If you start passing from back-to-front and then front-to-back, the stitches will become uneven and the tension will get a little strange. To start your first true blanket stitch, poke your needle down from the top (#2 in photo D). To start, you will need the fabric that you want to edge, a sewing needle, and some crochet thread. Then, push the needle back through the felt a short distance away, front to back. :D. Say you're stitching along and you realize you are about to run out of floss. Step by Step pictorial process of working the blanket stitch 1. How to do the Closed Blanket Stitch. This page gives you complete instructions on the blanket stitch in all situations. Hooray for hidden tail ends! With the pattern all ready, it is time to blanket stitch. In many cases, I'll work this around curved shapes and not just in a straight line. I tend to use blanket stitch more for appliqué than as an edging and you will see a good example of where I've used it below. All images on this site are my own and belong to Marie Williams Johnstone or are product and public domain photos that are used with permission. A blanket stitch is traditionally used to edge thicker fabric for items like placemats, table clothes, and of course, blankets. As you can see, the knots will form a small bump, but it's not super noticeable unless you know what you're looking for. If you blanket stitch all the way around on object, you'll start in such a way that you form a half stitch to connect to when you come to the end. This should create a straight line down from # 2 in the photo. Aug 8, 2016 - Wondering how to do blanket stitch? I haven't tried it myself but I would think that pearl cotton might be a little more difficult to use - I believe it is quite a bit thicker. Pull the needle through and you'll see a loop forming. I love gardening, nature and wildlife. This will allow you to move on cleanly to the second stitch. I'm Marie, a freelance writer from the UK. If that's too hard, pull the knot out slightly and push your needle through the floss instead. fig 1 - blanket stitch flowers. :D. Blanket stitching around corners can be a wee bit tricky. You can also alter the vertical stitches for a unique look if you choose. Overcast stitches are used for buttonholes, seams on stretch fabric, and to keep loosely woven fabrics from unraveling. 2. Blanket Stitch can be sewed from left to right or right to left. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. Marie is a participant in the Amazon Europe S.à r.l. Begin the blanket stitch by hiding the knot under the folded fabric. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Push the needle through both pieces of felt, front to back. Blanket stitch is often used around the edge of shapes, so often needs to turn corners. Marie. Privacy Policy | FTC Disclosure | Copyright Policy | About Marie Williams Johnstone. The name really does come from the fact that it was originally used along the edges of blankets. Take it out through C, a point in the same stitch line as A. Loop the thread under the needle as shown. Regular stitching with the same space between each one will make your finished product look nice and even. Make sure you're not angling your needle - you want nice straight stitches. If you've ever looked closely at the clothes you're wearing, chances are you've seen cousin stitches of the blanket stitch! I find that the circle and square coasters look really nice in blanket stitch. There are two ways to do the blanket stitch: it all depends on whether you're going straight across an edge OR if you're going all the way around a object. The crab stitch is a simple, yet sophisticated finish that’s easy to learn and implement on a blanket. Now we'll tie off. I prefer the left-to-right direction. Make the last stitch, and then pass the needle back through the corner hole from back to front - this will help anchor the stitches. But I like the look of edging around blankets so I often stitch my edges with a blanket stitch. Did you make this project? When coming to a corner, work the last stitch on a side one stitch length from the corner. In this tutorial, I am going to walk you through the instructions of doing the stitch. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place or if you’ve not posted yet, will be looking forward to it when you do post. Please view the FTC Disclosure page if you require more detailed information on this topic. Once the corner is done, just go back to stitching as normal. Experiment with various types of thread such as rayon thread, all-purpose thread, metallic thread, topstitching thread, or even 30wt and 12wt cotton. Knowing the Blanket Stitch will be an advantage. Not only does the blanket stitch work great for blankets, but because it creates a dense fabric, it would also be great for scarves, hats, or washcloths. In this beginner’s guide to blanket stitch, we’ll show you how it’s done. To work blanket stitch, first bring the thread up just below the edge of the fabric and take a diagonal stitch to the right, about 3mm in from fabric edge. I had a lot of leftover yarn (which I am willing to bet you do too!) Learn how to do blanket stitch around your blanket to create a neat easy finished edge with this tutorial. Continue stitching across until you get to the other edge. Thanks again! If you blanket stitch all the way around on object, you'll start in such a way that you form a half stitch to connect to when you come to the end. Blanket stitch, an embroidery technique, is both useful and decorative. It’s also a nice method of joining two pieces of fabric together, or to simply add a nice decorative finish. Once the first stitch is in, just start stitching as normal! This is blanket stitches done in a graded manner, making it look like a scallop. The stitch adds a finished look to the project, and it reinforces the edge. Articles are accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Keep in mind the need for regular stitching when sewing blanket stitch. Comments do not show up until I approve them. Lastly, pass the needle through the corner hole one last time - from front to back! When I use blanket stitch on circles, I try very hard to make sure my stitches are spaced evenly both from each other and from the edge of the felt. Work the next stitch right at the corner, with the vertical line at a 45-degree angle. (It may already be this way depending on how you're stitching!) You want to keep this first stitch a little loose. Aug 9, 2019 - Blanket stitch is a versatile embroidery stitch that can be used for functional or decorative purposes. Floss you can separate down nicely into individual strands which makes it easy to stitch with as per normal spool thread. Complete this stitch by pulling the floss taut, using your fingers to pinch the corner into place if you need to. 8.Crossed Blanket Stitch. 