Stitch School: Blanket Stitch
The ninth in a series of posts about common (and not so common) embroidery stitches—what they are and how to do them.
Today we’re talking about Blanket Stitch and (no surprise here) it’s traditionally used to edge blankets. It also makes a great edging for tea towels, dinner napkins, and baby sacques, which are little flannel kimono-type garments that are open in the front and tie at the neck with ribbon. Here’s an example:
The top stitch in the second picture is called feather stitch and we'll try that next week. Blanket stitch can also be used for attaching appliquéd pieces of fabric to a base. Here’s an example from a vintage baby quilt—
And here’s a holiday ornament I made from felt. The cardinal’s body is attached to the underlayer with tiny blanket stitches and the two circles are bound together at the edges with larger blanket stitches. Blanket stitch works very well around curves!
To start bring your thread to the front. Take the needle to the back about ¼ inch away (diagonally) and come down so the stitch is aligned along the bottom.
Making sure your thread loops under the needle, pull it through until it lies tightly against the emerging thread.
Take the needle to the back again and emerge ¼ inch away from the first stitch. Continue along until you’ve reached your desired length. You'll see that each new stitch secures and holds the loop of the previous stitch.
To finish, take a small stitch to the back to secure the last loop.
To make a blanket stitch edge for a tea towel, start on the back side by bringing your thread under the hem and through the fold. (If you'll be working from left to right on the front, start at the far right on the back.)
Turn the towel over and work your line of stitches along the edge. I used a towel that was already hemmed for these pictures but you could use this stitch to decorate and hem the towel at the same time. Just make sure that you catch the folded edge on the back with your stitches.
When you come to the end, take your thread to the back over the last loop to secure it. Bring your needle back through the fold to hide the ending and knot it.
In case you missed other posts in this series:
Week 1: Stem and Outline Stitch
Week 2: Lazy Daisy Stitch
Week 3: Straight Stitch
Week 4: Satin Stitch
Week 5: Split Stitch
Week 6: Back Stitch
Week 7: Running Stitch
Week 8: French Knots
Today we’re talking about Blanket Stitch and (no surprise here) it’s traditionally used to edge blankets. It also makes a great edging for tea towels, dinner napkins, and baby sacques, which are little flannel kimono-type garments that are open in the front and tie at the neck with ribbon. Here’s an example:
The top stitch in the second picture is called feather stitch and we'll try that next week. Blanket stitch can also be used for attaching appliquéd pieces of fabric to a base. Here’s an example from a vintage baby quilt—
And here’s a holiday ornament I made from felt. The cardinal’s body is attached to the underlayer with tiny blanket stitches and the two circles are bound together at the edges with larger blanket stitches. Blanket stitch works very well around curves!
To start bring your thread to the front. Take the needle to the back about ¼ inch away (diagonally) and come down so the stitch is aligned along the bottom.
Making sure your thread loops under the needle, pull it through until it lies tightly against the emerging thread.
Take the needle to the back again and emerge ¼ inch away from the first stitch. Continue along until you’ve reached your desired length. You'll see that each new stitch secures and holds the loop of the previous stitch.
To finish, take a small stitch to the back to secure the last loop.
To make a blanket stitch edge for a tea towel, start on the back side by bringing your thread under the hem and through the fold. (If you'll be working from left to right on the front, start at the far right on the back.)
Turn the towel over and work your line of stitches along the edge. I used a towel that was already hemmed for these pictures but you could use this stitch to decorate and hem the towel at the same time. Just make sure that you catch the folded edge on the back with your stitches.
When you come to the end, take your thread to the back over the last loop to secure it. Bring your needle back through the fold to hide the ending and knot it.
In case you missed other posts in this series:
Week 1: Stem and Outline Stitch
Week 2: Lazy Daisy Stitch
Week 3: Straight Stitch
Week 4: Satin Stitch
Week 5: Split Stitch
Week 6: Back Stitch
Week 7: Running Stitch
Week 8: French Knots
posted by janet at 1:56 PM
28 Comments:
I wanted to find out how to sew blanket stitch last week, to edge a scarf I'd knitted, and your guide is so much better than the info I managed to find online at the time. Great work!
This series of tutorials is wonderful. Just wanted you to know how much I am enjoying them!
Thank you again for the tutorials. I'm enjoying embroidering and practicing the stitches.
Thank you SO much for the lovely - and very understandable - embroidery tutorials. Yours is the best on the web and I really appreciate it!!
