Backstitch Outlining

What you will learn

• Following chart lines
• Stitching from hole to hole
• Working after the crosses

Materials and tools

• 14-count Aida cloth, white or cream
• Tapestry needle size 24 (blunt tip)
• Six-strand embroidery floss
• Embroidery scissors
• 4 or 5 in (10 or 13 cm) hoop (optional on stiff Aida)

1. Finish all the cross-stitches in the area first. Backstitch sits on top.
2. On the chart, backstitch is a bold line. It may run along the edge of squares, diagonally across a square, or across two squares.
3. Thread 1 strand. Secure it under the back of nearby crosses.
4. Come up one hole ahead of where the line starts. Go down at the start of the line.
5. Come up one hole further along, and go back down into the hole where the previous stitch ended.
6. Follow the chart line exactly, hole to hole. Do not stretch one stitch over more than two squares or it will hang loose.

Tips for a neat result

• A sharper or finer needle helps when the line passes through holes already filled with crosses.
• On long straight lines, a stitch every one or two squares is enough.

Common mistakes and fixes

Check your result

• Lines match the chart and stitches meet end to end with no gaps.

Projects that use this