2. Here's a gif of the motion you'll need to do for each individual stitch. Several needlework techniques use this stitch, or variations of it. Before you begin, download and print out the template below trace the birds design onto fabric. You're done. Use the basic blanket stitch instructions above to finish the edge. Make one final stitch and knot your floss at the top of it. The crab stitch, also known as the reverse single crochet stitch, makes for beautiful edging on blankets and other crochet pieces. In this lesson, I'm going to teach you how to sew the blanket stitch. About: I work at instructables by day, and turn into a stitch witch by night. The most important thing is to always pass your needle from front to back through both pieces of felt. In this stitch an ordinary blanket stitch is alternated with a diagonal(crossed) blanket stitch resulting in a line of crossed stitches.Always make sure that the thread is under the needle. It doesn’t fray so you don’t need to finish the edges. At the last stitch, loop your floss around it and form a knot at the top. Blanket stitch is most often used right along the edge of a fabric as a way of giving a nice look to unfinished sides of material and helping to prevent those raw edges from fraying. Read on down for the easy step by step crochet pattern! 9.Long and short blanket stitch. I love to craft in the winter and garden in the summer. Fig 1: Bring out the needle through A. I have illustrated this stitch between two horizontally parallel stitch lines. 1. Keep pulling the floss until the new knot hits the old one. This stitch happens to be easy and fun too! The crab stitch is basically the single crochet stitch done in reverse. Put your needle through this loop and tighten to form a stitch. Overcast stitches are often done on a sewing machine, but they're easy to do by hand once you get the rhythm down. Knot the working floss and cut off the ends! The corners should look nice and sharp! Pull gently and stop before you pull the thread completely If you're going to use the blanket stitch to sew from edge to edge, here's how to do it! This should be about 1/4" over from where the thread first came up, and about 1/4" up from the edge. Insert the needle into the knot of the last stitch you just made - from the bottom to the top of the knot. The blanket stitch is as much decoration as it is functional. I might be wrong, but that’s what i’m calling this stitch. Push your needle through the felt from back to front. The blanket stitch is similar to the method in use for the buttonhole stitch, but there is more space between the individual stitches in the blanket stitch and the need for a regular path. Stop when you're one stitch away from the edge. Step by Step pictorial process of working the blanket stitch 1. The blanket stitch was primarily used to give a secure finishing to the edges of a blanket lest the fabric came out and was unraveled. That's okay! © 2014 - 2020 CraftyMarie.com by Marie Williams Johnstone, Disclosure: This site may generate income via affiliate advertising programs. Because the blanket stitch is such a visible stitch, I'll be giving you lots of tips to get the neatest stitching line. I found this stitch ages ago and for the life of me I couldn’t remember the name to this crochet stitch. Create stitches that are as deep as the folded edge, enclosing it with the stitches. The blanket stitch is a fantastic decorative stitch that is used for many functional applications as well. Trace and cut out the shapes from cotton fabric and blanket stitch into place using grey thread. Bring your thread up just on the outside of your letter and then put your needle into the felt a bit down and to the right of where you started your stitch. I enjoy many of the more traditional crafts and hobbies including sewing, embroidery and working with felt and fabric.Thanks for leaving me a comment. Nov 26, 2014 - Wondering how to do blanket stitch? :D. Above is what my circle coaster looks like! If you click through and make a purchase on any affiliate links, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Ain't that pretty? So for the first example, I'm going to show you how you can do a simple blanket stitch around the edge of your fabric. Pull on the floss and cut away the excess. Sew the last stitch and then pass your needle under the first stitch to complete the line of stitching! Push the needle through the fabric just outside of the edge of the applique, then slide the needle back down through the applique about 0.15 from the edge. Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. This page gives you complete instructions on the blanket stitch in all situations. How to do the Blanket Stitch. Once the knots are in place, you can keep stitching as normal! Once that's done, loop the floss around the first stitch. Loop the thread around the needle where it emerges and pull the thread taut. I used it for the larger flowers and leaves in the basket, and for the shell on my little hermit crab, below. You want to do it in such a way that the corner is completely outlined in floss. Now we'll move on and learn the whip stitch! See how to do blanket stitch step by step with photos and written instructions. Take the needle in through B. Pull your needle and floss through to complete the stitch and it will look like the right. See where I added a new piece of floss on this piece of felt? 2. Start by inserting the needle from below the fabric at point A. Insert it back at desired length at point B. Either way it's an extremely useful stitch to know how to work for many craft projects. Tighten the knot as best you can, and then pass the needle down between the two pieces of felt and out somewhere further down. This page gives you complete instructions on the blanket stitch in all situations. This blanket is designed to be a small baby blanket or lap throw, which makes it the perfect go-to project to use up extra yarn. A few people have been asking for an updated blanket stitch tutorial, because the way I do my blanket stitch has changed a little since my last video. Bring the needle out directly below again, just below the edge of the fabric. Without pushing down the needle, bring the needle up at point C that is beside point A. CraftyMarie is a craft themed website by Marie Williams Johnstone. Without pulling the thread taut, bring the needle back through the fabric, outside of the edge of the applique … Blanket Stitch. How to Blanket Stitch . Flip your work over and push your needle through the knot on the back. You will have to mark the portion you have to do the stitches … See the. I'm an adult craft-a-holic who loves making cute things. It is traditionally used on the outside edges of blankets, but it can be a rustic addition to tea towels, napkins, quilts, appliques, and even clothing. To blanket stitch an applique, pin the applique to the garment or fabric and thread a size 24 needle with 3 strands of embroidery floss. Place your needle through the loop that forms and tighten lightly. Use this stitch to embellish your sewing projects with a single row, multiple rows, or even in combination with other decorative stitches. Oct 28, 2016 - Wondering how to do blanket stitch? Now you'll want to pass the needle and floss under that first stitch so they're to the inside of the stitch. Here are a few steps that you must follow to do the blanket stitch with hands-: Take your thread, put it in the needle eye, and tie a knot at the end. I make handmade cards, papercrafts, crochet and seasonal crafts. Start by folding your edge over – once or twice, whichever you prefer.