Seed Stitch

What you will learn

• Random placement
• Consistent stitch size

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. Draw the outline of the area to fill.
2. Come up anywhere inside it and make one straight stitch about 1/8 in (3 mm) long.
3. Come up a short distance away and make another stitch at a different angle.
4. Continue, turning each stitch a different way and keeping all of them the same length.
5. Scatter evenly for a flat texture, or pack stitches close in one part and thin them out toward another to suggest shading.

Tips for a neat result

• Step back and look for accidental rows or clumps. Fill any obvious gaps.
• Avoid long travels across the back on thin fabric. They can show through.

Common mistakes and fixes

Check your result

• Stitches are the same length, evenly scattered, with no pattern.

Projects that use this