Stitch Series: 1. Stem Stitch Curves

 The Stem Stitch is one of my favorite go to stitches of all time. I use it in lots of different ways including creating stitch patterns, outlining shapes, stitching letters and text, and filling shapes.

   It is a beautiful stitch, and in most cases I use two strands of embroidery floss when stitching it. It is more dimensional than the Back Stitch, and the Stem Stitch lends itself to stitching curves in a much more graceful manner.  

   As mentioned in the video, when stitching around really sharp curves I make my stitches shorter. This helps a lot to get a smoother less jerky curve around those tight corners.

   The images here are from a work in progress stitched on vintage linens. I wanted to depict curvy, flowing cloud shapes. I used two strands of DMC embroidery floss. Next I will be posting a video on how I stitch and fill shapes with the Stem Stitch.