Fly Stitch

Stitches

Fly Stitch

A single V or Y shape: an open loop pinned down by a straight stitch at its base.

Beginner15 min

Up at 1, down at 2, up at 3 inside the loop, down at 4 to pin it. A short tail makes a V, a long tail makes a Y.

What you will learn

Open loops
Varying the tail length

Materials and tools

Embroidery hoop, 5 or 6 in (13 or 15 cm)
Plain cotton or linen practice fabric
Embroidery (crewel) needle, size 5 to 7
Six-strand embroidery floss
Embroidery scissors
Water-soluble or heat-erasable marking pen

Before you start

Put the fabric in the hoop so it is drum-tight.
Cut 18 in (45 cm) of floss, separate the strands you need, thread the needle and knot one end.

Step by step

Come up at the top left of the V (1).
Go down level with it to the right (2), leaving a loop.
Come up between and below the two points (3), with the loop under the needle. Pull through so the thread forms a V.
Go down directly below (4) to hold the V in place. A tiny stitch gives a V. A longer one gives a Y.
For a leaf, stack fly stitches down a centre line, each V starting on the leaf outline and each tail forming part of the vein.

Tips for a neat result

A row of Ys touching side by side makes a neat border.

Common mistakes and fixes

The V is lopsided

Bring the needle up exactly midway between the two top points.

The loop is slack

Pull the V snug before making the anchoring stitch.

Check your result

Both arms of the V are the same length.
The anchoring stitch sits on the centre.

Practice exerciseStitch a leaf 1 in (2.5 cm) long from eight stacked fly stitches.

Projects that use this

A Leaf SamplerBeginner90 min A Floral Embroidery HoopConfident Beginner3 hours