Wrapped Embroidery Stitches
Wrapping a stitch is a fun way to take something basic and dress it up a bit. There are many different stitches that can be “wrapped”, but the most common are running stitch and back stitch.
This is an easy way to change the look of a simple stitch. It can add colour, texture or both and can change a broken line into a smooth line.
See it all
Below you will find:
- video
- ideas for using wrapped stitches
- tutorial for wrapped running stitch
- inspiration projects that use wrapped stitches
When to wrap stitches
- borders
- lettering
- flower stems
- stripes
- anywhere you want a line with a bit of texture
How to do wrapped stitches
wrapped running stitch
Begin with a regular running stitch. Keep the stitches equally spaced.
Bring a second thread to the surface just under the first stitch. Slide the needle down between the second stitch and the fabric. The needle does not pierce the fabric at all, it is floating on the surface. Continue along the stitching line taking the needle the same direction under all the stitches.
The only time the thread goes to the back of the fabric is at the beginning and end of the line of stitching. You can see the line has a bit of dimension.
wrapped back stitch
You can also do a wrapped back stitch in the same way. The main difference is that since the initial stitches are touching, there are more wraps and they are closer together. This makes it a smoother line with less texture.