Difficulty:
| This stitch is best for: Filling a design (e.g. leaves)
The Fishbone stitch is a beautiful stitch that can be used to create leaf designs and other decorative motifs such as feathers. This stitch can be done in a single color or with multiple colors to create intricate designs. The resulting stitch consists of a series of slanted stitches that overlap in the middle creating a center spine.
How to do the Fishbone Stitch
- Start the stitch: Make a straight stitch between the tip of your design and about 1/8 inches or 0.3cm away from the tip along the center line of the design. For a leaf design, this will be at the furthest edge of the leaf from the stem. We will work downwards from the tip to the stem of the leaf design.
- Stitch from the right: Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric just to the right of the original point. Make a slanted stitch that goes over the center stitch you created in the previous step and ends to the left side of the center stitch. Bring your needle back down to the fabric at that point.
- Stitch from the left: Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric just to the left of the center line. Make a slanted stitch that goes over the center stitch and ends to the right side of the center stitch. Bring your needle back down to the fabric at that point.
- Repeat: Repeat Steps 2-3 to alternate the slanted lines from the left and right to fill the design.
- End the stitch: When you reach the end of the area you want to fill, bring the needle down and then knot the thread at the back of your fabric.
Tips
- Use a small stitch length for a more delicate look, or a larger stitch length for a bolder design.
- It is important to make sure that each stitch is angled slightly towards the center of the leaf to create the desired effect.
- Instead of placing the stitches close together, experiment with leaving some space between the stitches to create a more open look. How much space you leave is up to you.
- The Open Fishbone Stitch can also be worked along a line to create a unique and interesting border or feather pattern.
- Keep the tension on the thread even to avoid puckering or bunching of the fabric.