Split Stitch

What you will learn

• Piercing the thread
• Even short stitches
• Filling with rows

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.

1. Come up at the start of the line and go down 1/4 in (6 mm) along to make one straight stitch.
2. Bring the needle up through the middle of that stitch from below, so the point passes between its strands.
3. Go down a stitch length ahead.
4. Come up again through the middle of the stitch you just made.
5. Repeat along the line.
6. To fill a shape, work rows side by side, following the outline inward.

Tips for a neat result

• With 2 strands, aim to come up between them.
• Keep stitches short and regular. The split should look like a tiny chain link.

Common mistakes and fixes

Check your result

• Each stitch appears to grow out of the one before.
• The line is smooth and a little braided.

Projects that use this