a pendant I’m doing 🙂
My favorite stitch, oh hard that is. I have many favorites. I’m going to go with the Palestrina stitch which is also called the twilling stitch. I love it because I can use it in any of my embroidery projects and it gives it dimension. It’s a beautiful knotted stitch. I used it in my vintage t-towels. I used vintage embroidery patterns from the 50’s and 60’s. I used the palestrina stitch to outline the fruits and vegetables. It really made them pop. Oh are they cute!
My go-to (so I guess it’s my favourite) stitch is cross stitch. I think the majority of embroiderers started with cross stitch and that’s the stitch I feel most comfortable doing.
I’m definitely a newbie and more textile artist than embroider but love the inspiration of your website and newsletter. My ‘big’ work is a version of the Bayeux tapestry. I worked at the Art Gallery of Western Australia for a considerable time retiring as Director of Exhibitions. I’m currently finishing the tableau design of my ‘epic’ adventures there based on all the different exhibitions from around the world we hosted. It’s a very personal behind the scenes look at my life at the gallery with all the characters depicted in various historical genres. Not as big as the original but the finish design will be long and thin approx 20m and of course in Bayeux stitch !
Long and Short stitch
Last usage: Christmas Bouquet (by Juile Kniedl) I made (am making) one for each member of the team I work with as their Christmas gift
I love using the fly stitch. It’s so versital for many of my projects. I am continually working on our crazy quilted tree skirt and use the fly stitch quite often especially for decorative connection of the pieces. I also own all but 8 of the “Inspirations” magazine and would truly treasure their new book. Thank you
My favourite stitch is probably chain stitch. It can become mesmerizing.
I love the queen stitch, especially when bunched together ..like the one in Drawn Threads “Tocatta 1”. You can vary the color combos and style..I love looking at it.
Thanks
Yikes…choosing one would be like choosing a favorite child, or pet, or color, or book. I might have stitch ADD. I do love the fun of popping little French knots about though. They are so joyful as they magically appear. But feather and chain are relaxing and Portugese stem is rewarding. In ribbon work I love to make spider web roses. I use French knots and feather and chain on most projects, including my never ending Home Sweet Home box I am doing, but as usual changing some stuitches and elements. This a geat giveaway…thanks for the opportunity!
Linda
The first stitch my mother ever taught me was Lazy Daisy. Maybe it’s memories of her that keep it my favorite over the years.
After learning to do goldwork, needle lace, and stump work, I’ve decided that my favorite stitch to work is good old basketweave. I find it to be relaxing. I can pay attention to design and color with out having to agonize over stitch placement (see queen stitch, my personal bete noir). I have enjoyed learning all these new to me techniques, but for the pure pleasure of stitching, give me basketweave. I am now working on a Metropolitan Museum canvas of The Unicorn in Captivity. Much detail with the mille fleurs background, but still relaxing because of the basic stitch
My favorite stitche is long and short stitches i used it when i do needle painting like in my last projet from trish burr. Audrey headburn
My favorite is the long and short stitch. In reality it is only a simple straight stitch but the intricate patterns and mainly the blending of colors is amazing. To sew animals, birds, flowers, The list is endless. Also the different types of yarns used are so varied.
One of my favorite stitches is the bullion knot. I know that many stitchers have difficulty with executing this particular stitch, but for some reason (even thought I am not a very good stitcher), my bullion knots turn out smooth and lay where I put them. I love to “tickle their bellies” to make them pretty. I was delighted to find a book by Yvette Stanton titled “Portuguese Whitework” and it had pages and pages of designs from Guimarães with bullion knots and more bullion knots. I made several small Christmas ornaments and am looking forward to starting a larger sampler soon.
My favorite needlework stitch is the rice stitch for counted cross-stitch. I used it as a border in a Christmas ornament project. I love many of the speciality stitches in samplers such as long arm cross stitch and alternating scotch stitch. It is so hard to choose just one!
I love French knots. I put them in everything I stitch!
The last item was a panel of three flowers, I’m still working on it but hope to finish this weekend.
Stem stitch. Project is a journal cover called “You are so worth it”. Very much prefer the look of stem stitch over back stitch!
That is a tough question! The very first stitch I was taught by my mother was satin stitch, so it is a sentimental favourite, as it opened up a whole new world for me.
Having never met a stitch I don’t like, this is tough to answer. Although most of my stitching has been cross-stitch, my all-time favorite genre is stumpwork, and especially turkeywork, as I just love making fuzzy, fluffy, furry elements. The last project on which I used it was Carolyn Barrani’s needlepoint ‘Koquette Kitty.’
My favorite stitch is the Queen Stitch, but I don’t get to use it often enough. The last time was in a sampler called Maria’s Berries, which I finished many years after a class, and also in a kit that I don’t remember the details of.
I love stemstitch . Im currently embroidering flowers on patches to make a quilted bag from.
I have enjoyed your examples of the embordery stitches . I have learned a lot of new stitchess. Thank you very much.
My favorite is the feather stitch. Simple and beautiful.
I am a crazy quilter with a large group of like minded friends. We love the variety of the fabrics that can be used and an even larger amount of threads and embellishments. I am currently working on Sharon Boggins 2020 challenge. I thought it would be easy since I have an excessive amount of fabric, trims, beads and threads. I realized that I had to have a system to keep to the challenge rules but I unfortunately have duplicates of everything so I keep picking up the same threads. I enjoy trying out new stitches but find that I always seem to need to do my favorite ones which are variations of the buttonhole. I think that the feather and Cretan are probably 2 of my favorite stitches.
Mary,
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I recently completed redwork sunbonnet sue using the stem stitch.
Sue
As a beginner embroiderer, my favourite stitch is stem stitch. I last used this on a table throw featuring different Santa Clauses. I’m looking forward to putting it on the table very soon!
The back stitch is one of my favorite stitch to use as it is very good for outlining letters and stems. I did an embroidery of flowers , stems, leaves and a name. Back stitch was great on all those curves.
I use a lot of embroidery stitches to embellish appliqué on quilts that I make. I really enjoy the relaxation that comes from doing French knots and how such a simple stitch can make things come to life.
I have just learned about the long and short stitch. I love it. I used it on a nursery plaque for my new granddaughter and then a large purple pansie. No doubt I have some practice to do before I get it « right », but I think it is beautiful.
I love all the possibilities with this stitch – animals, scenery, faces etc
My favorite stitch would probably be the good old chain stitch. It goes quickly and can be used to fill areas or make thick outlines.
I used it on a piece I made for my husband’s niece when she was born. She is adopted from China. I was to be the equivalent of birth record hangings that I made for my nieces, this one stitched with the best information we have of when she had been born almost 3 years earlier. I found some good luck Chinese characters and transferred the outline to a rectangular piece of red fabric (lengthwise). I then filled int the stitched outline of the characters with chain stitch (outline and fill in black) following the direction of the characters, which made it look as if it had been filled in with brush strokes.
On a 30th anniversary gift for my sister and her husband I had my husband transfer their wedding photo and a photo of each of their 2 children to a piece of fabric, so that I could draw a tree shape with them in the middle of the trunk and each child in branch. I again used the chain stitch – in brown this time and stitched much denser – to fill in the trunk and branches.
Hi Mary,
My very favourite stitch is thread painting, long and short stitches. I love the way the colours blend in with one another, and the way the project comes to life. My last project was a Kelpie dog for a dear friend.
Louise 🙂
I have a newly awakened interest in hand embroidery and at the present I enjoy doing redwork with a Back Stitch or Stem Stitch. I have just completed a Christmas Stocking and several ornaments.
I find couching a deceptively simple but very effective stitch. I used it most recently on a simple design of a diver entering the water for a SNAD home challenge. Years ago I did a frame weight class that used various laid threads and couching patters to create interesting and varied designs in a way that had not occurred to me before; that was when I really came to love couching!
I love the chain stitch. I recently finished my third embroidered baby quilt where I used the chain stitch to outline the hands of all family members who surround my three youngest grandchildren. Using the chain stitch for the hands symbolized for me the way that we are all linked together to love and support these babies.
Lovely giveaway, Mary! Thanks for being so generous!
My favorite stitch is the bullion knot. I know many people dislike them, but to me they seem to come naturally. The last project I used them on was Pacific Tide Pool, a free-form embroidery project from Laura Perin. I entered my piece at the Minnesota State Fair, where it won the Best of Needlepoint ribbon and two sponsored awards from shops. I was very pleased!
I have been doing cross stitch for the last 30 yrs. There are so many options and designs that I will never run out of projects. I finished Sampler Hare from La De Da and a very colorful “Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy” that was in the old copy of Cross Stitch and Needlework issue this year. I also run a class at a Boys and Girls Club in Pittsburgh teaching cross stitch. The kids pick it up easier and get quick results to keep them interested. We are now working on Christmas projects.
My favorite stitch is the mosaic. I just used it on a strawberry project from Barbara Jackson. Thanks for running these giveaways!
My favorite embroidery stitch is the satin stitch because it can be used in so many ways, large and small areas. The last project I used it on was to embroider some kitchen towels with some folk art birds and flowers. Thank you!!
Hi Mary,
Currently, my favourite embroidery stitch is chain stitch. It may be very basic but it is also very versatile as it can be used as a line, or a filler, and using adaptations of the stitch can become very decorative. As I am fairly new to embroidery, I am wanting to delve into all the possibilities of one stitch at a time.
I am currently working on a felt brooch using chain stitch to outline areas and also fill areas.
My favourite stitch is the stem stitch it is very forgiving
Last project I used it on (still using project not complete) is an autumn embroidery Autumn’s Call by Crabapple Hill designs
Have a great week
I love French Knots! In my chapters of ANG and EGA my nickname is The French Knot Queen. I am currently working on a Theresa Layman miniature knot rug. This is the ninth or tenth one I have done. And have several in my lineup to do. They are so relaxing and I destress when working on them. They are like my little mandalas to calm my mind.
Thank you for all you do and letting us have an opportunity to receive wonderful items.
My favourite stitch is cross stitch. I have just made a Christmas star ornament and used cross stitch to attach the beads and to fill the background with gold metal thread crosses for their glittering effect. I love all the variations of cross stitch too and have recently made a cross stitch page for a stitch sampler book.
I like the Spider/rose wheel…not sure the actual name. I used it to make flowers with my new sparkly DMC floss for a Vote stitch I did up for election day 🙂
French knots.
I covered the flap of a pouch necklace with French knots to mimic the dots on a hand dyed silk ribbon also on the pouch.
My favourite stitch is the stem stitch as it is
very forgiving using it on my latest project
Autumns Call by Crabapple Hill design
Have a great week
For a simple stitch I like the Blanket stitch. I know it sounds too easy but it is great for edging, applique, and making 3 dimensional items which I do a lot. As for fancy stitches. I like the bullion stitch. It is so great for bud, flowers, curly hair and it’s easy but looks so fancy. It’s just a cute stitch.
My favorite needlework would be Swedish weaving. I was able to create several small pillows from “scraps” of monk’s cloth and trimming them with Italian hem stitch. I totally enjoy the opportunities you provide on your site. Thanks!
Mary,
I really like French knots. They can be used for so many things and can be adapted in many ways. Last big project using them was four little teddy bears.
My favourite stitch the moment hs to be the cross stitch. I have returned to cross stitching at a busy time in my life and I love the therapeutic effect it has on me.
The Holbein stitch (double running) because I adore the challenge of Blackwork!
Right now I’m loving cross stitch, but usually, whatever stitch I’m doing is my favorite. I am presently working on a cross stitch project by Riolis of lavender fields, and I just love it.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the bullion stitch; it has so many applications and works up beautifully! My last project using the bullion was a set of pillowcases for a Christmas gift in my fiber arts group.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the detached chain, or some call it the lazy-daisy. It was one of the first embroidery stitches I learned as a little girl, and I still use it often. I find I can use detached chain in many different ways; I can make flowers or leaves, wheat ears, or ears on bunnies, or other animals, a bow-tie on a little character, or for borders on crazy patch, etc. It’s a go-to stitch for me.
I love satin stitch, the way it gives a 3D effect to whatever it’s used on. I last used it to stitch Old English letters spelling out a naughty word for a friend who loves stuff like that. 🙂
I have so many favorites but I think my most used one is the stem stitch. My back stitching never looks neat and tidy so I always substitute the stem stitch. I love how it looks like a little rope. I love French knots too for flowers and filler and sheep fur but I don’t use it as often because I think of it as a specialty stitch when texture is called for. The stem stitch is more utilitarian-my work horse so I have to give it kudos. Have a fantastic week and my kudos to you for sharing your wealth of information.
My favourite stitch at the moment is the cross stitch. I love how it is rhythmical and soothing. I’m finishing 2017 Mystery Sampler by Linen and Threads.
French knots.
I covered the flap of a wool pouch necklace with French knots to mimic the dots on a hand dyed silk ribbon also on the necklace.
My favorite stitch is the chain stitch I just finished a Moomin Troll for hoop art using the chain stitch as an outline. Gives a little extra depth to a simple design. It was from an iron on pattern of Sublime Stitching.
Basketweave stitch for needlepoint is my favorite all time stitch. It looks cool on the back and minimizes the distortion in the canvas. Thank you for the chance to win this gorgeous book.
My favourite stictch is satin stitch i used it on a santa’s coat on a Christmas cushion.
Blanket Stitch is my current favourite. I am using it on applique, and experimenting with varying length stitches and trying the open blanket stitch. Mary, I appreciate your clear tutorials on these stitches
Detached chain stitch. So versatile and with a little tension play the stitch can look so different. Made for great raindrops showering down on a 30’s duckling with umbrella on some tea towels
My favorite stitch is the Algerian eyelet and I used it in a Hardanger doily. Thank you for the chance to win such beautiful book!
Wheatear- I needed a stitch to frame a section of a larger sampler-type project and this worked beautifully! I even used metallic thread, which really highlighted the shape!
My favorite stitch is the colonial knot. Combined in clumps with French knots, the project becomes so textural. The last project using the colonial knot was on a wool/silk folk art quilt which included lots of embroidery.
My favourite stitch at the moment is double running stitch. I love the return journey as my needle turns the running stitch into a firm outline and a picture takes shape before my eyes. Its character changes remarkably depending on the thread that I am using. I most recently used it in a blackwork project on linen. It gave structure and foundation to the entire design before I started adding in the details
One of my favorite stitches is the feather stitch and I am using it on an owl picture I am working on.
My favorite stitch is the Algerian eyelet and I used it in a Hardanger doily. Thank you for the chance to win the beautiful book! P.s. I`m not sure why, but I can`t find my previous comment in the section below, so I just leave it here one more time.
I love the French knot because it gives texture to a project. I am working on a sheep project by Laura Wasilowski that I found in Quilting Arts. This sheep is not a boring white. It is worked in bands of color made with French knots.
My favorite stitch is cross stitch because I can do it easily. I made a rose motif and made it into a pillow for my bed. Looking at it makes me happy.
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch. I love the way the item looks after that work is done. I find the effort to get those stitches as close as possible is really relaxing to me – I guess it’s hard to explain to someone how the action of moving that needle through the fabric can be so soothing, but it is. Thank you Mary for doing this year’s give-away. Haven’t been lucky enough to win in the past, but maybe this year.
I love the bullion stitch’s dimensionality. The last thing I used it for was on a wool Sue Spargo inspired sampler.
My favorite stitch (for the moment) is the trellis stitch.
This week I will be teaching my needlework group this stitch…I love how it looks in different weight threads.
I love the trellis stitch….currently working on Fresh Cut wool block, which has several on a vase…open trellis as well as the full trellis looks stunning in many threads
I love anything done with a needle and thread. My favorite stitch is counted cross stitch. My last project was a girl in a kimono.
My favorite stitch is buttonhole stitch when it is used in stumpwork. I last used on an Alison Cole butterfly
My favorite embroidery stitch is the cross stitch as it is my favorite technique in general. The last time I used it was in Behold Thy Beauty designed by Jackie du Plessis.
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch (du jour…because it seems to change with each project…) would be the DIAMOND EYELET .
The last project I used it in was a small Christmas ornament, that I made for the EAC’s annual ornament exchange.
Gin
I have many favorite stitches, but one of my most favorite is the cross stitch. It can be very relaxing or challenging when color change frequently. I am working on a small sampler using cross and other stitches.
My favourite stitch is plain old chain stitch which is so versatile and can be used in so many different mediums. I have just finished a challenge for the Queensland Embroiderers Guild which is an antique cat drawn by a foundation member which we had to make our own. Chain stitch and couching are the main stitches.
My current stitch obsession is the woven trellis. Love the spacing challenge to get all those lines and squares just so. I hope to perfect while working on a Hazel Blomkamp design.
Thank you Mary for the inspiration (and introducing me to Hazel!).
My favorite is the double feather stitch and I last used it on a baby bonnet.
