Embroidery stitch

[5] [6] Straight stitches pass through the fabric ground in a simple up and down motion, and for the most part moving in a single direction.

These stitches can be executed in straight or curved lines, and work well for fine details.

Examples: Back stitches pass through the fabric ground in an encircling motion.

Examples of chain stitches are: Buttonhole or blanket stitches also catch a loop of the thread on the surface of the fabric but the principal difference is that the needle does not return to the original hole to pass back to the back of the fabric.

In the classic buttonhole stitch, the needle is returned to the back of the fabric at a right angle to the original start of the thread.

The properties of this stitch make it ideal for preventing raveling of woven fabric.

Feather stitches can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including foliage, and branches borders, smocking, and crazy quilting.

[8]: 11  This stitch has come to represent an entire industry of pattern production and material supply for the craft person.

The stitch is done by creating a line of diagonal stitches going in one direction, usually using the warp and weft of the fabric as a guide, then on the return journey crossing the diagonal in the other direction, creating an "x".