How to outline stitch embroidery

Outlining shapes is something you often need to do in embroidery. Read on for examples and how-tos for five stitches you can use for this work:

Here are 4 of the best hand embroidery stitches to use for outlines.

Stem stitch and outline stitch look very similar. The difference comes down to the slant of your stitches. It doesn't really matter which you use as long as you are consistent - your embroidery will look much more polished if you do. Click to find out more including an easy way to always create stitches with the same slant.

Also known as: Crewel Stitch, Stalk Stitch, Point de Cable As the name suggests, this stitch is used to mark outlines in an embroidery pattern. It is a flexible stitch that can follow easy curves. In looks and procedure, it is only subtly, but...

Watch my step-by-step video tutorial and learn how to embroider the Stem Stitch.

how to chain stitch - video tutorial

Backstitch is a versatile outline stitch. Nice and secure for practical sewing or embellish it with whipping in your embroidery.

In this easy step by step embroidery tutorial you will learn how to do stem stitch and outline stitch and what the difference between stem stitch and outline stitch is. These stitches can be used for curved lines, contours and fonts.

Learn the difference between two hand embroidery stitches that are frequently confused with each other, the outline stitch and the stem stitch.

What is the backstitch and how do I use it? The backstitch is a simple outline stitch in hand embroidery. It joins straight stitches together to...