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Brick stitch icon
Brick stitch

​A simple straight vertical stitch worked as a zigzag in horizontal bands. Each stitch is offset from its neighbour hence the name brick stitch.

The term brick stitch has been used historically to refer to various offset stitches, including the method of couching called bricking, and so doesn’t necessarily refer to this counted thread stitch.

Brick stitch is one of the core stitches in Chinese embroidery, normally executed in silk on gauze fabric.  It is also used in Kohistan to embroider patterns of diamond and zigzags.

add_circleMy Stitches
Parallel Pattern Filling Shading Canvaswork Crewelwork Mountmellick Surface

Brick stitch is generously sponsored by Mrs Bennett

Method

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Brick stitch method stage 1 illustration
Brick stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

This simple stitch is worked as a zigzag in horizontal bands. Make a vertical stitch over two threads of the canvas. Next to it work an identical size stitch one thread down to offset it with the first and continue

Brick stitch method stage 2 illustration
Brick stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Work back along the band ensuring that each stitch touches the stitches in the previous band by interlocking the stitches with the band above

Brick stitch method stage 3 illustration
Brick stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Repeat bands to fill your shape

Brick stitch

Structure of stitch

Parallel Pattern

Common uses

Filling Shading

Embroidery Techniques

Canvaswork Crewelwork Mountmellick Surface

Related Stitches

Hungarian stitch Hungarian grounding stitch

References

  • Letitia Higgin, RSN Handbook of Embroidery (1880) , p.41–2
  • S. F. A. Caulfeild, Blanche C. Saward, The Dictionary of Needlework (1882) , p.178
  • Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches (1934) , p.15
  • Sheila Paine, Embroidered Textiles - Traditional Patterns from Five Continents (1990) , p.20, p26

Examples of Brick stitch

Modern Jacobean

The petal to the right of the pink trellis is worked in brick stitch using three shades of blue wool