My favorite stitch is the Random Realistic stitch. I am currently working on a grouping of 13 butterflies. I have completed 8 of the butterflies so far and have used this stitch on one of them. I plan to use it on two more butterflies in the remaining five.
Satin stitch – I used it on sleeves of a dress I was needlepointing with a little padding and it gave a lovely effect.
My favorite stitch is the chain stitch – versatile and fun. The last project in which I used it was to represent scales on goldfish in different shades.
I learnt and enjoyed doing Hungarian Braid Stitch in Goldwork in a small project of Elizabethan work.
Thank goodness for your Tutorial and a long while practising!!
Now the effect I was looking for has been achieved and it will become my name tag for the Embroiderers Guild!
So very thrilled!!
My favorite stitch right now is the bullion stitch, which I have just learned and am trying to perfect. I have
the challenge of being left handed so my brain wants to do things backwards from what I see…
I do so enjoy your newsletter full of information about the wide range of embroidery. Thank you!
I like the humble chain stitch because it is so versatile! It can look fine & delicate or bold & chunky depending on threads & size of stitch. Lately I have been working on some of the beautiful patterns in Zakka Embroidery by Yumiko Higuchi, embellishing tea towels & aprons for Christmas gifts
My favorite stitch is Whipped Backstitch. I recently used it for the strings in the lyre in a block for the reduced-size Baltimore Album quilt I’ve been working on for too many years. I look forward to using this stitch again, to embroider “Tis the gift to be simple” in the medallion block, which celebrates our happy home.
I guess the stem stitch but that changes from day to day. I have been practicing stitches and designs for a funeral pall for ashes. A memorial for my father. Love your blog
Portuguese stem stitch. I used it to outline a label for a Christmas stocking which a friend made for her 1st grandson. Pam
Hi Mary
My favourite stitch is broad chain (aka reverse chain) essentially because of its neatness and evenness. My last, indeed current, use of it is in a Christmas gift project whereby I’m making tree decorations in the form of hearts for family members. So far I’ve made 30 and intend giving 3-4 per family. Each heart is different, is two-sided and a variation of wool felt or recycled blanket. Appliqued in the centre of each is silk velvet, ultra-sized buttons or other wool flowers. Beads, sequins, silks, cottons, rayons and charms provide rich embellishment. They are in the mould of Sue Spargo and Wendy Williams but the original concept belongs to New Zealand textile artist Jane van Keulen. The stitch I return to again and again in various ways is broad chain because no matter what type of thread I choose, this stitch unfailingly shows the colour and texture to advantage. Using two lines of it side by side adds extra impact, especially with variegated threads. Broad chain and me…we just go together!
Regards
Lynn
I use the back stitch a lot in my embroidery, it is very versatile! It’s a wonderful outline stitch & easy to achieve! I used it last for embroidering in the center of a block for a quilt that I made! Thank you, Susan
My fav embroidery is hardanger. I just finished hardanger bells for my family. Every year I give a hand stitched ornament to each grandchild (6).
My favorite embroidery stitch is the stem stitch. The last time I used it was to Appliqué a giraffe onto a quilt I am making for my first grandchild.
Linda Hayes-Trent
My favorite is the satin stitch: simple in theory, not so easy to execute well. I love the challenge, and the sense of accomplishment I get when it turns out just the way I wanted it. I have been getting plenty of practice with it on a pair of pillowcases I have in progress.
My favorite stitch is the french knot. You can get so many different looks with this stitch so it is very versatile.
Thank you, Mary, for all your ideas, tips, tutorials, etc. They really help me be a better stitcher!
My favourite stitch at the moment happens to be French Knots. I did hundreds on my design pennant for the 10th Anniversary of Beating Around the Bush , which was held in Adelaide this year.
I work full time as a medical assistant and when I have time I love to do cutwork or Richelieu. I learned from an old Lady from Spain. I was in Venezuela at that time with a lot of free time to make hand towls and little pillows. My last proyect was a pillow with the Virgen Mary using this type of embroidery for a friend of mine. Took me like four months to finished the proyect. I used linen and 3 strands of yarn. Love your website and your explanations with all the tecniques. God bless, Alesia
My favourite stitch is chain stitch because it can be used in many different ways. I especially like detached chain because it allows me to produce flowers and leaves fairly quickly. I recently made myself a new pin cushion which is round with eight little daisy clusters around the edge
I like a simple back stitch. I used it in the outlines of the seven pigs Days of the Week.
My favourite embroidery stitch is cross stitch. The last project I completed using cross stitch was a Christmas stocking for my new grandson. It has become a tradition in our family that I stitch a stocking for each grand child’s first Christmas .
Barbara NZ
Favorite stitch – back stitch – using it in dish towels for Christmas gifts.
My favorite embroidery stitch is bullion stitch. I used it on a crazy quilt block with a pansy theme.
Thank you for the chance to win, Merry Christmas and good luck to all!
Hello.My favourite embroidery is Elizabethan using detached buttonhole stitch and also ladder stitch .I love it as I can’t see to do counted thread this is perfect for me! Beryl Applin NZ
My favorite stitch is the bullion knot. It looked so intimidating, that I was afraid to try it for a long time. I finally got the hang of it, and used it to make a spiky flower on a needlepoint project.
Hello. My favourite stitch at the moment is satin stitch. Only just venturing into my new forever hobby of embroidery I love filling in my shapes neatly with this stitch.
Please count me in on your generous giveaway: A Passion for Needlework .
My favorite embroidery stitch is the French Knot. Yes, I love making them. The last project I stitched was a cross stitch design called Hope, from the Little Sheep Virtues Series. I decided to fill the sheep in with many tiny French knots. It turned out great.
Marie from GA
Have always loved and been challenged by the French knot. The last time I used it was in a bunch of flowers on the edge of a pillow case. Looking good – just hope they stand the test of time!
My favorite stitch is the long and short. Once the needle is threaded it becomes my paint brush to stitch landscapes, beautiful flowers, birds and animals. It is so simple, a long and a short stitch is all it takes.
Hello Mary;
I don’t know if you accept comments for your ‘give-aways’ from out of country. I live in Canada and am an avid stitcher and look forward to and appreciate receiving your newsletters.
As for my favorite stitch right now, it is layed stitches as in battlement couching. As anyone who does this type of stitching knows having your first laid lines exactly spaced makes for ease of placing all the other lines of thread and keeping the resultant squares or diamonds as equal as possible. Doing it strickly by ‘eye’ is a challenge and using other methods eg a spacer or ruler etc doesn’t always give the exactness (if that is what one is seeking to achieve) so I have come up with a solution that I’ll pass on. Use a ‘divider’ set to the dimension of choice. Place it where you want to set the needle and voila you end up with accurate spacing between the threads.
I look forward to your response assuming you read through all the entries.
Regards,
Judith
Since I do mostly counted canvas work lately, I’d say my favorite stitch is any kind of Amadeus. I’m currently using them in a project by Kurdy Biggs that I took a class from in October. It is a box called Creme de la Creme.
I’m a needlepointer and love using Woven Stitch as background. Just used it on a tooth fairy pillow!
I tend to prefer counted work, (not so much trouble keeping stitch length even) so like stitches like back stitch and double running stitch. I have just completed a piece playing with Black work which I have whimsically called ‘Last brick on the wall’.
I recently finished my version of Saving Grace, the linen placemat from a recent issue of Inspirations (although it will never see a plate of food!). I say “my version” because of difficulties seeing white-on-white stitching on 36-count linen and the fact the instructions were written for right-handed people—and I’m not. But I had great fun working the Italian 4-sided stitch once I was able to reverse it (and later ordered an Yvette Stanton book, bless her and her left-handed instructions!).
The Algerian she on a Melissa Shirley design.It’s such a simple but elegant stitch
Long/short fill stitch is still difficult for me but the effect is worth the effort.
I love the bullion- when someone else does it as I’m not so proficient with it. I love doing French knots – they work almost anywhere.
My new favorite stitch is the Montenegran. I learned it last summer in a class taught by Ellen Chester for her Long May She Wave sewing case and now I use it every chance I get. I love the rhythm of the stitch and interesting textured line that it makes.
I would love to have this book, so here goes: my favourite stitch is probably french knots. I know that is probably a tad mundane, but it took me many years to understand how to make them. I always thought you took the needle down in the exact same spot you had come up from. Oh dear.
My favorite stitch is the lazy daisy. I just finished using this stitch on sweaters that I am giving to my four granddaughters for Christmas. I bought the sweaters when I was on vacation in Spain for a modest price and thought I could make them really different by adding some cute embroidery created with lots of love
I love French Knots! I am currently using french knots for the ballerina tutu bodiceon a stokcing I am making for my granddaughter for Christmas.
It’s like picking my favorite child. The cross stitch was my first and led me
to this wonderful world of needlework and friends.
Currently, I am using it in a needle roll
This book is on my Christmas wish list. What a thrill it would be to win it!!
My favourite stitch is the slanted gobelin stitches that I used on a project called “5-4-3-2-1 and Some 3’s Silk Gauze Kit from Rising River Silk & Design Co. It was a project that I started many years ago using some really lovely silk threads. But part way into the project I realized that my stitches were slanted the opposite direction to the way the pattern was charted. I got frustrated and put it away. I finally pulled it out this year and finished it. It was a very soothing stitch to do on the silk gauze fabric.
I LOVE to do cross stitch, right now I am working on a Raggedy Ann & Andy kit that I bought from
Herrschner’s. It is NOT easy, lots of shade of colors and almost ALL cross stitch.
Mary,
My favorite stitch is the french knot and I use it as often as I can in various crazy quilts. My most current crazy quilt is about 16″ x 16″ and is a Christmas gift for my 94 year old Mother. The center of the quilt has a hand embroidered/thread painted rose in a 6″ square and that is surrounded by a straight line of a 3″ crazy quilt patches… and then a border of white for the edging. I have included charms to identify things throughout her lifetime. I hope she loves it!
Regards,
Bonnie
My current favorite stitch is the buttonhole stitch. I am working up a sampler of as many different variations as I can find. So far, Jacqueline Enthoven’s book, The Stitches of Creative Embroidery, has offered the most options for expanding my skills. In the sampler, I am embroidering straight lines but also using the different variations in motifs and shapes. FUN!
Usually my favorite technique is whatever is currently being worked on. That being said, I am trying my hand at a gold work butterfly…so for now, it is my favorite.
I have done a bit of cross stitch and am just getting into wool appliqué so right now it is blanket stitch and getting it perfectly spaced and perfect points!
I do prairie landscapes in which the background sky is fabric which I hand paint and the ground areas are appliqued fabrics, mostly commercial fabrics. The smaller features are trees, grasses, fences, buildings, etc., and they are hand embroidered. For trees and bushes especially I almost exclusively use the herringbone stitch. It lends itself so well to making outlines and spikey tree branches and can be layered many times or used sparsely if needed. Definitely I couldn’t do without it!!
My favorite is the bullion. I used it to complete flower buds recently.
Double running stitch. It is not always easy to decide the path but oh so fun. I stitched a small Blackwork piece.
I like doing the eyelet stitch because of the look it creates in a final piece. I’m currently working on Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas and love that the peacock feathers are full of algerian eyelets! It helps the peacock to stand out which of course it deserves to.
My favorite all time stitch is the feather stitch because there are endless ways to use it. I made a small crazy quilt that I plan on framing (about 2 x 2 feet). I used it in this work by depicting seaweed and underwater plants. It is beautiful and I love it.
Valerie Bearfield
I love Hardanger embroidery and the stitch I love to hate are picots. But my favorite one is the Greek cross. Thanks for the giveaways, Mary.
Melinda Riley
I love French knots! They are so cute and can be used by themselves or bunch them up for filling effects. I use them on as many projects as I can.
My favorite type of needlework will always be smocking. Not much time to stitch these days, but I always have a wee care gown to stitch on. In case you’re not familiar with wee care, these are tiny smocked gowns donated to hospitals for those unfortunate families who send their angels to heaven rather than bring them home from the hospital.
Hello Mary,
I’m having a ball right now working with Turkey stitch and it’s become my favourite.
I’m using it in a large piece which has a hooked background and embellished paisley and swirly motifs and this stitch is giving the swirls lots of height and interest again the hooked background. Hooking and then cutting and shaping the loops is great fun.
I actually like French knots. In fact, I used a few today to decorate the elephant ornament I am making for my stepdaughter!
I found it difficult to choose just one; however, I decided I like the backstitch. This was the first stitch I learned from my mom when I was six and I can still see me standing by her knee as I watched her demonstrate. I love how versatile this stitch can be—from outline to fill in.
The last project I used the backstitch in was a set of dish towels that featured mason jars. One of the towels had “Let your light shine” and tiny fireflies zipping around the jar.
Happy Holiday season to one and all.
My favorite embroidery stitch is kloster blocks. I am currently completing an extensive project that combines different and unusual forms of kloster blocks that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
My favourite stitch would have to be satin stitch. I love the smooth blocks of colour it produces and the beautiful soft gleam when light hits it.
I am currently using satin stitch to decorate a stole for my husband, who is in training to become an Anglican priest. The design is geometric flame inspired by stained glass.
There are so many to choose from…but a favorite would be the bullion knot. I used it recently to translate a version of an Inspirations project on a crazy quilt block. Worked out very well. I also enjoy needleweaving for something different.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch because it is so versatile. The project I last used it on is the Secret Garden Hummingbirds project. (You’re right–I’m still not done with it!)
My favorite Embroidery stitch is the split back stitch. I love the texture it produces. Just wonderful. I last used it in an Embroidery Sampler but prior to that I used it to stitch the pine tree trunk on my daughter’s Christmas stocking.
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch and I recently have been working on a white work piece by Jenny Aiden Christie from England.
My latest favourite stitch is BLANKET STITCH- SCALLOP EDGING. I have just done this stitch on my Christmas Angel’s Dress. The stitch gives it a delightful touch.
I love to stitch the Palestrina Knit. I ordered the flour sack tea towels you suggested and embroidered a teapot for my cousin in Texas. I used the Palestrina Knot for the stripes on the teapot. These towels are a dream to embroider and really bring back so many memories of embroidered linens. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this lovely book!
Peggy from Portsmouth
I love the chain stitch, it can be used in so many ways with so many variations. When used as an outline it looks like it’s braided, it’s also perfect for filling in, especially birds and fish. The chain stitch is used to make many different flowers.
It’s a fairly easy stitch to learn and use and it adds a lot of beauty to your work.
Merry Christmas to all!
Cheryl
I love the Palestrina Knot. I ordered the flour sack towels you recommended, which are a dream to embroider. I embroidered a teapot on one for my cousin in Texas as a Christmas gift. The design on the teapot was stitched with the Palestrina Knot. I love the look and these towels invoke memories of embroidered linens from my childhood. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this give away!
Peggy from Portsmouth
Hard to pick one but prob the chain stitch. Just love how it can make such a pretty line when combined.
The most recent time I used it was on a jacket I’m making my granddaughter
Hi Mary,
I’m so excited about your give-aways.. They are always perfect.
My favorite stitch lately is the French knot. I love trying to make the perfect knot every time. I got a lot of practice on a Initial pillow I made for my great niece. I outlined the initial then filled in all around the outside with various colors of French knots. It turned out beautifully.
My favorite stitch (at the moment) is couching, which I used extensively on a goldwork project I did. I couched the logo for Washington State University (a stylized cougar head) in gold and silver threads, and gave the cougar a red glass bead for an eye.
I then appliqued that piece to a crimson satin background since the school colors are crimson and gray. Around the logo I couched a line of gold beads. The cougar is framed with a couched spiral twist of three different components: gold beading, a thread of silver mylar, and crimson metallic floss. I had this framed with gray matboard in a black frame and gifted it to my instructors when I graduated from WSU.
I really like the chain stitch; it is simple and pleasing to the eye. I love how it looks against wool, worked in a thin perl cotton! I used it in a penny wool scene of birds and stems and leaves, to give variety.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I just finished a small Santa for my granddaughter. Still wanting to try some new stitches. Your blog is so inspirational.
I love the feather stitch. There are so many things you can do with it. The last time I used it was on a crazy quilt. I meandered through all the blocks with feather stitch to kind of tie them all together.
Once I got the hang of it I really liked Hungarian Braid Stitch. Using different shades I found the HBS was ideal for some thicker stems on a small piece I did that was inspired by some intricate stone inlay work from the “Taj Mahal” .
My favourite stitch is four sided stitch. This was the first stitch I learnt when I was a teenager learning embroidery from an accomplished embroidery teacher who was teaching church linen work from her home. The last project I used four sided stitch on was a sampler I was making to celebrate by nephew’s wedding.
I’m working on a Hardanger doily for my mom for Christmas and it has a stitch called a Rosette. It’s one of many kinds of wrapped stitches you can use to fill in Kloster blocks on Hardanger pieces. But it is new to me so I had to practice a little to get it right. Now it’s my new favorite (until the next one comes along).
