Welcome to Summer stitch school Lesson 2. This week we will look at leaf stitch.
Leaf stitch is an unusual stitch that offers a lot of texture. It is made in the form of a leaf, so it is a perfect detail stitch. It is a little more complicated than most stitches because you need a small piece of cardboard to make the stitch.
How to make leaf stitch
To make this stitch, you need to make a line on the fabric to follow. It should be about 3/8 inch long. You need this as a guide for the stitches.
Second you need a small strip of cardboard. It should be 1/4 inch wide and a couple inches long.
To begin this stitch, bring up the needle at end of the line. Send the needle back down in the same hole with the thread over cardboard strip. You will need to hold it in place.
Next, make 5 more stitches over the cardboard. They should be close together.
Bring the needle up at the end of your line of stitch, and send the needle eye first through all the loops.
Pull the needle through and carefully pull out the cardboard.
Now bring the needle down with a stem, however long you wish it to be. Be sure it is in the same line as the line you made for your stitches, even if it extends beyond the line.
Carefully shape the stitch if the loops of thread have shifted with the tip of your needle.
Examples of leaf stitch
Since this stitch offers nice dimension, I often use it in stumpwork projects. Leaf stitch can be used in any embroidery, of course, but it’s not suitable for anything that is going to be touched, worn or washed. The loops are easy to pull on.
I usually use blended threads for the leaf stitch. Three strands of different colors together on the needle. You could also try variegated thread too.
One other thing you can do is to make the stem of your stitch with another color of thread over the original anchor stitch.
You can use a thicker piece of cardboard if you want your stitches to be a little bigger. In that case, switch to about 3/8 inch wide.
I hope you have enjoyed this learning about leaf stitch. Give it a try! It’s a fun stitch.
