The feather stitch is all about loops worked from side to side, which makes it a cousin of the blanket stitch and chain stitch — but it definitely has a look of its own. The feather stitch is nice as a decorative border or as an ivy like flower stem or to fill in the texture of a stitched leaf. It's often used decoratively on quilts (it's a go-to stitch for crazy quilt) and can be worked in a curved or a straight line. In the days when nineteenth-century English smocks were all the rage, this was the stitch to know.
This instruction is excerpted from the "Embroider Everything Workshop" (Workman).
Source: ,Amazon.com: Embroider Everything Workshop: The Beginner's ...
Start the basic feather stitch by drawing four vertical guidelines 1/8 inch apart on the right site of your fabric (if you're using gingham, there's no need; just pick four rows to follow). You're going to be working from the top to the bottom. Bring your needle up on the second guideline at 1 and then down on the fourth guideline at 2, with the thread under the needle point from left to right. Before pulling your needle all the way through the wrong side, bring the point up diagonally at 3 on the third guideline (see step 1 image), making sure to loop the thread under the needle.
Insert the needle on the first guideline at 4, at the same level as 3. Insert the needle into the second guideline at 5 (see step 2 image).
Keep a even tension so the loops have a consistent openness and roundness. Fasten off with a small vertical straight stitch (see step 3). The stitch weaves back and forth like this from side to side. Once you get the rhythm of it, it'll be second nature and you'll be find scrapping the guidelines.
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