• Home
  • Shop
  • Stitch Showcase
  • Embroidery tips
  • Freebies
  • About
  • Contact
Menu

Embellished Elephant

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Stitch Showcase
  • Embroidery tips
  • Freebies
  • About
  • Contact
A picture of a pink abstract embroidery. Overlaid is a blue square with white text saying - hand embroidery, the four main groups of embroidery stitches, www.embellishedelephant.co.uk

The four main groups of embroidery stitches

May 12, 2021

Ever felt a bit overwhelmed by all the different embroidery stitches and their different names?

Sometimes it’s easier to identify the group a stitch belongs to rather than remember the name of the specific stitch.

A picture of curved lines of embroidery stitches in black thread on white fabric

1) Line stitches

Most commonly these are stitched in a line, but they can also include border stitches.

Examples include backstitch, running stitch, stem stitch and split stitch.

A picture of lots of different isolated embroidery stitches in shades of pink on calico fabric

2) Isolated stitches

These are stitches that can be stitched on their own, or combined in groups.

Examples include seed stitch, French knots, bullion knots and lazy daisy stitch.

A close up of an abstract embroidery in shades of pink, yellow and green showing a range of different embroidery stitches that can be used for filling space

3) Filling stitches

If you need to fill an area then these are the stitches to use. It doesn’t mean you can’t use others, but these stitches work best.

Examples include satin stitch, long and short stitch, brick stitch.

A picture of a Salt Stitches DIY kit demonstrating a range of texture stitches

4) Texture stitches

These stitches are used to add texture or a bit of wow factor to a piece of embroidery .

Examples include needle weaving, woven wheels, woven picots, turkey work.

If you can’t find the stitch that you want, have a browse of my stitch showcase blogs until you see one you like.

Enjoyed this blog post? I share embroidery tips and a free embroidery pattern in my monthly newsletter. Sign up here to receive the newsletter on the 1st of each the month.

In tips 2 Tags Stitch Showcase
← Three embroidery tools it's worth getting rightSix ways to start off a thread →

Tags

  • About me
  • Artists/Designers
  • Basics
  • Christmas
  • colour
  • Couching Stitch
  • Fabric
  • Filling Stitch
  • Finishing
  • Hoops
  • Isolated Stitch
  • Line Stitch
  • London
  • My Makes
  • Needles
  • Stitch Showcase
  • Texture Stitch
  • Thread
  • Transfer
  • Travel

Latest Posts

Featured
Jun 1, 2025
What is stranded embroidery thread?
Jun 1, 2025
Jun 1, 2025
May 1, 2025
How to manage your backlog of craft projects
May 1, 2025
May 1, 2025
Apr 1, 2025
What to do if you don't like what you've stitched
Apr 1, 2025
Apr 1, 2025
Feb 15, 2025
How to decide which embroidery stitch to use
Feb 15, 2025
Feb 15, 2025
Feb 1, 2025
Focus on stitches for flowers
Feb 1, 2025
Feb 1, 2025
Jan 1, 2025
Focus on stitches for leaves
Jan 1, 2025
Jan 1, 2025
Nov 1, 2024
Stitch Showcase: Six-pointed star stitch
Nov 1, 2024
Nov 1, 2024
Oct 1, 2024
Focus on transferring or tracing patterns
Oct 1, 2024
Oct 1, 2024
Sep 1, 2024
Focus on hoops
Sep 1, 2024
Sep 1, 2024
Aug 1, 2024
A focus on needles
Aug 1, 2024
Aug 1, 2024

Home — Shop — Stockists — Wholesale — Portfolio — Contact — Reviews — Policies — FAQs