I have read... oh say maybe 10 differet instructions for this simple stich, some even had photo guides. I can honestly say I haven't unsderstood it until I read yours. Thank you.
I never have sewn a thing in my life and now I'm working on sewing a Christmas stocking for my daughter. I have made it out of two pieces of felt and am wondering if I can use this stitch to hols them together. Or what would you recommend? I love how you have each step photographed. It looks very easy to follow...I think I could even do it!
Hi anonymous! Go back and take a closer look at the round ornament with the bird on it—it's made with two pieces of felt back to back. So yes, this stitch would work perfectly for your stocking. I think I used all six strands of embroidery floss so it was nice and sturdy. You could also use wool (and a larger needle) for a chunkier look. Give it a try! The first few stitches may seem a bit awkward but you'll pick it up in no time at all. Good luck!
I found the link to your blog from a recent Turkey Feathers post and I have to say, this is the best explanation of embroidery stitches I've found in either books or online. You spell it out, both with words and pictures, breaking each stitch down to its basics. Thank you so much for this. It means the world to me, as I'm sure it does to many fledgling sewers!
This site is amazing! Before I couldn't do all these difficult stitches but now I'M showing my friends how to do them!!!
Hi, just thought I'd say thank you very much for the brilliant tutorials... I'm a week away from my art exam, in which i stupidly decided I'd use lots of sewing... which I'm rubbish at. I spent ages looking for a website that illustrates how to do the stitches, then i came across this one. It is truly great, and has really helped me. Thanks!
I'm a student who is learning stitches from a teacher but easily forgets. Thank you for the wonderful tutorials! Now, I can do these stitches even when I'm not at school. I'm 2 days behind on my project and this helps a lot! Thank you so much!
This is so great!!! You have made it so easy to learn these stitches!! Love the pictures!! I was wondering though, How do you know how many threads of floss to use? Or is that just a matter of preference? Also, it looks like it is all sewn with the floss as a single strand tied at one end as opposed to doubled and tied together. Is that correct? Thank you!
I am really enjoying learning all of these stitches! Thanks for makit so easy!! I want to use this stitch to finish a fleece blanket. What is the best way to start and finish with the floss when you have no where to hide loose ends? Because of the size of it blanket I cannot use one long piece to stitch all the way around. I have tried tying the new piece to the last one but found it difficult to get it just right. I don't want to end up with pieces of floss sticking out every time I have to start with the new piece. Any tricks to that?
I often answer questions in new blog posts so they don't get lost in the comments. So, Carrie and Chloe, watch for answers to yours in the next week or so.
Thanks this helps a bit. I'm embroidering a pig pillow for my JH FCS class. I was supposed to take it home over the weekend to finish the blanket stitch, and found that I didn't know how to start it. Thanks.
Your instructions are fantastic and I can't wait now to blanket stitch some baby wraps and blankets for my newborn. Just thought I'd let you know these instructions will be used way down here in Auckland, New Zealand! Thanks for your great website.
Regards Shelley
While burning the midnight oil with needle in hand I had no one to call at 2 am to explain the blanket stitch. Went online and there you were.......very clear instructions ...thank you for being here with me lol
jo in michigan
Thanks for all those tutorials on those stitches. They'll come in very handy when I start making plushies, clothes and other handmade goodies!
Beautiful. Just what I needed to finish paws on my Miyako Kanamori sock elephant. Thank you!
Thank you so much. I am teaching myself and my daughter. Your pictures were perfect.
Great post- I am linking this to a post on our homeschool crafts blog, if you don't care- I wanted to show how to do a blanket stitch and you give an excellent explanation. www.cmhandicrafts.blogspot.com
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your careful instructions! I'm using these stitches to give my scrapbook pages some extra pizazz :)
thank you so much for posting pics on blanket stitching; i forgot how and now i rem. thank you again!!!
that was a great explanation, it helped remind me how to do blanket stitch- it's such a long time since i last did it! Thank you!
This was very helpful for a school craftproject! thanks!
Thanks for this tutorial ... I misplaced my stitch book and this really helped me out in a pinch!
This is an awesome site - I googled "blanket stitch" hoping for simple instructions with pictures that my visually impaired little girl could see. I feel like I struck gold. She's making her doll a blanket. She can actually see the stitches in the photos. Thanks so much.
thanks fot the blanket stitch tutorial! i always need that visual reminder! :)
Post a Comment
<< Home