My favourite stitch is the French Knot and I fairly recently used it in embroidered sheep. hh
Hi Mary
My favourite stitch is the drizzle stitch. I love using this stitch to create 3D dimension in my work, especially using various types of threads. I’ve used it to make coral in a “Under the sea” project. I just love the texture it creates.
Lexi
My favorite needlework stitch is the French knot. Be it ever so humble, I love the texture of many French knots done together. I used it in my last project, the Spring Wreath of Kazuko Aoki’s book, The Embroidered Garden. I used French knots for the centers of pansies, violas, verbena, bellflower and daisies but went ‘French knot crazy’ on the ground elder flowers and globe amaranth that make up the wreath. And of course I added more ground elder and globe amaranth flowers to the wreath because I love French knots. lol
I like stitching kloster blocks. I am working on a bellpull right now and recently finished the kloster blocks.
Hi Mary,
I would have to say that detached chain stitch is a definite go to. It’s so cheerful and quite versatile. I have used it most recently on a crazy quilt block on which I am sampling variations on the chain stitch. Thanks for the opportunity to win this lovely book.
Adele
If I had to choose I would say that the chain stitch is one of my 2 favorite stitches. The other is the colonial knot. I was in a class called the Stained glass Widow. The instructor had made a doll where she used only chain stitch. To define the different areas of the doll and to separate the colors she would use black beads. That same guild year the Presidents challenge was books and how they enchance ours lives. I designed my piece by drawing a tree filling it in using chain stitch, creating branches in chain stitch as well as leaves out lining everything with small black beads to simulate stain glass. Then I created an e-reader tablet with the design on the cover. The tree represented paper, books are made of paper and then the tablet cover showing the progression of paper books to electronic storage of a personal library.
Blackwork and working on Chakra by Seba designs and The Return by Catkins design.
Mary Corbet has a wonderful website. You feel as if she is right in your home talking first hand with you.
My favorite needlework stitch is a cross stitch. The last project I completed was of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Jacquelyn Spence Coker
P.S.
On my other e-mail address, I was mixed up and left the wrong answer per the guidelines. Please discard it.
I ❤️ the blanket stitch. The last project I worked on was in wool. A heart with evergreens coming out of the top and a snowman’s head with cap and scarf in the middle of heart. I live in Firt Worth, Texas
Good day Mary, how generous of you and the folks at Inspiration studio. I love love love padded satin stitch, because it looks like a rich velvet fabric, especially when done with silk, it is simply gorgeous! I used it last on the fabulous Jade Dragon from Roseworks embroidery design. I played with different colours for the scales and it complements the rest of the design very well. Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity and hope you have a great week!
My favorite stitch is the blanket stitch. It’s very versatile and I use it a lot. I’m currently working on a snowman block for my 2020 Challenge and have used it to hang white beads from it’s frame. An aside. There is a stitch called Barb stitch, a variation on the blanket stitch. Since my name is Barbara (Barb), I frequently use that stitch as a signature on some projects.
Barb W, MO
My favorite stitch is chain stitch. The last project I used it in is the Starry Night QAL
One of the blocks had opportunity for embroidery and that is one of the ones I used
Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you provide all year long
Merry Christmas
My favorite embroidery stitch is the ribbed spider web. I just worked two of these into a needle felted piece I’m working on called “Solstice.” The spider web spokes were worked in perle cotton (size 8), and the web portion is in a beautiful (though fussy) mauve-sparkly metallic threat. The webs were placed in the upper, night sky portion of the piece, so they represent either stars or planets…or maybe UFOs!
My favorite is the Feather stitch. I used it in a floral embroidery wall hanging project for my mother this year. It is simple and beautiful.
French knots—did hydrangea on Crewel fire place screen
I would like to say that long and short stitch is my favourite, and indeed it is, but I do not master it to my satisfaction. So, I will say that cross-stitch is the stitch I am most successful at. My last go at it was a towel for a new baby.
I love ribbon embroidery in general and also bullion roses. I’m working on a cathedral quilt and using a variety of stitches.
That’s a hard one – nostalgic answer would be cross-stitch as it started the stitch bug via a Girl Scout Badge; but it is definitely not my favorite, I also like combination stitches like in crazy quilting and love love love pulled thread and such so I’ll say pulled 4 sided – last big project was my sons Christening gown so the blue would show through, but did it also in some samplers and an ornament — have just started stitching again after main an ill years.
Hi Mary,
You have asked us to name a favorite stitch, okay . . . . just one? I really like the back stitch and hardly ever have a piece that doesn’t have it in it – somewhere.
Thanks for the opportunity – Jennie
My favorite stitch has always been the easy but complex satin stitch. Only since the use of the internet did I realize there are actually tips out there to help us improve on our work. (Thank you MARY.)
My favourite stitch is the colonial knot, I prefer it to the french as it has a more consistent finish, for me at least. I have used it in numerous project, from gardens, flowers, birds and moss, quite often with just the colonial knot and have had great success with these projects. I also find it relaxing to do. Creates a lovely textured effect when using different types of thread. The last project I used the colonial knot in was recreation of the char Bagh (Indian) garden in the Hamilton Gardens NZ, which was part of a greater display. Even managed to get perspective!
Margaret Rietema
My favourite stitch, difficult to choose as there are so many and I have so many more to learn. I’m not sure I’ve met it yet.
If you go by shear volume it would be the cross stitch. My latest ones have been on a Teresa Wentzler needle book which I am still working on.
I also love stem stitch because it is quite easy to work and makes lovely curves. My favourite use has been a counted adaptation in which I used it to fill a monogram.
I have always like French knots since I was a little kid along with lazy daisy stitch for making little flowers. I will be using them in a crewel piece that is a GCC with EGA but I am behind and haven’t had a chance to do my stitching yet.
I’m new to embroidery, so I don’t have a large number of stitches to consider! But the stitch that I’m really enjoying, and my favorite thus far, is the stem stitch. Simple, but pretty.
Merry Christmas to all my favorite stitch is the stem stitch, I use it in almost
every project I do. The last project was a tea towel with a recipe stitched with
stem stitch. I really love to do tea towels and small drawstring bags for gifts.
wishing everyone a wonderful and blessed holiday. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
Dianne
I just love long and short stitch and it’s all because of you! I used to do everything I could to avoid it but finally had a needlework piece that just had to have long and short. Thank heavens for your stitch tutorials – I studied them, practiced on a doodle canvas and then cautiously tried it out. First time wasn’t very good but each flower petal got better and better. I was a convert!
Stem stitch is my favorite because my mom taught me this stitch. It is also a quick and versatile stitch. I’m currently using it to fill a flower on a piece of printed fabric used as a doodle cloth. I’ve never used stem stitch to fill a space and want to see how it looks.
I have always been partial to counted cross stitch and have done a number of Mirabilia patterns with lots of beading and metallic threads, but some of the most challenging stitching I have done is from Hazel Blomkamp. I learned stitches in one of her kits that I had never tried before. It was really fun to do something so challenging!
My favorite stitch is the feather stitch. I last used it to finish the silk binding on a wool blanket. The hand finish was the only embellishment. That embellishment changed the blanket from an everyday practical item into a beautiful special linen.
I have just completed 3 different birds from Trish Burr collection.
I would love to have a go at one of your designs.
I live in Darwin, Northern Territory of Australia where these needle painting patterns and kits are hard to come by or unavailable.
Thank you
Ann Elliott
A Stitcher’s Christmas – Installment #1:
I cannot resist a lattice-work fill stitch. It is the stitch that always draws my eye to a well-crafted piece of crewel work. I recently completed a design from The Crewel Work Company (the marriage pillow) that used several variations of the lattice-work stitch in beautifully rich colors.
I’m currently doing satin stitch in a sampler of my own design. I learned surface embroidery over 50 years ago from my neighbor’s mom and my grandmother, but never did a sampler until now. I’m loving how the the satin stitch looks, but I have to say my favorite is really the French knot… I’ll be adding them throughout.
I have been using the back stitch this Christmas to make many ornaments. I have come to love it and hope to find more projects to use it.
Julie in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Hi! My favorite stitches are Jessicas. I recently learned to do them in a Debbie Rowley Sonata workshop. I hated them at first but after frog stitching a couple of dozen, I finally caught on and really enjoy doing them. I’m planning on using them in a design of my own at some later date.
Button stitch has been my stitch for 2018! I have used it in so many ways,from finishing a small linen piece to xmas feltwork.
What is even better, my button stitch looks tidier than it did 10 months ago!
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I use it a lot to edge my applique with silk ribbon. Recently I did a lap quilt made up of a 20 inch dresden flower and several smaller english paper pieced flowers. I appliqued the dresden and the epp flowers and then edged each of the appliques with silk ribbon and the stem stitch. It set off the appliques beautifully.
I seem to keep returning to cross stitch and my last project was the most wonderful Jacaranda Tree with a couple sitting at a table enjoying morning tea in it’s shade
I love french knots. It took me a few tries to figure them out, and I used not not like them. But now, I find them so cute and versatile. You can make them various sizes and get a different effect.
Recently I completed a jewelry sachet using different pulled fabric stitches. I loved the project even though it was frustrating at times. We were challenged in our guildwork class to come up with our own combination of stitches. I had decided to make the sachet for my sisters 60th birthday. I was thrilled with the result and so was she.
Holbein stitch A waste paper bin
I have several favorites, but have been working on a Lorna Bateman garden scene that uses feather, bullions, cast on bullions and French knots. Plus a slew of other fun stitches.
My favorites right now are the most basic stitches, the first ones we all learned, because I’m working on getting multilayer felt projects together for stitching in the car over a three day trip to see our grandies! Simple is better in this case. Everyone gets felt/elastic bookmarks in their stockings!
Palestrina knot used last in Sue Spargo’s 2018 BoM Homegrown. 🙂
My all-time favourite stitch is undoubtly satin stich. I just love the way it looks and I have used it many times most notably with Tish Burr’s designs.
Dear Mary,
My favourite stitch is long and short stitch for thread painting. I can not remember the last time I used it, but I have a beautiful project in mind, if ever I get the gumption to start work on it. I love the detail that can be created but working with multiple colours, sometimes for only one stitch at at time between changes, takes a lot of patience.
Thank you.
Louisa
Lately I’ve fallen in love with the long and short stitch used in needlepainting. I recently framed Trish Burr’s pansies and birds stitched on linen.
my favorite embroidery stitch is the stem stitch – it’s the first stitch that i learned (my sister started to teach me a running stitch, but our mom told her that if she was gonna teach me how to embroider i needed to learn the stem stitch (which may explain why i can’t do a decent hand-quilting stitch)
Without a doubt hardanger. I just completed a hardanger ornament for a guild exchange later this weekend and have a large doily about half way done.
I can’t pick one favourite stitch!! But I do prefer counted to surface work so I have used cross stitch the most but I’m loving the variety of stitches available to do in canvaswork.
I do not think that I have one favourite stitch, a have quite few that I like stitching, but to answer the question my last favourite stitch is Rhodes stitch on my Butterfly Lace Mandala.
French Knot and beading.
A quick little designon jeans to dress them up
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch at the moment is the stem stitch. I find it simple, but quite lovely, and I’m currently using it to stitch a Maori-inspired design of a kiwi (bird). I’m relatively new to embroidery and your website has been immensely helpful in so many ways. Thank you for doing what you do!
My favorite stitch is the chain stitch. I use it on most of my projects and it brings back childhood memories stitching with my mom. Currently working on kitchen towels and using the chain stitch most days.
My favourite stitch (currently) is the French Knot.
I have been doing the Sunflowers & Daisies baby’s blanket in Inspirations 97 for my new little granddaughter, who lives in Perth. As far from Wellington, New Zealand as it can be, while still being in Australia. And it uses Colour Streams Stranded Silk in the delightful colours Lillipilli. The knots form tiny flowers, which vary from pink to yellow to green (& back again). I find them such fun to do.
It might even be finished before Christmas!
Hi Mary
My favourite stitch is the French knot.. It’s so useful, I love how they look packed in together, and I love the process of making them.
my favourite stitch is the ‘simple’ stem stitch. It can be used to make lines, fill areas, straight, wiggly, it can do anything and looks so different in different uses! Have just had great fun using it in an RSN tutorial piece; I learned so much
Hello, I recently received Trish Burrs book Whitework with colour and have been slowly working my way through it and I have to say I absolutely love it. I think I would struggle to pick just one favourite stitch but my favourite right now has to be the satin stitch. It’s so simple but elegantly beautiful worked up in Trishs designs. I’m very grateful Mary for you leading me to the Inspirations magazine and Trish burrs designs.
Satin stitch.
I have just completed a quilt for my 10 year old grand daughter, using satin stitch to monogram her initial on the pillow slip & centre square of the quilt. I’m very pleased with the finished quilt. It will be part of her Christmas present.
My favourite embroidery stitch is “stem stitch” and I am currently using it in a series of 18″ blocks called “cabin”. Thanks
My favourite is the buttonhole stitch. I use it in a needle lace project.
I like long and short stitch done in wool. It gives a beautiful coverage and fills the area.
Hi Mary,
My favorite embroidery stitch is cross stitch. I re-discovered it back in October 2000 after around 20 years of never stitching. Even though it can be a basic stitch, I love the depth that it can create, especially as you start using a higher count fabric. If you blend your threads, do half stitches, add outlines and beautiful bead it can produce a beautiful picture.
My current project is “Dressmakers’ Daughter” by Nora Corbett on 32 count linen. The dresses are wonderful. My Mother was a dressmaker so the title is appropriate for me and while I am doing the embroidery I have wonderful memories of Mum.
Kind regards,
Susan
So excited. Love the Christmas Giveaways and the chance to win one! Now to answer the question. My favourite stitch at the moment is bullion stitch, not just for bullion roses, but for star flowers using 5 radiating bullions; but who can resist a bullion caterpillar?!!! The second part of the question entails a project designed by Lesley McConnell in Queensland, Australia and it is folder called Special Treasures. It’s a wonderful size for taking a project with you if stitching away from home with two folds opening to reveal an assortment of pockets for patterns, threads, equipment and large enough to hold a 10″ hoop. It’s my go to project folder!
I love long arm cross stitch-the braiding effect is beautiful.
Cross stitch is my favorite. I am currently working on a 3 panel interpretation of work of Albert Smit, designed by Nolda van Hezewijk of Aaron Art titled “Iris A-B-C”. I have made thread changes, using Anchor stranded cotton and Kreinik metallics, but am otherwise following the pattern. It contains a great deal of thread blending which requires intense concentration, the results of which are very pleasing to me.
My favourite stitch is padded satin stitch which I used to make a monogram for my mothers 90th birthday
I mostly use brick stitch in my embroidery projects and I absolutely love the variety of patterns you can create with it. At the moment I am working on an alms purse in 14th century style.
My very favourite embroidery is 17th Century Stumpwork…love the needlelace stitches…and stories behind the designs and delving in the history…Just beautiful. But then again also love Goldwork and modern designs as well as a lot of other embroidery.
I just love the long and short stitch !! It gives such depth and realism to my birds !! : )
Hello Mary,
My favourite stitch is stem stitch, using it as an outline or filling stich. I last used it on a Tree of Life design. This was my first completed work as I consider myself a beginner and still in the practice/learning stage. I am now persevering to master long and short stitch.
Best wishes
Anne
Hello Mary,
It seems my favourite stitch is whichever I am learning to master at the time. My stitch of the moment is the long and short for working silk shading. I was fortunate enough to attend a two day tutorial on the subject at the Royal School of Needlework where I found the beginnings of the skill, enthusiasm and patience to take on this type of embroidery.
The most recent stitch I used was the Bayeux stitch, filling in outlined areas on the Battle of Stamford Bridge Tapestry Project.
My favourite stitch is long and short stitch particularly with wool as it is very forgiving and the texture gives a very vintage quality. I am currently on my third Jacobean Fantasy from Crewel work company with one to go. I am making three cushions and one foot stool for my lounge room.
Patrina
My favorite stitch is the split stitch — I use it all the time for all sorts of outlines, letters, etc. It’s just fun to stitch!
I love the french knot, I made my own design of “my happy place” and decorated with lots of different design elements using the french knot.
My favourite stitch is fly stitch, I recently completed a needle painting (my own design) of a kookaburra in a wattle tree using fly stitch almost exclusively. Its is such a simple but versatile stitch for creating different textures … and for sneaking into those little corners.
Thank you for this opportunity Mary (I’d cherish this book!)
favorite stitch: long and short stitch
project: I am not very accomplished except at cross-stitch, so the last time I used this was in practice on a sampler. But I LOVE seeing the needle painting done with it and want to do that, too!
My favorite stitch is the old-style stem stitch. Recently, I have been working on a large project that requires large swirls to be filled in completely, prior to embellishing. The stem stitch was recommended and it has been a life saver. Not only does it fill in the space beautifully, using a hand-dyed variegated thread, it feels like velvet when it is done!
