Needlepoint Stitch Library

The background on this design is Alternating Cashmere. It makes great "wallpaper" and goes anywhere a boxy large-ish texture stitch will fit. We have filled the gaps with a Cross Stitch in the same thread, but you could also use a contrasting thread and /or a Tent stitch.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Draped Kimonos

The yellow flowers are stitched in Alternating Continental which is a great little needlepoint stitch for small areas. Follow the stitch diagram to get the best result.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Wishy-Washy

This is a fun background or filler stitch and it can lie horizontally, as shown, or vertically. It's a great stitch for round objects.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Shakespeare (shown)

Busy Being Fabulous

Draped Kimonos

This is a great background or filler stitch and it can lie vertically, as shown, or horizontally.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Life Begins After Coffee

The pink flowers are stitched in Cobblestone stitch which is a lightly textured needlepoint stitch for small spaces

Kits this stitch is used in:

Wishy-Washy

The blue flowers in this Botanical Flowers design get texture from the Damask stitch. It is a good  filler stitch for small and large spaces. The Damask stitch has a direction so angle it the way you want the direction to "flow".

Kits this stitch is used in:

Botanical Flowers

This is a great background or filler stitch. It is directionless and forms a pretty pattern. 

Kits this stitch is used in:

WTF

Draped Kimonos

Shakespeare

Double Brick stitch is used on the border of this design. It can also lie horizontally.

Kits this stitch is used in:

If Not Now Then When.

This sampler image is courtesy of the Royal Schools of Needlework.

This is a versatile stitch that can fit in small and large spaces to add a bit of texture. We used it on Mona Lisa's dress. It stitches up quickly.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Mona Lisa

The Eyelet stitch is used on the earring in this design. All the threads lead to a central hole which forms a nicely textured circle. Read our blog post on other stitches to use when you want to stitch a circle.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Girl With A Pearl Earring

The tree is stitched in Gobelin stitch over two intersections and laid horizontally.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Christmas Truck.

This is a great background or filler stitch when you want a distinctive pattern. It is worked in diagonal rows. 

Kits this stitch is used in:

Botanical Leaf needlepoint kit. 

The Mosaic stitch is used on the reindeer antlers in this design. It is a great background or filler stitch when you want a flowing pattern to add texture. It works well for hills, clothing, and many filler spots.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Reindeer ornament.

The Nobuko stitch is a background stitch that offers lots of texture. It slants up and to the right (although you can also lean it the other way) but it doesn't have a strong direction when placed as a background or filler stitch.  

Kits this stitch is used in:

Peace Dove.

The Rhodes stitch is a raised stitch that can form a variety of shapes. Here, we have used it on the reindeer's nose as a circle. You can work the stitch in any direction. The top stitch will be the most prominent, so start the circle with that in mind. i.e. if you want the top stitch to lay horizontally, start just beyond the horizontal and work around from there. 

Kits this stitch is used in:

Reindeer.

The Satin stitch is one of the most useful in needlepoint. We have used it several times on the pale green leaves of this Flummoxed design. It can go in any direction and has a lovely, smooth and shiny appearance when you use  a single ply thread. A Satin stitch is simply long stitches that sit parallel to one another. The diagram, below, shows how to create a vertical Satin stitch. Use the same method to angle your stitches in any direction, just make sure they are parallel.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Flummoxed

Reindeer.

Skedaddle

The orange background on this cheetah design uses the pretty Skip Tent stitch. It is versatile and goes anywhere you want to add a bit of texture. The Skip Tent stitches up fast.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Born To Be Wild.

Festival Camel

Christmas Truck

Peace Dove

Shakespeare

Wishy-Washy

The yellow flowers in this Skedaddle design use a sloping stitch called Tall-Short. This image also shows the stitch sloping right and left. The stitch diagram is  below and it can be followed with the lines of stitches going vertically or horizontally - whichever way you find it easiest to stitch the pattern.

Kits this stitch is used in:

The Upright Cross stitch looks thick and sumptuous on the canvas. It offers a pretty and directionless pattern that can go in large and small spaces.

Kits this stitch is used in:

Botanical Leaf.

Fancy Bitch.

Festival Camel

Christmas Truck

Peace Dove

A very effective stitch for walls! This is an open stitch that forms a striped pattern on the canvas. Kits this stitch is used in:

Blue and White Leaf Vase

Cat Toys (with Tent stitch between the rows)

A non-directional background or filler stitch with pots of texture. The window panes on this Cat Toys kit are stitched in Woven.

Our favorite outline stitch or for stitching lines. A Wrapped back stitch can be stitched as surface embroidery on top of tent stitches (using a thin thread), or straight onto the canvas like the spokes on the bike.