Learning basic embroidery stitches opens a world of creative possibilities for needlework novices. Foundational stitches like the running stitch, backstitch, and lazy daisy form the building blocks for more complex designs. Beginners should start with quality materials: sharp needles, tightly woven cotton fabric, and six-strand embroidery floss that can be separated for varying thicknesses. Many tutorials recommend practicing on printed quilting cotton with visible weave to help maintain consistent stitch lengths. Starter projects often include simple motifs like leaves (using fishbone stitch) or flowers (with French knot centers). The beauty of beginner embroidery lies in imperfect handmade charm—slightly uneven stitches add character rather than detract from the piece. Online challenges like #100daysofembroidery encourage consistent practice, while stitch sampler hoops allow experimentation with different techniques. As skills progress, beginners can combine basic stitches to create texture and dimension without advanced complexity.

Embroidery

I encourage you to use additional resources if you need more instruction than this simple guide. I have found video to be very useful in understanding stitches. Please click on the links below to watch very quick clips of the stitches. You can also find a directory of longer videos here, with more detailed instruction. Please stay tuned as I add more stitches to this index and fill out each section with more details and video. Stitches are listed alphabetically. ———————————— Back stitch Back stitch is worked from right to left and is great for creating solid lines. It helps to shorten the stitch length when using this stitch (and other linear stitches) to outline curved lines. You can also use this stitch to fill a shape and your stitches will look like little bricks. It’s also a great stitch for lettering. Start a stitch length away from the beginning of your line. Come up at A, then down at B, the start of your line. Then up a stitch length away at C, and back down at A. Up again at D and then down at C. Be sure to use the same same holes (A, C, etc) so there is no gap between your back stitches. VIDEO: Back stitch VIDEO: 2 ways to fill with back stitch Lettering tutorial Whipped back stitch To whip your back stitch come up at A, the beginning of your line. Then weave under and over EVERY stitch until you reach the end of the line. Bring your needle down at B and anchor. VIDEO: Whipped back stitch Lettering tutorial Chain stitch Chain Stitch creates a lovely textured line and has many variations to play with. Come up and down with the needle at the start of your line (A), leaving a loop. Come back up within the loop (B), a stitch length away, and pull to tighten the loop to desired tautness. End the chain with a small stitch tacking the loop down. This is another nice linear stitch for lettering. VIDEO: Traditional, reverse and detached chain stitch Lettering tutorial Reverse chain stitch Reversed Chain Stitch starts at the “end” of chain stitch with the small tacking stitch (A-B). Come up through the fabric a stitch length away (C) and slip your needle under the tacking stitch (do not pierce the fabric) before coming back down through the same hole (C). Continue in a chain. VIDEO: Traditional, reverse and detached chain stitch Lettering tutorial Detached chain stitch Detached Chain Stitch AKA Lazy Daisy is great for leaves and flowers. You can experiment with tension here, giving a thin or more rounded leaf/petal shape. Here you create a series of single chains. VIDEO: Traditional, reverse and detached chain stitch Heavy chain stitch VIDEO: Heavy Chain Stitch Couching Couching is a great linear stitch I like to use for lettering and stems or vines. This stitch uses two working threads which can vary in size (ply), type and color. The couched thread is pulled up at the start of your line (a) and goes down all of the way at the end of your line (b), leaving slack. Your couching thread is then used to tack down the couched thread along the curves of the lines. Both threads are anchored once the desired line is created. VIDEO: Couching Lettering tutorial Fern stitch Fern Stitch makes a nice addition to any florals. I think of it as a series of Y’s made of back stitches. VIDEO: Fern stitch Fishbone stitch Fishbone Stitch is my favorite way to fill leaves. You can use an angle more parallel or perpendicular to the vein of the leaf to give different looks. Go back and forth from the starting stitches at the top of the leaf and working down the sides of the outline. The stitches come up at the top and cross each other mid-leaf. VIDEO: Fishbone stitch Full fishbone stitch tutorial Fly stitch Fly stitch can be used for

Embroidery

We’ve found 20 great tutorials to get you started learning to embroider, including the basic stitches that every beginner to embroidery should learn.

Bordados

Embroidery stitches

learn the basic stitches of embroidery that every beginner stitcher should know. This post shows you step by step photos of stitches to get you started…

bordados

There have been lots of embroidery patterns available. You can get them from your favorite embroidery design magazine or download them from embroidery websites available on the Internet. However, it is much more fulfilling if you are the one who created your patterns. Don’t you think so? Many successful embroiderers, especially those who own embroidery…

Sewing embroidery tips

Comment broder à la main ? Apprendre la broderie, technique facile

Techniques pour apprendre la broderie par soi même facile à faire, cours de broderie en ligne et tuto de broderie, conseils points croix traditionnel. Tableau en image des différents point au crochetLe pouf Mummy (+tuto en français) – Minimel le blogoù comment faire la couverture Sunburst – Yulenka