I love your site it’so informative. Years ago I did counted cross stitch and red work but now I want to learn other forms of embroidery. Unfortunatly there are no stores in my area that would be helpful.
My favourite stitch – at the moment – as it constantly changes, is Woven Picot. It is so versatile as it can used as petals for flowers, leaves, feathers, all sorts of things. I last used it on a project called A Magical Forest, which was an etui box with forest scenes/trees on the outside and a fairy house on the inside.
My current favorite stitch is the detached buttonhole stitch. It has so many variations! It creates lacy textures, and it’s fun to do. I’m using it now on my second Hazel Blomkamp piece of 2018, and I love the results. Challenging, yes, but worth the effort.
My favorite stitch is blanket stitch. I take small stitches so it finishes off my edges so nicely. I am using it now on Christmas ornies/gift tags for my nieces presents.
Sounds corny but my favorite stitch is the first one I make on a project. It’s exciting to have the entire project ahead of me. Making that first stitch means I’ve finally started!
My favorite embroidery stitch is the stem stitch. The last time I used it was to decorate a gorgeous scarf made of saffron French silk.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch. I can use it in so many varied ways. I am really a newbie to embroidery compared to your many followers. I am setting goals for more embroidery adventures next year! I admire all the work that are posted on your website
I have several favourite stitches depending on the project I’m working on. I really like satin stitch(once I learned to do it properly, thanks to you). I used it on one of your monograms. I also like outline stitch which I’m using on a dragon fly’s wings.
My favorite stitch is the very ordinary, but still beautiful, stem stitch. It can be used in many very different projects. I last used it on several of Mary’s Christmas trees.
My favorite stitch is the coral stitch which I used on Woodland Whimsey, a wool and embroidery project.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the satin stitch because it just shimmers when layed with care. I could do it for hours and, in fact, I did. In August, I embroidered 44 flowers on the back panel of my daughter’s wedding dress
I love ’em all but my favourite has to be the French knot. Most recently, I used French knots to stitch the little bushes in Jenny Adin-Christie’s ‘Fairytale Castle’ stumpwork scene. What a charming piece!!
Happy holidays to everyone around the world!
My fave stitch is needle lace and the latest project that I’m doing using this stitch is Maree Talbot’s gorgeous Elizabethan casket. I’m loving working on this long term project. Merry Christmas!
Threadpainting is the last and my favorite stitch(though I am not perfect at it!!) The last project I did was a bird in reeds by Catherine Laurencon, found in Inspirations. Loved sewing it!
I think one of my favourite stitches is long and short stitch which is used in needle painting. I recently did a small piece containing woven roses, needle painted plumeria flower, satin stitch leaves, herringbone leaves and stem stitch tendrils. I am a learner but it was great fun to do.
My favorite stitch is cross stitch; a simple stitch but in the end it gives you many pretty and different pictures/designs. I used it last in Teresa Wentzler’s Celestial dragon.
Hello,
My last work was peinture à l’aiguille with the “Magnolia” from Trish Burr. It takes me a long time to stitch, but I am glad to see the result.
Thank you for this give away.
Caroline
My favorite stitch is whatever new stitch I am learning! I just finished a wedding sampler by Victoria Samplers which included some new-to-me filling stitches for Hardanger. I used white thread on a light teal 28-count linen, which turned out lovely!
French Knot is my all-time favorite stitch.
I love how it punctuates an object, like a flower or an eye on the canvas.
It seems magical how winding the thread/yarn around a needle, then bringing it through makes a nubby top knot.
I used it last in a flower on a bell pull.
The back stitch is a basic and very versatile stitch and the first one I learned years ago. I use it for everything from borders to lettering. I continue to try to learn as many stitches as I can, and to keep current with the latest uses for each of them. This book would be a creative ‘window’ to enable me to come up with new stitches, uses and ideas. Thank-you for offering these books to those of us who value them as great learning tools! Happy holidays to you and yours!
I enjoyed the effects of the woven spider stitch on a needlepoint beach scene. Scattered around the woven spider made wonderful seashells and they were fun to make.
One of my favorite stitches is herringbone, and its variant six-trip herringbone. It’s fun to see how the layers work. I’ve put a six-trip section in a name tag I’m working on (canvas).
Thanks again for your Christmas specials!
My favourite stitch is the bullion stitch and I last used it in a Jacobean crewelwork to stitch the whorls on a snail shell and the pointed tail of a butterfly. I like using the stitch to add texture and always feel a little thrill ( of pleasure AND relief!) when all the twists come neatly together
Love your blog and your videos of how to do the different embroidery stitches. Seems like the stitch I am always working on to try and improve is the Palestrina knot.
Thanks for all you do to improve the world of embroidery.
-Sybil
I love doing French Knots. I like to use them for embellishing fabric landscapes. My last piece had a field of canola. Using a variegated yellow and French Knots I was able to achieve the look of a field undulating in the breeze.
Love the chain stitch, easy to do. I am stitching my grandchildren’s hand prints onto tea towels. I use the chain stitch to outline and fill in with feather stitch and seed stitch.
Love your blogs, I have learned so much!
My favorite stitch is basket weave stitch! I love the rhythm of it.
I really like a stitch with some “oomph” for it has to be a French knot that is my favorite stitch. I created an Elmo for my grandson and the whole piece was French knots. I think Elmo would really enjoy it! I like the raising of each stitch. Some of the knots weren’t quite up to the same height as the next one depending upon the pull but eventually when it was done……well it was something I was proud of.
I am so enjoying creating this season with French knots and all those wonderful designs of stitches in embroidery.
Mary,
Without a doubt, Long and Short is my favorite embroidery stitch. I am also a painter and printmaker so I bring other disciplines to my needlework and Long and Short has always proven to be the stitch I need regularly. Needle-painting cannot be done without out it, and it adds richness and volume to everything from landscapes, flowers, fruit, to luscious abstracts. The piece I am working on now requires quite a bit of Long and Short: I am stitching on a piece of fabric printed with butterflies and flowers that is like the coloring books that are out now. You showcased these fabrics a few years ago and I jumped on them! I have been happily stitching away on these fabrics and use Long and Short to create beautifully colored butterflies and flowers.
Margaret Alcock Prezzano
My favorite stitch is the Rhodes stitch. I last used it in a Halloween design I stitched.
I am hooked on needlepoint crescents right now, practicing my counting!
Thanks for the questions, makes me think more about what I am really doing.
Hi Mary, The last embroidery stitch I used was the French knot. When my mother passed away, my sister and I found a tablecloth she had started that had lots of daisies on it. My sister really hates to do French knots but I really enjoy doing them so we passed the tablecloth back and forth and shared completing it for my niece for Christmas.
My favorite stitch is split stitch. The last project I used it on is Majestical Mermaid – pattern by Donna Smyth.
My favourite stitch is ‘Satin Stitch’. I last used it on my daughter’s chasuble when she was ordained. Satin Stitch was used as a flat stitch in silver metallic thread to produce the glow on a robe. It was also used as long and short stitches in silk to blend different shades for flowers and when I wanted to produce a raised object on the garment, I turned to my favourite Satin Stitch to produce a close stitch that covered the padding.
Hi Mary! Can’t beli it’s that time of year again Thank you for the exciting opportunity to win such lovely give-aways.
It’s a tough decision but I think I’d have to say my “new” favorite stitch is the trellis which I just experienced in my RSN Jacobean crewelwork project! I loved the “layered” element to working with it… so fun
Lately my favourite – or most used – stitch is the simple stem stitch. I love how it can be adapted for outlines, curves, lettering and more, and always looks so smooth and distinct. I’ve been working on a series of wall quilts featuring pugnacious young women of children’s literature, and have finished one highlighting Little My from the Moomins – mostly done in stem stitch & chain stitch, and one featuring Pippi Longstocking, using a variety of stitches but also relying on the stem stitch for a lot of it!
My favorite embroidery stitch today (it changes daily) is the back stitch. It gives such a smooth defining look to certain areas. And it seems to be forgotten in a lot of instructions. Very intricate designs are my favorite. I love doing crewel work with floss, not wool. Jacobean work is a particular love. Right now I am doing a crewel piece, semi-Jacobean. The printed design was purchased thru Etsy from a delightful designer in Ukraine. Having a lot of fun.
I love the waltzing cadence of the mosaic stitch. Alike in size to a counted cross stitch over 2 threads, yet these little 1-2-3 uplifting diagonals create a much flatter surface without sacrificing texture! Glorious when using silk, which I’ve done recently by adapting simple x-stitch patterns & motifs. I find these finished pieces sandwich artfully between those magnetic lucite acrylic frames for an easy changing display method.
Warmest wishes to you each day, Mary xx
I love the stem stitch! I use it, in some form, on nearly every stitching project I am working on!
My favorite stitch is long and short stitch. Most of my stitching is needlepainting which involves a lot of long and short stitch. The project I just completed is “French Rose” from Trish Burr’s book “Color Confidence in Embroidery”. I have stitched so many of her designs and credit her books with teaching me long and short stitch.
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but one I just started to appreciate is long and short stitch. I used it in a piece I did for a San Franscisco School of Needlework and Design challenge recently (to work the colored iris of a big eye) and I fell in love with it. I learned how to really use it from you, Mary!
I love doing the lazy daisy stitch and the latest project I used it on was one of the corner blocks for Crapapple Hill’s Hocus Pocus Ville. Unfortunately, there were only two leaves. This is the first block I have finished in this project, but it is one of those projects that is so much fun, I chuckle while working on it.
I think my favorite stitch is a French knot. It is so versatile. I have been working off and on for some years on a wallhanging that has dimension to it and in it, I have a vase with Queen Ann’s Lace (Cow Parsley for the Brits). Those French Knots really do the trick and a smaller project a pair of pillowcases with birds in a nest and using a French knot for the bird’s eye.
I have loved everything I have seen from Inspirations and I know I would love the book. As arthritis takes away more physical ability in my hands, I do much of my sewing in my head.
Love Cross Stitch, am working on a dragon from Cross Stitch World
Techiya
I love doing satin stitch. I use it on almost all my embroidery pieces. Last used on a small wooden box from COC.
Oh, I wanted this book as soon as I saw your review of it! My favourite stitch is the much maligned chain stitch. But I admit I can’t remember the last time I actually used it in a project.
Random long and short! Perfect for contouring fur on critters, shading in large areas – endless uses. Different fibers can be smooth, brushed for fur and beards, etc.
One of my favorites is the Rhodes Stitch. I tend to use it in borders on painted canvases and it often appears in charted designs that I stitch. I’m not sure where I used it most recently, but I’m pretty sure I did on the Serenity canvas I stitched for my husband.
After years of struggling with it and cussing at it, the French knot is now my favorite stitch. I’m currently using in on a beautiful floral embroidery piece.
My favorite stitch is boullion knot. The last project was for flowers on practice piece.
My favorite stitch is the ”shisha” stitch. I found this stitch used is a hat in inspirations magazine and created the hat for my daughter last Christmas. I’m currently working on one for myself as well.
Cheryl Wilhite
Oregon
I am in the process of learning threadpainting. I fell in love with Trish Burr’s Redoute’s tulips and ordered the kit. I’ve cross stitched for years and finding the freedom of not counting very rewarding. It’s a big project but I only stitch things I like, plus I like the challenge of learning something new.
My favorite Embroidery stitch is the Lazy Daisy Stitch. I used this recently in stitching flowers on pillow cases that I am embroidering.
Hello miss Corbet,
My favourite is the palestrina stitch, I love the textured effect and it is surprisingly easy. The last time I used it was in a mandala-type design, in white floss on unbleached cotton.
Kind regards from Holland 🙂
Thanks for yet another great giveaway, Mary!
Having recently learned a lot of new, wonderful stitches, I think that I still have to go with good old chain stitch. One can wrap it, detach it, or embellish it. It can be short and wide, long and thin or something in between. Anyway, that’s my choice – at least for today :-).
I love the seed stitch – it provides great texture and simple beauty. I’m using it in a garden pattern right now and it is making the leaves off the trees and also providing texture for the little girls dress. It reminds me of the pattern in my grandmother’s blouse. She loved being in her garden.
Thanks for all you share!
Rosemarie from Utah
I really like the long and short satin stitch because it gives such realism to embroidery. The last project in which I used it almost exclusively was an adaptation of a Tiffany stained glass window called Magnolias and Irises. I have received many compliments on this picture.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the outline stitch as it can be used so many ways as an outline or filling stitch. I use it in every project that I make.
For sure, the French knot! It always has been my favorite stitch. I haven’t had a chance to do much embroidery lately, so I can’t remember what I made last. But, I often like to use French knots as filler. It’s so much fun getting all those little knots scrunched together!
My favorite stitch is the bullion stitch….I first became aware of it back in the 1980s when I was volunteering at the Smithsonian in textiles, and handling and cataloging the samplers and crewel embroideries. I saw it on several of the samplers, and when I designed a sampler for myself using historical motifs and designs, I decided it would be perfect to use on a sheep….and it was!
I love the feather stitch, and use it often for greenery, seaweed, and seam lines on crazy quilts. A group of friends and I are trying to finish a crazy quilt started by the mother-in-law (or grandmother-in-law–she wasn’t sure which) for a dear friend who passed away this year and wanted the quilt to go to her granddaughter. I’m using LOTS of feather stitch on my pieces!
I’m primarily a counted thread stitcher and it’s got to be cutwork – either Hardanger or Drawn Thread work. I love the lace!
Last project that used openwork was an older Victoria Sampler chart from the mid 1990s that’s been in my stash for a while! It’s one of four little band samplers on the theme of the “Four Elements”. This one was “Fire” and was full of overdyed silk playing off the whitework – hardanger, drawn thread and pulled thread. The cool thing about this one was that one band was goldwork! It was just faux goldwork with heavy Kreinik cord – but all the techiques were there – including using two passing threads, the couching and plunging the ends.
My favorite stitch is the Bargello stitch on canvas. I like the way it can fill in the canvas or provide an accent. I am currently working on Undulations II by Gail T. Stafford.
My favorite stitch is the eyelet. I am currently doing eyelets on a Christmas ornament for an ornament exchange that I do with members of my embroidery group.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the French knot. I’ve done a lot of projects with French knots and learned to enjoy them. My latest project with them is Fall Owl by sewjennaisance on Etsy. It’s a sleepy owl in fall colors with acorns and a tree.
idoia ojeda
Hi, Mary,
My favorite stich is french knot. So useful!! Once you learn it, it´s yours forever.
I use it quite often. The last two times, in a Mary Suarez proyect and a Faeries in my Garden kit.
Thanks from Spain.
My favorite is probably a drizzle stitch, just because they are so fun. I last used them topped with a bead to look like little ferns.
My favorite stitch is the Bullion stitch. The most recent use of it is on Sandra Gilmore’s “Decisions, Decisions.” I am using it for the little witch’s hair in various colors and threads and lengths ! Such fun and it’s so cute.
My favorite embroidery stitch would have to be the blanket stitch. I have used it on all sorts of things – buttonholes, cutwork, eyelets, blankets, outlining. Today I used it to mend my dog’s toy so she can chew it some more!!
My favourite stitch would have to be stem stitch, often replace other stitches with it in patterns . Latest project Christmas decorations.
I love French knots and the effect of the texture and colours. I am stitching small medallions to place on a scarf. French knots are perfect for this. Thank you for this opportunity.
My go to embroidery stitch is the stem stitch. I do a lot of wool appliqué and stem stitch around the outside of a piece adds a lot of dimension and depth to the piece. Gets used for lots of veins in leaves, and any time I am looking to add some easy depth inside a piece.
I love trying a needlework projects, and there certainly are more than a few in the book to keep me interested.
Hi Mary!
I love the long and short stitch for needlepainting. I am currently using it in 3 (yes, 3!) projects that I have on the go – one Flamingo, one Cockerel sampler, and in my own design of a bird from Costa Rica. One of these days I may even get one of them completed.
What a beautiful gift! Inspirations has the most beautiful publications.
My favorite stitch is buttonhole. Most recently I used it on a butterfly which is the piece for a needle lace class I am taking. I love it because it’s so versatile for everything from stumpwork to hardanger.
I love the buttonhole stitch – it makes everything so nice and even.
Always working on another needlebook/pincushion/gifties.
Hello Mary,
I have many favourites, today however I would have to say it’s the padded satin stitch. Make any shape and fill it in with gorgeous thread, which is what I’m doing on the flowers and hair ribbon of my Frida Kahlo embroidery. Thanks and Cheers!
I am a beginner of embroidery and fell in love with the CREATIVITY and RELAXATION of this hobby. I can always learn something new. My favourite stitch is the chain stitch. I made a pillow sham for my Mom for Christmas. She spends the summer relaxing and feeding the squirrels at her cottage, she just turned 80. The chain stitch added texture to the fur of the squirrels and the oak leaves. I even used a variation on the flower petals and pine leaves for depth of color and texture design. Wish I could upload a pic. Colleen
My favorite stitch (this month, at least) is the French knot. I most recently scattered them in Jenny Adin-Christie’s “Hampton Court Palace” raised embroidery sampler amongst a hillock of gold sequins gathered up in little pockets of green organza. Love how they can be smooched together in a solid mass or thrown in ones and twos for depth and texture.
