S is for Satin Stitch

“S” must be for Satin Stitch!

I’ve said it before. I’m sure I’ll say it again. Satin stitch – done well – is, in my heart of hearts, the Queen of Embroidery Stitches. It can be such a beautiful stitch, and it can be used for So Much.

But there are also things it can’t be used for!

Today, we’re going to plunge into the Needle ‘n Thread Archives again and resurrect previous published posts on satin stitch – with various suggestions for when and how to use satin stitch, with lots of tips and techniques to help you perfect your satin stitch, and even with a few notes on when not to use satin stitch.

Come, let us explore these archived articles together and revel in the wonder and beauty of The Satin Stitch!

Satin stitch is, in essence, a simple stitch. There is no extra movement to it. You simply bring your needle up into the fabric and then take it back down. With practice and care – and by following a few guidelines – anyone can master satin stitch, creating beautiful, smooth stitched elements with it.

Smooth is the operative word here. Satin stitch is called satin stitch, because it’s meant to be smooth, like satin. The surface of the stitched element is meant to be smooooooth. And that’s the only real challenge with satin stitch!

There are some simple ways to assure that your satin stitched surface is – and remains – smooth, and I’ve written loads about it in the past.

For example, check out this article called 12 Helpful Hints for Sensational Satin Stitch. In it, guess what you’ll find! That’s right – 12 helpful hints for sensational satin stitch. These aren’t necessarily tips just for the stitching of satin stitch. They also have to do with thread choice, padding, and more!

Slanting Stitches: Why Start in the Middle? demonstrates the notions of spacing and stitch angle when filling an area with slanted satin stitches.

I used that sample above to write this article on floche and satin stitch, because floche is an absolutely dreamy thread to use for satin stitching!

Sometimes, if you’re not achieving the results you want or picture in your mind, it’s not the stitching that’s the problem – it’s the supplies!

I also used floche (red!) for this satin-stitched monogram:

You can find many articles on this monogram, but I’ll just point out these two:
Beginning the Monogram
The Finished Monogram

Once upon a time, a gazillion years ago, I worked this monogram above in white, using coton a broder – another thread that’s fabulous for monograms and for whitework (which are frequently seen together). In fact, if you haven’t tried satin stitching with coton a broder, consider it! We offer this variety pack of several weights of coton a broder, to make it convenient to try out.

When I worked that monogram, I wrote this tutorial on how to take curves with satin stitch.

And here, you can see the finished monogram from that project.

This tutorial on satin stitched dots will teach you how to embroider really plump (or not so plump – up to you!) dots in satin stitch. Sometimes, it’s hard to get a perfectly round satin stitched element, so I show you how to do that.

There are many projects on Needle ‘n Thread that have featured satin stitch. Monograms in satin stitch are always a fave, but I use satin stitch in some variety or another quite often!

In this project, I was keen to save on silk thread when working the satin stitch elements, so you can see how I did that.

This lovely embroidered daisy project features one daisy worked in satin stitch (with instructions).

I used satin stitch on the florals in my Secret Garden Hummingbird project – and here are the details from that part of the project.

One of the earliest projects I ever published here on the website was this satin stitched stole, worked in silk threads on the loveliest of silk fabrics. The project was never completed, due to a slight disaster that ruined the second half of it. Unfortunately, the original photos from the earliest days of the blog are not accessible in their original format. Some day, I will unpack this half of the stole, re-photograph it, and probably frame and hang it.

And if you’re looking for something quite small but very useful, in my tutorial series on hand embroidered lettering and text, I included a tutorial for satin stitch in lettering.

I suppose we could wax eloquent for hours about the wonders of satin stitch, but I think this smattering of detail from the Needle ‘n Thread archives will give you plenty to explore!

If you’d like to catch up on the rest of the ABC Archive Series on Needle ‘n Thread, you’ll find the ABC Archive Index available here.

Hope your week is going well!