How to Embroider: Intermediate Stitch Guide

Create your running stitch. In another colour, bring up the needle just before your line of stitch. Weave the thread under the first stitch, loop over and weave under the second stitch. Repeat until you have woven under every stitch and finish my inserting the needle close to the end.

Create your back stitch. In another colour, bring up the needle just before your line of stitch. Weave the thread under the first stitch, loop over and weave under the second stitch. Repeat until you have woven under every stitch and finish my inserting the needle close to the end.

Create your stem stitch. In another colour, bring up the needle just before your line of stitch. Weave the thread under the first stitch, loop over and weave under the second stitch. Repeat until you have woven under every stitch and finish my inserting the needle close to the end.

Create your chain stitch. In another colour, bring up the needle just before your line of stitch. Weave the thread under the first stitch, loop over and weave under the second stitch. Repeat until you have woven under every stitch and finish my inserting the needle close to the end.

Draw a curved line. Bring your needle out at A and insert it at B. Bring your needle out at C and insert again at B, bring you needle out again at D and insert again at B. Bring your needle out at E and insert again at B. Repeat until you have a completed Fern stitch.

This stitch is perfect for creating leaves. Draw yourself a leaf shape and add a line down the middle. Bring your needle out at the top of the leaf and back though a stitch below it. Bring the needle back out one side of the first stitch at the top and insert it back through just under the second stitch. Repeat for the other side and continue until you have completed your leaf. Add a simple stitch at the end to create a stem for the leaf.

This stitch technique will create beautiful roses that can embellish your embroidery pieces. Start by drawing a five point star and stitch by bringing the thread through on one of the outer lines and inserting in the middle, repeating until you have all five lines. Next, bring your thread through as close as you can to the centre point. Weave under and over the five points continuously until they are full. Insert the thread back though as close as you can to one of the five points. Bring the needle up through the middle and create a French Knot to finish.

This flower technique is another great way to embellish your embroidery pieces. Start by looping some embroidery thread and pin to your fabric. In another colour, bring the needle up and back down again tightly, catching your loops. Bring the needle up one side of the threads and back down across from the other. Continue until you have covered the bottom part of your threads. Create a stem in the same colour. Unpin your threads and trim to your desired length.