I hear this book is fantastic and I’m so glad that you have copies for the Christmas give-away!!!
I really like the Palrstrina stitch. I’ve embroidered for 50 years, but only knew 5 stitches: stem, blanket, back, Daisy, and a French knot! After I retired (and got a smartphone!) I started surfing around and found the most amazing site: Needle ‘n Thread! It was as if I found a buried treasure! So many new stitches, techniques never before heard of! You have been my go-to and my hero ever since! Thank you so much!
My favorite stitch is cross-stitch. It is underestimated and can be both simple and complex. At the moment I’m using it on what will be a zippered pouch with a one color geometric pattern (it’s my third).
My favorite embroidery stitch is the cross stitch. I’ve been working on a number of projects that require the cross stitch. I am currently working on a Mill Hill Christmas kit that requires the cross stitch.
I am a cross-stitcher through and through! It’s so meditative after a long day at life. Currently I am working on designing my FIRST cross stitch pattern to enter into a Disney design project in March for the 50th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion. Can’t wait to share it with the Facebook group!
I just love the Alternating Double Back Stitch because it just marches along and makes a lovely reversible dividing band in samplers.
Love the new book but then I like everything the Inspirations group publishes. Thanks for sharing!
Algerian stitch. There was a time I disliked it. After doing a few large blackwork pieces with hundreds of them in each, I now enjoy it.
Hi Mary, My current favourite stitch is the French Knot. It’s easy, versatile and pretty. I am using it on an embroidered quilt that I’m making for my grand daughter that has 12 squares with flower embroidered hearts as the basis. As you can imagine there’s plenty of scope for French Knots and they are used to great advantage throughout.
Thanks for this opportunity and ‘fingers crossed’. Regards Pat.
love the fly stitch! its great on just about anything. I’ve used it last on a shirt that I was saving from the scraps. I put it around the sleeve cuffs and on the collar. to me this stitch is very verisatile. by changing the thread size, color,type, etc. or the size of the stitch, it can be delicate or bold.
My favorite stitch is couching! Strangely enough I love to couch. I just made an ornament using long and short stitches and “framed” the snowflake pattern in twisted silver with blue couching thread. The silver, of course, made the piece sparkle but it also serves as an outline to helped better define the shapes of the flake. I’ve couched all kinds of threads but metallics are the best. The color of the couching thread reflected by the metal can make a piece look very rich and special.
My favorite stitch is long and short because it allows for shading and color enhancement. I am working on a surfer/nautical quilt with blank blocks I am going to insert embroidered basic characters & images the long & short stitch will allow the filling to standout
One of my favorite stitches in the Whipped Backstitch which I last used for the words on a Guide Scout flag.
My favorite embroidery stitch is often the one I have most recently been doing, and today it is a needlepoint lace stitch- Venetian Point. It took me 5 attempts to get it to where it is finally coming out right- I am making a piece to use in a Stumpwork mirror, part of Trish Nguyen’s Stumpwork course. So glad I persisted!
From a practical standpoint, my favorite stitch is the stem stitch because of its wide range of uses. I last used it on a toy whale on the mouth and some of the eyes.
Hi I’m Lilly from NY. My favorite embroidery stitch is the satin stitch . I love the way it looks specially if you use less thread. The last time I used it was in a kit I bought from Thread Unraveled : Wild Daisies .
Call me mad but I love long and short stitch. Use it all the time, last time was on a name badge.
I like Turkey work. Most recently used for a fuzzy bumblebee. Most extensively used to create moss on my moss covered boxes.
My favorite stitch is the French knot. My last piece using it was piece I designed on the crape myrtle tree. I did the flowers in three different variegated pink DMC threads.
This book looks wonderful. It would be fantastic to own it.
Nancy G C
My goal this year was to learn to embroider. After happening to find Needle ‘n Thread, I became thoroughly engrossed in your emails and started to work on a sampler. I have found that the stem stitch is my beginner favorite. I can fill in areas, adjust the length of the stitch, do great looking curves and more. This is really encouraging me to continue. THANK YOU!
My favorite needlework stitch has to be long and short stitch. It’s so versatile! I sometimes use it for filling backgrounds in a solid color, but needle painting is where it really shines. My last project with it was a book cover with a large Amanita muscaria (var. guessowii) mushroom worked in long and short stitch, with French knots for the warts and open herringbone for some patches of moss. I use it to record edible mushroom hunting spots and the different species that we like to eat.
I love queen Stitches, I’m using them now on a sampler reproduction of Dorcas Haynes.
I guess my favorite would be backstitch. That is because I love doing blackwork diaper (fill) patterns. I love how you can change one little thing and it really becomes a different pattern with a whole different overall look. Blackwork is where I first ventured out to try out my own ideas rather than just following a kit.
Just learned to do Hardanger and it was so intimidating at first look, but when I finally did my first Cluster I was going to town and completely finished my project. My lesson was not to start projects with a perceived notion
My favorite embroidery stitch is to make French knots. I just made lovely Hollyhocks with great Gumnet yarn for a Fairy Blanket out of the Fall Inspirations. My granddaughter loves the blanket.
Favorite stitch currently is chain stitch. I’m working on a tea towel now using it for a stem for a vine. I’d love to master more complex stitches but chain stitch is a great “go to” stitch.
My favorite stitch is the Cretan Stitch. I believe that it falls under the Herringbone stitch category. I love it because it is very versatile. It can be used as a filling stitch or a border. Also depending on the spacing of the stitches and the width and the direction the final effect is dramatically different.
I want to work it on a border design on the skirt of a dress.
Thank you,
KatieP
I really like a nice whipped back-stitch, but I haven’t been embroidering much recently and I don’t remember the last thing I used it in. So I’m going to say Herringbone stitch is my favorite, because I used it to put up a hem on my coat (which I made, but which doesn’t involve any proper embroidery).
It was hard to decide, but I think my favorite stitch is the bullion stitch. I love making bullion stitch roses, and last used them on a costume for a French Fashion doll.
My favorite stitch is Double Fan Double. I used in on Santa Fe Steps by Carole Lake. It wasn’t that difficult and really made the piece look special.
The trellis stitch for filling spaces
W0w, there are 864 comments ahead of me. Your Stitcher’s Christmas is really popular and who wouldn’t want this book! I am more of a cross stitcher, but your blog has me itching to do more embroidery. I do enjoy specialty stitches. My favorite is a simple rice stitch, but it can be done in differing sizes and colors to make a nice addition to a stitched piece. Thank you for doing your Stitcher’s Christmas again this year. I wish the merriest and best of Christmases.
I have two favorites…. the outline stitch. I often use 3 strands containing 1 strand in 3 values of the same color. The next is french knots.
I just finished an outline of fall leaves traced from a plastic quilt stitch template. I used the outline stitched in a varigated brown to gold hue. The french knots were under the outline stitch inside the pattern. It is 8 x 8 and will be double bordered
and used as a table mat.
BTW when you reviewed DMC’s sparkle threads I was thinking of trying 2 strands of ordinary floss with 1 strand of gold/silver metallic to see how that stitched up. Will let you know. Perhaps you have already tried that?
My current favorite stitch is the stem stitch: I love how conducive it is to making an uninterrupted flowing line. “Current” bc I presently know about 5 stitches, mostly learned on this site, and there are so many beauties yet to try! The future feels bright!
Oh, I forgot to say where I used the stem stitch: on a tea towel for a housewarming present.
I love the stem stitch. I used it on the embroidery for my daughter’s baptism gown. It’s so forgiving!! Love your blog! Carrie PlaneNut in GA
Long & short and French knots are my absolute favourites. Gets amazed the versatility and the flow the long and short stitch gives for a project. I used it last for a table cloth embroidery that I did last month.
I had to sit and think on this for a bit. I’m still new to doing a lot of surface embroidery, as I just picked it up this year, but so far my favorite has been stem stitch, as I’ve used it a lot and it’s so easily adaptable for the projects I’ve tried it with.
The most recent project has been baptismal cloths. I work for a church as the youth director, and they have a tradition of giving the baptized a baptismal cloth hand-embroidered with a shell design. The people who have been doing it mostly can’t anymore, and when I mentioned that I sewed, it got handed off to me, right in time for three baptisms in a row.
This is really a difficult question. If you had asked for my favorite technique, I could have answered that, but my favorite stitch is really hard to choose. Each stitch has its place and its use(es). Outline jumped to my mind first because of its many uses.
I love the trellis stitch and used it on a new Christmas project this year.
My most widely used stitch is cross stitch (I get periods where I just HAVE to cross stitch). I am currently working on a project called Vintage Roses. They look a bit like the Peace Rose with perhaps a bit more vivid colouring. It is on a beige background with a bunch of 3 roses, 4 buds and a lot of leaves, as well as the stalks. There is shading around the group consisting of half cross stitches in both 1 thread and 2 threads. I am keeping this one for myself, as I have given away all my larger cross stitches to family and friends.
My favourite is the chain stitch. I used it to do a lot of flowers and vine design on a 56 meter long fabric. It is along the lower and upper border. Thinking of an exotic design to use the entire fabric. A very ambitious project I guess.
My favorite embroidery stitch is Hardanger. My most recent project is a 4.5″ square with an 3/4″ edelweiss flower in the middle and then hardanger done to the edges with the edges also done in Hardanger.
Hi Mary, I have learned and used many stitches over the years. It would be hard to pick a favorite, I love all kinds of embroidery! It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I do love the bullion stitch. You can do so many different things. Lately I have been making little frogs, and insects. I have been using a silken perle from The Thread Gatherer.I love working with this stuff! I have learned quite a bit from your newsletter and your videos. I have been teaching my 6 year old grand daughter to stitch, and the videos are perfect for when I’m not there. can you imagine the things she will be able to learn over her lifetime! This was all her idea, and she is sticking with it so far! I did’nt think I would write you a book! but I love stitching.And I wish I could take classes from you. I am no pro, but it brings me much joy! So by for now from a small town in Utah called Payson!
Inspirations put out so many lovely books; I have several and the contents are always so varied. My favourite stitch is beetle stitch. I know it has another name but cannot think of it. I find it is a great stitch to use for flowers, in lieu of detached chain, or lazy daisy stitch. I wanted to write to you but as I live in Australia, I am not holding my breath to be selected for a prize. Just wanted to say I love your posts and tell friends at my patchwork group to look at your site for good advice. Also wanted to say how much I enjoy the projects in the Inspirations books.
Cheers, Christine
Satin stitch is a favorite. I’ve been practicing making monograms with cording couched onto the letter and using satin stitch over the cord. I love how neat and exact the satin stitch looks over the cording.
Hello Mary, I used my favourite padded satin stitch on the flag of a galleon I made from my husband’s shirts in memory of him.
Hello. I am very new to embroidery so my favourite stitch is the humble satin stitch. I used it to colour beautiful poppies in a field of wild grasses which I made up into a red cushion for a close friend.
I like lazy daisy stitch and stem stitch. Very basic i know but so much can be done with it. Pin wheels and scissor keeps are what has been keeping me busy lately. New things to look forward to in the new year.
I mostly use brick stitch in my embroidery projects, due to recreating a sample of 14th century alms pouches at the moment. Still I am amazed at the wealth of patterns you can create with this counted stitch. It even works well for pendants. I absolutely love it.
My Grandmother taught me to embroider when I was a little girl, and the buttonhole stitch was an early favourite of mine and it still remains my favourite stitch today. Apart from the happy stitching memories with my grandmother, it is such a versatile and fun stitch to use. I now enjoy crazy quilting, and buttonhole stitch is my first choice when working on a project as it can be adapted to stylise waves, fans, wheels, shells and flowers such as hollyhocks – it’s a fun stitch and I love using it! I am working on a crazy quilted wall hanging for my sewing room and my first line of embroidery used buttonhole stitch to create a meandering line of shells with incorporated beading.
Gayle Jenes, Australia
Hi Mary and fellow embroiderers from around the world.
I am a great fun of the simplicity of straight stitch. It was the only stitch that I used in my last embroidery which was inspired from a picture from a children’s book.
Thank you for the lovely giveaway!
Georgia
Love many different embroidery types – currently working a stumpwork design but my all time favourite type of embroidery is theadpainting
My fav stitch is the Cretan, I use it on just about all my projects. I have used it on a Mouse pincushion that I stitched up this week.
I know it’s terribly uncreative, but I love the stem stitch. When I’m too tired to do anything complicated but want the relaxation of a simple, rhythmic motion, this stitch is perfect for me. I just finished a redwork Xmas piece (birds and birdhouses) which I’m going to work into a 12″ quilt for my office.
My favorite stitch is a fill stitch using the stem stitch. I am hand embroidering a middle for a quilt. Not sure if I should call it a medallion. Very excited to finish I hope soon.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the feather stitch. I use it frequently in my crazy quilt blocks which are assembled into totebags.
If I have to choose one stitch, it is long-and-short crewel stitch. It is so versatile in filling any shape, can be shaded, can be overstitched with a metallic for extra sparkle,etc.
My last crewel project which I just finished is a tea cozy for an exhibit. Traditional designs from 17th century, blues and greens on one side, reds, orange, yellow on the other side.
I love cross stitch, but I also love embroidery. My favorite embroidery stitch is satin stitch, which I am currently using on some vintage southern belle pillowcases. I also crocheted skirts for them; a very fun project!
I recently finished a fall flowers iron on transfer, and I outlined the flowers using metallic threads, gold and burnt orange. The stitch I used was the chain stitch, which was quit fun! The stiffness of the metallic threads had a ” pull” to them, and you can which ended up being very pretty.
The book looks absolutely amazing. My favorite type of embroidery is using river silks, especially stitching flowers.
I just finished a pin cushion on velveteen using many different stitches, different colored silks, some overdyed.
My favorite stitch is the French knot using silk ribbon.
Thanks Mary for this book.
Teri
I like to use French knots. I recently made small brooches, using the French knot for the flowers.
Carol b
My favorite stitch is the double running stitch or the Holbein stitch on evenweave fabric. I am currently working on a Christmas ornament which combines cross stitch and this one. It is for the annual ornament exchange in the Golden Thimble Needlecraft Guild of which I am a member.
My favorite stitch is the herringbone. There are so many ways to use it and dress it up with other stitches and beads.
I probably use the satin stitch more than any other, but I admit to LOVING the french knot. I made a Queen Anne’s Lace for a project using all french knots for the parts of the flower head.
I am relatively new to embroidery.My absolute favorite stitch ( perhaps because I find it easy to do) is the French knot. I especially like the combination of different colored threads in the needle. I first and last used it in the EGA group project “Meadow Medley “. Thank you Mary for this opportunity. I’ve learned a great deal from your postings. Dottie
My favorite stitch is long and short and just last night I finished the second of Trish Burr’s miniature landscapes. I do not have any of my embroidery up in my home but these two are going on the wall. They were so much fun to stitch. Thank you for the give-aways Mary!
I love using a very tiny chain stitch, especially for lettering. My last use of it was on a Wildflower Alphabet Sampler that I made for my grandmother who loved all kinds of flowers – wild or otherwise.
I love raised stem band, and have used it for texture on a number of my designs, including a tree for an owl piece, and for foliage on a beach.
Stem Stitching. Used on Block of Week Twilight Garden from Primitive Gatherings
As a beginner, my favorite embroidery stitch is the stem stitch. My latest project is Boughs of Holly.
Sincerely,
Mary Hanley
I’ve been working on some flour sack towels — inspired by this web site — for holiday gifts. Since speed is key, I’m using a lot of stem and chain stitch.
I suppose the stem stitch is my favorite as it is my most used stitch. I’m currently working with it on some handkerchiefs I’m giving as a gift for the priest doing my son’s baptism this Friday! Newborns and deadlines… wheeeee!
Ladder Stitch is one of my favorite stitches.
I used this stitch to join together the Tribute, which was designed by Jackie DuPlessis. Using this stitch means finishing a project that was stitched with so much love and care to be displayed for everyone to see.
My favorite stitch is the cross stitch interspersed with beads. I’m currently using the cross stitch on a stitched & beaded Trinidad Santa ornament.
My fallback stitch is cross stitch. I like the “no thought” order to counted cross stitch that can be used in so many designs, but am currently working on a stamped baby quilt for my first grandchild. I’m also working on 4 seasons quaker samplers from rosewood manor.
My favorite stitch is the little ‘x’ as in counted cross stitch. I recently retired and will be learning new stitches soon. My last finish is by Blackberry Lane. Gingerbread Camper. This is a gift for my daughter. She and my granddaughter entered a gingerbread camper in the exhibition Glow at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens last year. I knew I had to stitch it for her the very moment I saw it.
My favorite go-to stitch is stem stitch, but I really love more intricate stitches, like plaited braid stitch or buttonhole filling when I get the chance to use them! I also find the dimensionality of stitches like raised cup stitch and picot endlessly delightful, and am working on an autumnal piece using those and stump work. I’d love to get my hands on this book, not least for the red currants pattern!
Chain stitch. Goes back to my childhood and great memories. I used it for initials on a needlecase.
I love reverse chain stitch – it comes out so neatly and you can get round tight corners with it! The last time I used it? – I’ve just finished a small stitched mandala to go into one of the small pendant frames and I used a variegated thread using reverse chain stitch and back stitch. Very simple but quite effective.
My favorite stitch is the Satin stitch. My last project I stitched this on was Ann Dale 1827 Big and Beautiful by Shakespeare’s Peddler.
I have many favorite stitches depending on what type of needlework I am doing. One of my go to stitches is the herringbone stitch. It is versatile whether doing surface embroidery or counted embroidery. I most recently used it on a band sampler I created after being inspired by the book Early 20th Century Embroidery Techniques by Gail Marsh. A friend encouraged me to purchase it and you know the rest! The joy is in the stitching.
My favorite stitch is the french knot. On my last project, I chose a piece of hand dyed fabric which had interesting shapes in it. Then I stitched intuitively with french knots (and some stab stitches) to create texture and to emphasize some of the interesting areas on the hand dyed fabric. This piece will be wrapped around a 5×7″ canvas frame.
I love all counted stitches! Before I retired I worked as an accountant and licensed tax preparer so that probably explains it. I recently almost completed a sampler for our 50th wedding anniversary. I took a reproduction sampler and adapted it. Still have to add names and a saying, but I can’t decide exactly what to use. Going to see my friends in TX in Jan and will get them to help me to decide.
I guess my favorite is the stem stitch. I use it on so many of my projects to outline things. I used it on a pattern with leaves on it just the other day. Thanks!
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch because it is so versatile. I use it often and have found that if you stitch two rows close together, it can be a filler or a heavier stem if that’s what you want. I use it to outline and enjoy crayon coloring with that as the outline. Thanks for the chance to win the book!
Ooh, so many lovely stitches to choose from! My favourite (just now!) would either be Padded Satin Stitch or Fishbone Stitch. I last used them in an embroidered book I’m making. It was a stitchalong by a blogger Cova Castanon, who had adapted an embroidery book ‘Mon Cahier de Broderie’ by Marie Suarez and made it into an actual stitched, embroidered book. The instructions were in French or Spanish and I don’t speak a word of either so it can be tough going translating the stitches, it it’s going to be a beautiful book at the end of it, eventually! Thank you so much for the chance to win this beautiful book.
My last stitchwork was needlepoint. One of my grandsons is crazy for Ladybugs or King of the Aphid Eaters as he calls them. It was a pleasure to make a little picture keepsake for him.
Thanks for the Christmas giveaways 🙂
Karole in NE Texas
Hi Mary ,
My favorite stitch is Jessica stitch. I recently used this stitch in one of Chatelaine’s Mandalas.
I love eyelets. In any form. Especially spot eyelets and chained eyelets. The last design I worked them in was one of my new building blocks. I’m still deciding if this one will be level four or level five.
I love the queen stitch and the last design I used it in is a nametag designed by Betsy Morgan.
Stem stitch is my favorite stitch, done well, it creates the foundation for all other stitches.
Cindy P. Washington
I’m still very much a counted thread person (VERY lineal thinker!). As such the cross stitch is the stitch I use most. I was a counted canvas person until I took a linen ornament program from my local guild. Never looked back. I do like to mix other counted thread stitches with cross stitch which is why I’m a “sampler girl”.
Cross stitch over one thread creates a wonderful detailed design, but I prefer cross stitch over two on high count fabric – very much the same result. My most recent projects-in-progress are a Pine Mountain pillow cover and a Shepherd’s Bush accessory bag. Both are mostly cross stitch.
I love your giveaways, even though I’ve never won one! You expose me to such interesting needlework topics. I also love them because your questions make me think about something which normally never receives much reflection.
I don’t have a favourite but the last stitch I used was blanket stitch. Stitching around Christmas characters on an advent calendar for my new grandson. Pippa
The stitch I enjoy is the simple cross stitch “X”. The first stitch I learned by my great grandmother, the only stitch my grandmother would do. It is so simple, yet has to be done perfect; stamped embroidery -all the same size; counted cross stitch-counted correctly and, of course, must always go in the same direction. Currently doing Fire & Ice by Kustom Kraft and Tannenbaum lap quilt by Herrschners. The “X” stitch, simple, easy, so very necessary.
I love to cross stitch but finished a needle book as a gift last night with a blanket stitch and loved doing it.
I am currently enjoying needle painting with the long and short stitch. I am currently recreating my daughters wedding invitation to become a sampler with the bride and grooms name and date!
I think my favorite stitch is the lazy daisy stitch. I last used it in a crewel piece about mothers and babies.
Hello Mary, Thank you for such a great giveaway. I love all embroidery stitches but especially Hardanger with added embroidery. My last work was a humble hardanger cross which instead of being made into a bookmark, was added to a linen background with added lace, bead and button details.
I love blackwork! I last made a blackwork sampler for a friend that I was very proud of.
My favorite stitch is the queen stitch. The most recent project I’ve worked it on is Unicorn Wedding Sampler (WIP) by Page Dorsey. Another is The Sampler Sweet Bag by Sharon Cohen, which I’m putting together now. I love the graduated colors in many queen stitches. I rarely pull the threads to create a hole.
Hello Mary and God’s blessings for good health,
I have crossed stitched samplers large and small for over 50 years. so you could say the x-stitch has been my favorite technique. Since retiring last year and having the freedom to stitch at my leisure, I have gone back to my roots and began to use free hand embroidery.
My lastest project was to add a bumble bee, dragonfly and flower emblelishment to the bottom of a pair of tattered jeans. They have a real 70’s vibe that takes me back in time everytime I wear them.
I’d have to say running backstitch is my favorite stitch of the minute … so simple, but it can do so much! I’m using it now to do line drawings of animals for x-mas ornaments.
My favorite stitch is the long and short stitch. The last project I used it on was Trish Burr’s cardinal project.
My favourite stitch is the long and short filling stitch. I used it on a free pattern from Trish Burr’s website. I’ve always wanted to make a needle keep and as I quilt, the cover is a log cabin in blues of William Morris fabrics and the traditional red centre. The embroidered violet pansy is on the inside lining of the cover so it is beautiful to look at when each time I open the book. The pages are of over dyed felted wool in grey/blue blanket stitched with navy. The clasp is a button with perle cotton draw tie. I am so pleased with it.
I love long and short stitch in a single strand of silk, stranded cotton or wool. I am currently stitching a Phillipa Turnbull Jacobean crewel work kit and can’t leave it alone. Long and short stitch in wool is very forgiving.
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch. It feels so nice when it is completed — if you are allowed to touch the stitching. It also looks great
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch, it’s like painting with thread and the needle is your brush.
Love to make buillion stitch, I love the way it curls.
My favorite needlework right now is petit point needlepoint. My last completed project is a clutch purse. I made a gorgeous purse (if I knew how I would post a picture) from a Hibiscus pattern that I bought on HAED. It turned out lovely. I found a lining of complimentary fabric and hardware. It looks very professional.
I love featherstitch. It can large and widely spaced for a primitive look or fine and tiny for an heirloom lace look.
Favorite stitch is button hole….use it for applique on pillow
I’m working on a “Shades of Christmas” by Trish Burr of
South Africa. It is featured in
“Inspirations” issue 92, 2016.
Her instructions are just excellent
and I really love doing the
couched trellis stitch. What a gorgeous magazine.
French Knot, they just seem to bring everything to life. Took a bit of practise, but got there in the end – centre flower in a Trish Burr design.
My favorite stitch must be the French knot, because I am a beginner and the last project I finished was mostly those knots. It was a vintage stamped kit that I bought at a remnant sale run by the textile department at the University of Nebraska. Who knows how long it had been in their storerooms! It is called “Tea for Two”- two placemats and two napkins!
I like so much, Palestrina Knot. Or Double Knot stitch. I use it especially when I have a branch or heavier stem in a design.
I used it in a Mountmellick design recently on a small cushion, as well as a design for a bag, borrowed from Inspiration News.
It is sort of satisfying somehow.
This is a difficult question to answer. For the past year I have been teaching basic embroidery stitches with variations of them.. I have learned and used several stitches that I never used before. I guess if I had to picl one it would be the Forbidden stitch. I used it recently on a sampler of a person.
Lovely!
My favorite needlepoint stitch is the Smyrna cross stitch. It’s easy, looks nice and works up fast. I last used it on a class piece which was on linen.
My favorite stitch is the outline or stem. It is so versital and can be used for so many motifs. I’m working on a pillow with the stems and leaves in stem stitch. Using different threads can completely change the look.
While working on the Trevelyon cap, I learned a lot about embroidery. Such new techniques and stitches that I am ready to purchase one of the many gorgeous books available, but I have not been able to make up my mind. I became fascinated with the shading in embroidery, so I guess for the moment, that is a favorite of mine, the long and short stitch. Not fancy, but oh, so beautiful.
My favourite embroidery stitch is chain stitch and I have used this stitch for filling areas, detached in floral designs, twisted for vines and stems and in all forms in all my projects. My latest project for Christmas used chain stitch in a candy cane and holly design.
I love chip work in the Goldwork – last time I used it was in a butterfly piece I had created for a Goldwork class I was teaching.
I believe my favorite stitching technique has been Drawn Thread ie. Reticello, Filetwork. I always described it as feeling like I was a spider spinning a web and consider it most appropriate, as my name is Charlotte. ie: Charlotte’s Web.
I used a chain stitch to make a willow tree on a quilted wall hanging.
My favorite stitch is the stem stitch, and it’s currently gracing much of the Christmas stocking i’m making for my daughter. Happy Holidays to all!
My favorite stitch (right now) is the eyelet. There are so many different uses. I have a couple of Whitework projects working right now that I’ve decided to stitch a few eyelets into.
My favorite stitch is the blanket stitch. I use it all the time on felted wool projects and right now on some embroidered flowers on a pillow cushion cover. Anne
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch. Recently I started a series of pieces using art nouveau floral designs. I found the vintage designs online and copied them for embroidery. In most of them I used the satin stitch because it seem to correspond best with the fluid and soft lines of the florals. Once I got it finished, I was very pleased with the result because the colors were so concentrated, something I think you find with the satin stitch. I believe it is a stitch that can be used if you want to use bold colors, but is also very adaptable for using multiple colors for needlepainting. Of course, when I finish I love how neat and tidy the stitches look.
How does one choose a favorite stitch? It is the stitch that is appropriate and beautiful for whatever the design demands. Over the years, I have enjoyed doing so many stitch variations that I would have a very hard time choosing one. Buttonhole wheels and flowers are so versatile, and easy; rococo stitches make a lovely texture; satin stitch and cross stitch seem so easy, but can be used so many places; chain stitch, daisy, herringbone, backstitch. I could go on, but suffice to say that my favorite stitch is the variety of stitches available to create lovely embroideries.
I really can’t say I have a favorite, but I do a lot that are really fun and I enjoy working into projects. Right now I am working on a stumpwork piece that required a Whipped reverse chain stitch. This is used on the stems of the heavy soon to be stumpwork poppies. the leaves and other flower stems in the design are done in the stem stitch. How much fun it was to see the contrast between the stitches and how the whipped chain said I can hold the bold flowers and really pop making the others look dainty.
Once this is complete I will do more dimensional embroidery it is just fascinating. Thank you for all your wonderful tutorials and tips
Hi Mary. Lovely giveaway!
I don’t know if it’s my favourite stitch but I use buttonhole a lot – and it’s the predominant stitch in my current long-term project (a large tablecloth).
Keep well.
My favourite stitch is the buttonhole stitch and I have just used it to finish a piece of canvaswork. It is a simple and effective edge binding.
It would have to be Palestrina stitch – so useful for neatening edges and finishing them off, you can bead it or not…. Last used in a pinwheel and edging a scissor keep. In fact I use it to edge most projects!
Thanks so much for this opportunity! My favorite embroidery stitch is long and short for soft shading, although I have found it to be a challenge to learn to do well. I last used it on a silk and goldwork carousel horse that I just love.
I love French knots. They are so versatile, simple, and enjoy making them. The last project I made using French knots was a floral design from the French Needle. With an upper respiratory infection I cannot remember the name of the project, only that it was for a granddaughter, small, and had a variety of stitches.
I love to do many embroidery stitches. I’ve had both basal thumb joints repaired in the last year, so my stitching has been curtailed. I did manage to do the EGA GCC of the White Iris between surgeries. The pulled stitches were quite satisfying…even if painful.
My favorite is always the one I’ve just started using for the first time, and currently that’s the colonial knot. Just found out about it, and it’s so much easier and more solid and reliable than the familiar French knot. Just used it in a little Jacobean design as an overlay on some laid work, and I’m thrilled to know about it!
An older, long-time fave is the feather stitch, which I used to put around the necks of little infant shirts as shower gifts. A beautiful, graceful stitch.
My favorite stitch is the satin it can be done up to look like watercolors shading. The last project I worked on was roses.
Hi Mary,
My favorite needlework stitch is Smyrna Cross. It is such a useful little stitch which will hold many things together. I am stitching a tessellated pattern for a class I am taking and I had no place park my threads or to hold the design together. In came Smyrna Cross which worked beautifully when other stitches just wouldn’t work.
My new favorite stitch is the embellished wheat ear stitch. I’ve used it in a crazy quilt pillow top, and plan to use it next in a band sampler. I love that it looks so intricate, but is so easy to do.
My favorite stitch is the one I have done most, and that is good old cross stitch. It is so versatile, and I like to watch how a design unfolds in front of me as I do counted work. Second favorite is anything involving needlepoint. Wait! That might be my first love. It’s like choosing which one of my children I love the most!
Leviathan stitch, which I last used in a sampler.
My favorite stitch is long and short, although it’s taken me years to make it look halfway decent and I can still improve. The last project I used it with is an Elsa Williams design. I have embroidered 4 or 5 of her large 16×20 pictures with vases and plan to complete at least 3 more.
Thank you for the beautiful give-away, Mary!
My favorite stitch is the French Knot. I recently used it to stitch clusters of tree leaves in different autumn colors.
OK. I am a Mary Corbet groupie. I have left comments in the past years but never expect to win, because I know you have a legion of groupies and the odds are great. Nonetheless, I love to read and share pretty Embroidery books, and this is a true beauty. Anything from ‘Inspirations’ is a beauty. I love the stem stitch, use it somewhere in whatever project I am working on ( and I am always working on at least two or three projects). I am currently working on the state bird of Virginia with stem stitch and back stitch and it is looking just fine!
My favorite stitch is the couching stitch. I use it for goldwork and to secure beadwork as well. I can also use it to secure thick threads to lie on top of my fabric in order to add lots of texture. The last project I used this on was a goldwork fleur de lis.
I really like french knots. I like them because you can use them to make colors of the rest of the piece pop. I make a lot of ‘boudoir’ pin cushions and along with some gold beads I used a soft pink strand of cotton, 938 I believe, with a strand of clear/white aurora borealis on my last one. French knots are just fun to do.
Thanks,
Wendy
The straight Stitch! It’s so easy and useful! I last used it in a Christmas ornament.
Herringbone stitch, Margaret Bendig ‘Silken Sampler’.
I’ve been doing a little design called Pins & Needles by Rosalie Dekker full of satin stitch and chain stitch. Not sure they’re my favorite stitches, but it’s really nice to sit and do while I watch the girls gymnastics- quick too! I daresay one of my girls will snaffle it up when it’s done
I love hardanger and stitching the kloster blocks – it’s very rhythmic. But my favorite filling stitch is the Edelweiss. It is so intricate and beautiful looking with a lot of texture. I used it as the center of a Christmas ornament recently.
I love hardanger, both sewing it and just looking at it. My most recent project was the ribbon that is part of “the gift” kit
Although it is very simple,the blanket stitch! I use it soo often.
I recently designed and made a Jacobean inspired crewel embroidery pillow cover. I played around with several stitches but really love the effect of the subtle colour blending in Long and Short stitch.
Point painting, my selfie, the final work is spectacular, the embroidery looks like a printed photograph.
I really love the satin stitch. When done well, it’s so beautiful and smooth and really does look like satin. I’m not really good at it yet, but I used it to fill in a large “L” in the word “laugh” for a small textile art piece that I created.
One of my favorite stitches is the woven wheel stitch, done in ribbon. I love the effect, so easy for something that looks so impressive! The last project I used this stitch in was a small autumnal circular pattern called Jardin d’Automne by Rouge du Rhin from the French Needle. I loved it!
I am a rather new stitcher, but I am loving your website and patterns! My favorite stitch right now is the fishbone or raised fishbone stitch! I’ve used it numerous times as I am creating embroidered hankies for my co-worker’s Christmas gifts! It’s just SO very lovely and versatile for all kinds of leaves!
I have been stitching a Christmas table runner with a variety of stitches including satin stitch which used to be my least favourite stitch of all time but since stitching so many leaves in satin stitch it is slowly becoming a favourite of mine. They say practice makes perfect and it seems to be working for me. Merry Christmas!! Cheers, Anne de Koning
My favorite stitch? Hands down, the Colonial Knot! I’ve used it on a pair of pillowcases in Jacobean design. I am seriously thinking of using it on a table runner printed in Mimosa design. The greater portion of the design is in satin stitch, but I would like to substitute the Colonial Knot instead. Totally different texture, and far more time to finish ( the satin stitch would take a lot of patience and time anyway considering the size of the piece) but I believe the heightened texture would be worth it.
Currently I am into the Bayeux Tapestry stitch (laid and couched stitch), which I most recently used in combination with split stitch for outlines to do a picture of a bird catching a fish that was adapted from a 10th century Spanish illumination.
I love Blanket Stitch its so versatile and was possibly one of the first embroidery stitches I learned over 60 years ago. Just last night I used it for some red flowers in a knot garden Christmas decoration.
I love embroidery books – you can never have too many.
Thanks Mary for the opportunity to take part in your generous Christmas give-aways again.
I love French knots! And I just used them in a beautiful, rich shade of red on the Christmas Trees from your Christmas Tree download. They add texture and dimension to the two Christmas tea towels I embroidered. It’s always nice to have something new and handmade for Christmas. If there’s time I will make more. These are great designs, Mary. Thank you.
My favourite stitch is the stem stitch. I know that this is one of the first stitches we learned as a child next to the running stitch, which is close to a tie for my favourite stitch. I love the versatility…I can do simple embroidery like red work, and it comes out looking wonderful; I can outline a pattern and then fill in with other more dramatic stitches; I can make it a filling stitch, a padding stitch,..so many uses…Joanne
I love the buttonhole stitch as it is so versatile. along with the Fly Stitch. I last used these on a small Crazy Quilt
My favorite (so hard to choose!) is double running blackwork–so much fun watching the pattern come out when returning. I’ve been making a band sampler–hoping to finish sometime soon.
the cross stitch – I used it with some specialty stitch to complete The Sweetheart Tree’s Tiny Acorn Needlework Accessories. The accessories are a scissor fob, needle book, biscornu, and needle roll. Each of the accessories have an acorn with leaves as the centerpiece surrounded by beads and specialty stitches. This was my first adventure into specialty stitches and I am very surprised and pleased with the results.
I just love back stitch. It is so easy to do and the more one uses it the better the stitch looks. I used it entirely on a quilt that I made. I call it my afternoon tea quilt as it goes on the table.
My favorite embroidery stitch is probably the chain stitch. I find a way to use it in almost everything I stitch. The last thing I stitched with it was a pillowcase with sunbonnet girls on it.
My favorite stitch lately has been the lazy daisy stitch. I finished some quilt blocks that my mom started before she passed away. I sewed the blocks together and am now hand quilting the quilt.
Thank you Mary for just being you. My new favorite stitch is the cretan stitch. I last used it to embroider WWII bomber planes for my brother’s birthday. He was thrilled. Merry Christmas!
Oh I would just LOVE to have this one…definitely on my list of wants. My favourite embroidery stitch is feather stitch – I always have a crazy quilting project on the go and I use feather stitch extensively on such projects because you can meander all over the place with it to carry the eye around the piece. Thanks!
My favourite stitch ins the stem stitch. I use it a lot for outlining, for filling in spaces and use it as a raised stem stitch. It has many uses.
Karin
I just love French knots. I love the way they look and I love to make them! Recently used them with shades of purple threads to create blackberries! The berries became the highlight of the piece.
I like the stem stitch. I just used it to complete a small surface embroidery piece with my initials on it as part of our broderers guild challenge. I’m currently working on my first ever crewel work project and fortunately for me there are lots of areas required the stem stitch.
My favourite stitch is long and short known as needle or thread painting. I love blending the colours and while not being adept at choosing my own colours I do enjoy following Trish’s patterns and instructions. My last completed embroidery was ‘Provencal’, a Trish Burr kit from a painting by Canadian Louise Marion.
I’m working my way thru Trish Burr’s book of miniatures so my current favorite stitch is long and short for thread painting.
My favorite stitch is the lazy daisy. Most recently I used it on crazy quilt blocks for purple-themed wall hanging for my sister.
My favorite stitch is the basic cross stitch. Most of what I do is cross stitch. Right now I am working on the Early Americans series from Little House Needleworks. Thank you, Mary, for the opportunity to win such great products!
Hi,
I like all forms of needlework but I’m currently working on alot of cross stitch patterns from small quick Mill Hill kits to larger patterns such as Blackbird Designs Strawberry Fields and Northern Expressions Twisted Rainbow Sampler. I’m also working on Katy Rees Holiday Delights. Always have multiple projects going so I do not get bored.
Thanks for the opportunity in the book give-away!
Dear Mary
I love playing around with lots of different stitches and combinations but I think my favourite stitch would be stem stitch because it is so versatile and can be used in so many ways. I am presently stitching a picture taken from a photo of an old wooden bridge surround by trees and all the tree trunks and parts of the bridge are stitched in stem stitch filling.Thank you for your Stitcher’s Christmas. The Inspirations new book looks lovely
Marion.
I really like cross stitches. Simple yet effective that I use in all my stitching, most recently on a painted needlepoint canvas
Dear Mary,
I’ve been really enjoying the long and short stitch technique. I’m working through your Long and Short Tutorials you offered earlier on. Though my samples are looking a bit crude, I can see them getting better as I progress. I love the way the colored threads blend together as they move through their color changes. Thank you for sharing your love of embroidery and teaching.
Hi My favourite is Stem stitch. Recently I was given a whiskey bottle tube, the kind with stoppers in each end. I covered it with deep purple fabric and embroidered red poppies all round it.
My favorite stitch, only because that is all I have been doing, is cross stitch. I have been doing birth samplers for our two grandchildren. But I am taking a basic embroidery class in Williamsburg this winter which I am really looking forward to.
My favourite stitch is chain changes for each project. It is always vthevone that works best in that particular situation. Currently it’s herringbone, who knows next time?
Heavy chain stitch. I recently used it for letters on my baby’s mobile
There are so many favorite stitches, but I think that my super-favorite has to be long and short. It really brings life and dimension to shapes of all sorts, especially the birds and animals that I enjoy embroidering. They seem to suddenly come alive!
One of my favorite stitches is the outline stitch (that is what my mother called it.) This is the first stitch that my mother taught to me when I was 7. The last time I used it was on my grandson’s baby quilt.
I love using trellis stitch as there are so many ways to couch it down to change the look. I last used it in a crewelwork piece for both flower petals and a hillock.
My favorite stitch is stem stitch. The last time I used it was yesterday. I love to use stem stitch to fill surface. I used it to fill letters of the name of my sister’s little son on a Christmas socket. If I win, I will send you a picture.
So many stitches to choose from! Satin stitch is the most seductive with gorgeous results in both large and small projects especially when executed in silk or rayon. Worked beautifully in a fantasy flower design of my own making. Taking parts from Tulips, Roses and Pomegranates adding a little goldwork here and there also lots of tendrils. I was very pleased with the finished piece.
My favourite (currently) is Ghiordes (Turkey) stitch, I completed a portrait of an alpaca with psychedelic head hair in this stitch. It makes me smile every time I look at it. =)
I don’t know the name of the stitch but the needle comes up through the fabric and down then back up again at the centre of the stitch that was just made and continue. I moved to the Arctic 20 months ago and am making lots of traditiional items like mitts and kamiks which are all made by hand. I make mitts to donate within the community and like to use the stitch described above to make a heart on the item because I inject love into what I make. I love the stitch because it’s great for a beginner and it’s easy to do without using a pattern. I tried to copy a picture of the mitts but it didn’t work. Thanks for your inspiration and blogs.
My favorite stitch is double running stitch because it is the first stitch I learned to make as a child making doll clothes for my dolls. Later, I used double running stitch on a crewel embroidery pillow that my younger sister and I worked on together. My most recent extensive use of double running stitch is a black work project by Marion Scoular.
My favorite stitch is nobuko. I have used this stitch on my needlepoint pieces for years . Currently it is being used on a women’s skirt for texture and a subtle bit of gold for bling. Prior to this I used it on a picture with a sunset.
I really like stump work. I love 3 dimensional work and the way it looks when completed. The last thing I did was a Christmas ornament for our embroidery guilds exchange.
My favorite stitch is a chain stitch with hook “point de beauvais” similar to the Luneville stitch. I prepare a dress with a white virgin for the confirmation in April of my last daughter. Thank you for giveway game.
My favorite stitch is the satin stitch.
On my currentChristmas stocking project, I have used it to fill in candy canes in red and white and I simply love the way it looks.
The stitch I’ve been using a lot lately is long and short stitch. I used it to embroider a priest’s stole for a friend. I used one color for that stitching and now I’m using the long and short stitch to create yellow and black pansies for a piece for my sister. I like the stitch but I’m still getting used to keeping the stitches even.
My go to stitch is the chain stitch. Because the are sooo many variations and is quick and easy to do, I find it will fit into almost any design. A whipped chain will produce an even heavy line in every time. Last project was a simple embroidery design featuring a thread spool and tomato pincushion found in Primitive magazine. I had never “colored” a design using crayons and the whipped chain worked perfectly for the many outlined designs. A fun and quick project.
Hello Mary,
I would like to thank you for all your time and effort you put into your e-books , especially the Little Trees. Each one of the
little trees have been stitched several times in my projects. I am now in the midst of holiday card making for family and friends and naturally these little trees will grace the fronts of my cards! My very, very favorite stitch is the Stem Stitch, I love the way it brings life to my work, it is without a doubt the backbone of embroidery. It can also be used as a filling stitch. It maybe a simple stitch, but it neatly finishes my work.
Yvonne
My favorite stitch is hard to pin down because I like so many. I love bullions because of all the beautiful things you can do with them. I love the herringbone for the lifelike leaves it will create. I love the stem, outline, backstitch and others to outline parts of a project to make them stand out.
But I believe my very favorite is the long and short. With it a bird looks ready to take flight. With it a flowerseems to grow in front of your eyes. And with it a river turns to real water rushing by trees and animals on a bank. It makes all my stitching truly come to life.
I love the colonial knot. I use it on almost everything. For flowers, trees blooming, hair, buttons, eyes. The last thing is an angel for her hair. You can make it any size which gives dimension. It is a fun stitch and easy to do.
Deb P.
favorite stitch is the cross stitch. so many variations when I want variety. so simple when I just want to stitch and not have to think. last project used on – Cross Eyed Cricket’s “Be Ye Thankful”
I’m working on the 12 days of Christmas ornaments by Larissa Holland. I bought them last year (or the year before) but finally took the plunge and started. I have 5 1/2 done, and I love them. These patterns include mostly back stitch, running stitch, and French knots. They’re very simple and the instructions are very clear. My favorite stitch is the fishbone, (and many others.) This pattern doesn’t use them unless I sneak them in.
My favorite is Cross Stitch.I am currently doing a kit Rusty Fence & Lilies.Its a full coverage piece.
I love reversible blackwork. I really enjoy historical embroidery and I’ve use it in a number of reproduction samplers. More recently, I used it on one of the monthly technique Christmas Stockings designed by Susan Portra.
My favourite stitch is ??? I’m not sure as I’ve just began embroidery last night. However, I did a lazy daisy and it looked sweet. Thank you
I love the stem stitch and am currently using it for Christmas ornament gifts I am working on!
Hello Mary,
My favourite stitch is blanket stitch.
Thank you for all of the inspiration you give us stitchers!
I love Lazy daisy stitch. When I was young I figured out how to change it into a heart shape. It is still my favorite stitch. It is so versatile
My favorite needlework stitch is the Brazilian bullion. I do a lot of crazy quilting and when I participate in a CQ round robin, I always into a flower made with bullions.
Right now my favourite stitch is the bullion stitch. My Secret Garden (designer Nicole Gelinas) from EAC’s 2018 Seminar uses a lot of them to great effect. It’s the branches and leaves of trees, the blossoms on flowers, the padding under satin stitch for rocks and tree trunks among other things. It’s a very versatile stitch.
Variations on the French knot. You can vary the number of loops around the needle to change the finished size. The last project I did this particular trick on (alas, unfinished) was a lion-lamb-angel needlepoint. I used French knots on the lamb, giving it a bit of shape above the surface, just a hint of three dimensions.
Thread painting, long and short stitch. I working on Jenny Mcwinney woodlands piece.
My favorite stitch has to be the French knot. I just can’t get enough of them. My last project was (14) monogrammed pill boxes for Christmas gifts using your favorite monograms ebook. Thanks.
I love working long & short stitch and last used it on a Christmas card for my mother.
My favorite stitch is the feather stitch, last used on a quilt block. I often also use beads to embellish the stitch, and there are several variations still to be explored.
Hi Mary,
My favourite stitch is the French knot. I embroidered a landscape scene for my granddaughter entirely in French knots, from 1 strand of silk wrapped once around the needle to 3 strands of DMC wrapped 4 times around the needle. The end result is not only beautiful to look at but so tactile due to the variation in thread and stitch size.
Reverse chain , I stitched a cushion with variegated silk in a design taken from a old Doily
My favourite stitch is the bullion stitch as it gives lovely texture and can be used in many ways. I use it all the time, most recently when embellishing a floral quilt block.
How very generous of you to purches copies to give away..maybe i will get lucky this time around!
My current favorite stitch is the running stitch , just plain old,endlessly versatile running stitch. At the moment i am embroidering in the center of some vintage linen napkins..these are quite small and already have some embroidery on them. It has a brown running stitch along the 4 edges, which leaves an open center just waiting for a motif The is the first napkin(in the set of 4) and am putting a flower reminiscent(as in, vaguly resembles) of a morning glory.
Happy November 29th to you!
I don’t know that I have a favorite stitch but I really enjoy Jean Hilton Stitches. Just recently I stitched “Autumn Fireworks” by Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes of Beautiful Stitches with my local ANG chapter. My favorite Jean Hilton stitches that were included were Amadeus Stitches, Walnettos and Crescent Stitches.
One of my favorite stitches is the cast-on stitch. I use this quick and easy stitch to add a little something extra (usually a flower or two) to a garment or floral project. The last thing I used this stitch on was a preemie WeeCare gown. WeeCare is a program with the Smocking Arts Guild of America where members sew preemie clothing for donation to local hospitals for babies, who sadly, don’t make it, and for those who are teeny, tiny when they are released to go home.
I love inpirations magazine
My favorite stitch is satin stitch. I think it is beautiful and adds lovely dimension.I especially like it padded. I last used it in a small embroidery of flower petals.
I recently finished a small geometric needlepoint piece. stitched with a number of different threads, beads and one (a favorite ) stitch: the Herringbone Stitch. It was fascinating to see how one stitch could be used in so many ways: small, large, elongated and four-way color path. I really enjoyed the challenge. Would be nice to win the sequel to THe Passion for Needlework that I have.Thanks for the opportunity, Mary.
Chain stitch! Merry Christmas!
Hi Mary ,
one of my favorite stitches is the french knot : i love it so much !
one of my favorite creations i’ve donne is a wave made up of hundreds of french knots and pearls and sequins
I’m slightly obsessed with needle painting at the moment so my favourite stitch is if course ling and short stitch. I’m attempting my first project from Trish Burr at the moment so wish me luck!
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch is long and short because it’s the most used in stumpwork flowers. Just finished the tiger lilly kit from Alison Cole.
My favourite stitch is the long and short stitch used for needle painting, for its beautiful effect in filling and shading. It is also my least favourite stitch, because I find it hard to master and struggle to get my angles right!
My favorite stitch, is the back stitch. It always looks nice and it is meditative to do.
Carol, Etowah, NC
I love chain stitch because of its versatility and ease. I’ve been working on your monograms and enjoy the variations. Thank you
My favourite stitch is chain stitch as it is so versitale and many different ways of using it. I especially love it in Indian designs. I made my own Indian design & sample for my Diploma machine and hand embroidery this year and all of it was chain stitch. It was a triangle shape, filled with flowers, paisley’s, swirls and shisha mirrors. I used various bright colours like Indian embroidery shows on my own dyed cotton of terracotta colour.
Tough question! After much though, I’m going with colonial knot. I used them most recently on a Christmas ornament for texture.
My favourite needlework stitch is Stem Stitch. I find it is very versatile – I last used it in a small ornament I made for an ornament swap at our Guild Christmas lunch.
How can a person have one favorite stitch? I am been doing this since I was 21 and now I am much older! I have done more thread count x-stitch than anything else, but not limited to. Stitches, threads, fabrics, what more does one need. I have been working on ornaments this year.
Whipped back stitch – embroidered lunar face from Urban Threads for a friend’s birthday card and whipped with metallic thread for the dress.
My favorite embroidery stitch would have to be Long & Short. I have had a love/hate relationship with that stitch for years until recently when I used it in my RSN Crewelwork coursework for my Certificate & Diploma program. Now I want to use it on everything.
Hi Mary,
My favorite stitch is french knots. I am in the midst of a beach scene using paint, beads and stitching — lots of french knots!
I am currently working on a French sampler from French Needle. I like the fly stitch to use as a frame. I like using hand-dyed wool and other variegated flosses. Mary, your needlework is always so perfect. I admire you!!
I have developed an affection for the coral stitch, which I am using on a Jenny Adin Christie whitework design called the Ulster Pocket.
Thread painting or long and short stitch would have to be my favourite stitch. It is so versatile and can add movement, depth and texture to your embroidery. I am currently stitching a stocking depicting the 12 days of Christmas and I am using thread painting for the figures and animals and this allows the other different embroidery stitches to really stand out.
My favorite embroidery is always whatever I’m working on at the moment – which at this moment is cross-stitch. I love Blackbird Designs and have stitched several of their projects. Just now I’m finishing up Blessings Be Thine. Love it!
That being said, I’ve never met an embroidery I didn’t like, from hardanger and pulled thread to crewelwork and silk ribbon embroidery. Perhaps not so much casalguidi.
And the cover project on this book is a must stitch!
I’ve tried a lot of different stitches but I still love the look of counted cross stitch. When outlined with a backstitch it has a very neat finish. I just finished a birth sampler for my newest granddaughter spelling out her first name with each letter followed by a little girl carrying something to show what letter she represented. It was counted cross stitch outlined in backstitch. Underneath I stitched her entire name and birth date in backstitch. I’m sure she’ll treasure it because it was made with lots of love.
Love the many ways feather stitch can be used. At a stash sale I bought a vintage printed Provincial Flowers of Canada piece, with no instructions ir threads Used feather stitch in several places with variegated perle cotton to good effect.
Favorite Stitch is the long and short. Last completed project to use it was of a Amethyst crystal. Current butterfly project also uses the long and short.
Hi Mary,
My new favorite stitch is the spiral trellis, which I learned to use on Catherine Theron’s A Woman’s Garden Band Sampler. The stitch is fun to do and adds texture to the piece. Celia
Stem stitch is my favorite – easy, fast, versatile. I’ve used it a ton on my latest obsession – kitchen towels! (Thanks for sending me down that rabbit hole, Mary!)
I love all needlework, but especially counted cross stitch. I have been working on the English Garden Sampler since 2000 and it is finally nearing completion! I would love to win your prize.
Susan in Texas
Technically, my favorite stitch is whatever one I’m using at the moment. Lately it has been the lattice stitch on a needlepoint project, and the buttonhole stitch on a wool appliqué project and a pulled thread project.
My favorite stitch is the chain stitch, whipped. I have never used the combination before and love the color , texture and strength. I am learning lots of new stitches working on the Twelve Days of Christmas.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the bullion stitch. I love florals and that bullion stitch can make the most wonderful flowers.
One of my favorite embroidery stitches is the blanket stitch. I used it recently in a free-hand surface embroidery. The stitch was used to outline the green rolling hills that I pass by each day where I live in the horse country. The blanket stitch added depth, continuity and verdant richness.
Detached buttonhole- I’m finally getting good at it! I used it a lot on my reticella lace apron
I love using the long/short stitch. It’s easy to do, easy to blend colors with. I used it most recently in 6 different kits to make gifts for each of my grandchildren.
Hi Mary,
What a lovely way to start the Christmas season! My favorite stitch is the outline/stem stitch. It’s the very first stitch I learned over 50 years ago and it shows up (or seems to) in every piece of embroidery that I’ve done. Currently I’m using it to embroider some kitchen towels for Christmas presents. Thank you !
I use so many different stitches in my work so it’s hard to say what my favourite might be. I think, if I had to choose only one, it would have to be the blanket stitch because I can use it as a base to add so many other details to. Last project I used it on was when I was making little bird crazy quilted Christmas ornaments last month. I use the ornaments either as little gifts in themselves or I use them as the ‘bows’ on other packages.
Deerfield – needlecase
Hi Mary, Tent stitch is my favorite stitch as it can be used to create such a diversity of beautiful needlepoint designs including ones with shading (Ehrman, Kaffee Fassett, Glorafilia, Elizabeth Bradley, Beth Russell) from 7 count needlepoint rugs and cushions all the way to fine 32 count Belfast linen designs like The Nostalgic Needle English Pynpillowe by Sharon Cohen that I have just started.
Thanks so much for your Christmas theme postings and giveaways.
Hi Mary,
My favourite stitch is the stem stitch. I find that using this stitch makes my work a little faster and fills in beautifully.
I recently finished Tania Berlin’s Robin on a Branch where I used this stitch
Merry Christmas
Joan
In my latest embroidery project I have used many stitches but my favourite at the moment is the Daisy stitch. It a happy stitch. I am embroidering a small tablecloth for outdoor table that we use when we are travelling in our caravan.
When I am stitching I can feel my mother and mother-in-law watching over me, guiding and helping me with my sewing.
My favourite stitch is stem stitch. I am using it in a project to make a tote bag for embroidery guild and I am using it as a filling stitch to make the thread skeins I am embroidering look like they have actual strands. I am using one strand. I love stem stitch, because it is so calming and when you focus on it, you can practise making each stitch the same length. I have also used it for shading a tree trunk once.
My favourite embroidery stitch is the long-and-short stitch because I love thread painting. I have recently completed Gisele Carriere’s “Serenade” and Trish Burr’s “Blue Tit and Apple Blossoms”.
I’m trying to come with answer but time has not been on my side lately and stitching time has been difficult to find.
So I started to think about what I’d like to be doing and what stitches I’d like to be using.
I’d like to be stitching something in the art deco line using canvas work stitches. I’d like to be filling in an area with a grid first ( in multiple directions various shades) and tying down the crosses in a different colour, perhaps gold or silver. I love doing any stitch on canvas1
Long and short stitch. I am currently working on flower petals on a pair of pillow cases.
Love needlework! Enjoy following your site.
In September this year I attended a class with the Embroidery Guild of Western Australia. The tutor was Jan Pilgrim from Queensland. The project was called the Forest Floor and is a stump work project. Jan gave us some leeway as to ferns, etc. on the “floor” and she left us with lots of threads of different shades of green. I am in the process of using the drizzle stitch to make clumps of “ferns” along the base of the project. I love using this stitch as it is so effective in stump work projects. I have used to often in different projects that I stitch. Happy Holidays to one and all.
My favorite type of stitching is cross stitch but in the past few years surface work has been more & more important to me. I love satin stitchwhen doing surface work, it adds depth to any work.
Hi Mary,
I am learning to embroider and my favorite stitch so far is the Stem stitch. I have been working on a Redwork Quilt and this stitch has been very versatile in this project.
I do like to use the French knot. It added fun and texture to a sampler I made for my first grand baby.
Back Stitch, used in embroidering 12 pigs of the Days of the Week.
Hello!
My favorite stitch is the long and short. I’m all about needlepainting and am currently working on a piece that features a garden spider. The ability of such a simple stitch to render whatever texture or form I need makes it my favorite, from smooth and lustrous, to the coarse and bristly. Its simple brilliance quickly excites the mind to devising even more applications.
Feather stitch – I used it in a sampler book I was working on.
My favorite stitch is feather stitch. I love to embellish my tee shirts (around the neckline), and a feather stitch is one of the most perfect embellishments! Add some beads and you can really dress up a tee. If my shirt is solid colored, I can make the embroidery more interesting by using variegated thread and all the same color beads, or by using one color of thread and beads that are 3 different shades of another color. Thanks, Mary!
My favorite stitch of the moment is the bullion knot. I learned to use it in a course of early 17th c. English raised work. I loved making the knot with more threads, less threads, and gold threads to add dimension. Once I got going I didn’t want to stop.
My current favorite stitch is french knot. I used them to make hydrangeas. They look very pretty with different shades of thread.
My most recent embroidery project is redwork done in the stem stitch and it is not quite completed yet. It a wall hanging piece with chickens and chicken houses, very folk art which I love..
I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I learned the woven wheel stitch from this website. I had bought a kit but the instructions were contradictory. They said to stitch the spiderweb, but the version I knew wasn’t what they expected. So thanks to Needle n Thread, I taught myself the woven wheel version if the spiderweb and I like the result.
My favorite embroidery stitch is the feather stitch. I last used it on a small quilt that I made and embellished.
My current favourite stitch is the casalguidi stitch, which I first ‘discovered’ on a needle ‘n thread tutorial. I am using it now as I participate with members of my stitchery guild in learning how to create a lavender sachet (designed by Barbara Kershaw) that features a lovely embroidery panel that includes the use of the casalguidi stitch, as well as woven picot, four-sided stitch, detached buttonhole and bullion knots.
While I don’t have a favorite stitch I find myself using the stem stitch a lot as an outline for other stitches or in rows for trees, branches, etc.
My favorite is the easy and versatile satin stitch. I used it last in a canvaswork project based on a quilt where I love the different sheen and color you get from the same thread when it is stitched in different directions (and that you can cover a large area in a short amount of time!).
I like the chain stitch. And, the variations of it which I learned from your UTube video’s Mary. thank you
My favorite embroidery stitch is the straight stitch. I used it in a multi-media color wheel.
I like random long and short. It can be used in needlepoint as well as surface embroidery and is very flexible! Love it for flowers, fur, draped areas for clothing or fabrics, trees and bushes, and that’s just a few examples. Right now I am using it on a stocking for reindeer fur.
Probably outline stitch; it flows so nicely, and you can use it for lines or solids. The “last project” I did with it isn’t finished; I’ve been working on a band of vines for a tunic hem, and I’ve changed the design twice . . . probably one of the hems will be cut in half for bands on the sleeves. I love the colors (pale green and yellow on royal blue) and really need to start back up on it!
I LOVE the simple stem stitch! I use it all the time, (almost too much) but it is just so simple, and looks beautiful if it is done correctly. I used it A LOT on my last project, a T-towel I made for my niece’s wedding shower.
Thank you Mary and Inspirations Studios for such a wonderful giveaway.
It is hard to pick a favourite stitch, but for sheer versatility I love cretan stitch. It can be regular and closely worked, stretched out and irregular, forms curves easily, takes beads and can be used in all sorts of different ways.
The last project I used cretan stitch on was an embellished purse I’m making for my daughter. This is a modern piece designed by Jane van Keulen using velvet, lots of textured stitches and beads.
The Blanket or Buttonhole Stitch as I have been doing several Hardanger projects. Also, as the Co-Leader of a youth embroidery guild, the girls in the group also enjoy this stitch as they used it to finish felt Christmas ornaments.
My favorite stitch is the bullion stitch. It is so versatile.
I love the buttonhole stitch and am currently working on a wool penney rug that uses this stitch a lot!
As a beginning stitcher I love doing the blanket stitch and French knots on my felted wool appliqué projects. I love Inspirations magazine and would love to win their new book.
The stem stitch is my favorite and I am currently working on the Crabapple Hill Stitch heart pattern.
Stem stitch is the most versatile stitch and would have to be my all time favourite. I used it last month on a wonderful pictorial map sampler that I am stitching for my husband, Andrew. Its a map of East Africa and I used stem stitch to outline the map also to fill in the various animals, trees, people and places that symbolise where Andrew spent his childhood. I can’t wait to finish this project, which I have stitched with all my love!
Stem stitch is the most versatile stitch and would have to be my all time favourite. I am currently using it on a wonderful pictorial map sampler that I am stitching for my husband, Andrew. Its a map of East Africa and I used stem stitch to outline the map also to fill in the various animals, trees, people and places that symbolise where Andrew spent his childhood. I can’t wait to finish this project, which I have stitched with all my love!
My favourite stitch (which I know is an easy one) is the split stitch. I love how it looks when finished and the most recent design I have used this on of late is in a crewel work piece called “Chaffinch” (by The Bluebird Embroidery Company).
My favourite stitch is French Knot
My favourite stitches are French Knots which I last used to do monograms
I love cross stitch because it looks like small colored pixels which I find nice , I recently did one that shows a bride and a groom getting married in the city.
Running stitch when I was 15 years old on a hessian sack. Thanks for making Christmas for stitchers ……… well like Christmas!!!
Stem stitch because of its versatility and because it’s the first embroidery stitch I learnt when my beloved grandmother first taught my cousin and me to sew aged 8. I’m making a table runner and embroidering the names of my children and grand children onto it, so stem stitch is invaluable. My second most favourite stitch is lazy daisy followed closely by bullion stitches. No guessing that the table runner has many flowers stitched on it. These simple embroidery stitches connect me to the women in my family; they have all been embroiderers. One of our great treasures is a christening robe made by my great-grandmother around 1875. All hand made. Embroidery is a most under-rated art form and Mary and Inspirations show us why it should be valued more.
Thankyou and all the best for the festive season
Jillian Clare
Hi Mary,
I love doing love Blackwork, my last project was a 3D pear in variegated thread, it came up a treat!
Happy Christmas
Chris
My favorite technique is goldwork and I last used it on 16th century reproduction book cover.
Thanks for this gorgeous book give away. Back stitch is my current favourite as I stitched up a lot of intricate patterns recently in a big Black work embroidery project.
I love stitching woven wheel or rose stitches! I don’t seem to do them very often but they sure are fun, and so pretty when using a variegated thread.
The passion at the moment is counted thread. Just finished a beautiful bag in the tradition of Greek Dodecanese embroidery.
I love long and short stitch as one can paint a picture. I last used it for my current project, L’ Oeillet Rose ( pink carnation) by Catherine Laurencon.
The passion at the moment is counted thread. Just finished a beautiful bag in the tradition of Greek Dodecanese embroidery.
I enjoy learning new uses for stitches. I will bravely try just about any stitch.
Recently I used palestrina knot, a favorite of mine, to edge a silk needle book.
Fingers crossed!
I think long and short stitch is the most versatile stitch it is used in so many instances, my last project is a crewel work, scarlet glory. But I have also used it for stump work projects. Would love the book if lucky enough to be chosen. Thank you for the chance.
My favorite stitch is the French knot because of the way it changes the texture of stitching.
Thanks for offering the give-aways!
My favourite stitch is long and short stitch, it is so versatile, you can fill an area with solid colour or create the most delicate shading. I am about to start on a Trish Burr design so will have plenty of opportunity to use it.
I have just completed two pocket warmers embroidered with french knots on the lavender spikes. Looked very effective.
Button hole stitch, I just finished a very old cut work doiley that my 90 year old Mother in law started but is too ill to finish.
Think my favourite stitch would be ‘long & short’ stitch. Love using it with shading and love seeing work in which it has been used.
My latest work has been Bird on a Bough and Jacobean Stag – both Phillipa Turnbull designs – so lots of practice with these crewelwork designs
How can I possibly pick a favourite. I ve just completed a Kantha book cover which use running stitch and a few chain stitches, so I guess that’s me for the moment. My next project will have something different.
Years ago I used to do counted cross stitch. I have 2 Amish pictures that I think took me almost 10 yrs to complete that still hang in my home! Now I find it to hard on my eyes. Recently I have started to do redwork & bluework, which I enjoy. But I had an itch to do more in embroidery & then I found your site! Your work is stunning and this site has so much info to take in. There are so many beautiful stitches but right now I am pretty fascinated with the bullion stitches. It just adds something so different to the piece. I look forward to working on all of these stitches in the coming months
My favourite stitch at present is back stitch as having been on Sue Stones on line course I have learnt how to use it to make stitched portraits and I have been thrilled to make a really interesting portrait of my 8 year old grandaughter which really is a good likeness. I never expected to be able to achieve something like this
my favorite stitch is the French knot. When I was a little girl I used to spend hours doing French knots!
Hi there,
My favourite stitch is double lazy daisy stitch. I last used it on my current embroidery to make awesome tree leaves that can look solid or lacy depending on how close/ small they are.
My favorite stitch is long and short stitch, wich I used to complete the tree featured in the Fallen Leaves project, included in the first “A Passion for Needlework” book.
Thanks for this contest and Happy Holidays to all!
Sophie
Québec, Canada
Using and ‘invisible’ stitch to join together the layers of Christmas ornaments for grandkids- I do this so I don’t use a machine on anything 🙂
I would have to say Bullion stitch is my favourite stitch, last used on the lavendar pillow from Inspirations magazine.
I love Needle and Thread! Such wonderful tutorials.