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Cable stitch (pulled thread) icon
Cable stitch (pulled thread)

  • Chained border stitch
  • Double cable stitch
Cable stitch (pulled thread) main image

This pulled work stitch consists of rows of bricked straight stitches, worked twice to create a slightly embellished effect. It can be worked along the grain or at a diagonal slant.  When worked along the grain it is similar to double stitch filling, although the rows of stitches are worked more closely together.

When worked on the diagonal the stitch resembles a version of reversed faggot stitch although the stitches are offset to form a brick pattern.

N.B. This version of cable stitch is a pulled thread stitch, although Yvette Stanton in Elegant Hardanger works two pairs of rows as a surface stitch border (and so the central line of stitches are worked twice); she calls this double cable stitch.

There are other versions of cable stitch which use the same principle of bricked stitches to create different effects: cable stitch as a surface stitch, or a smocking version.

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Parallel Pulled Solid-line Open Filling Pulled thread filling Border Pulled Thread Surface Hardanger

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Method

Stitches are worked alternately to form two rows of stitching; for subsequent pairs the upper row shares holes with the lower of the previous pair of rows.
When worked with the grain of the fabric the stitch must be worked over an even number of threads; when worked diagonally it must be worked over an even number of intersections.
Some authors indicate that each pair of rows should always be worked from left to right, but this involves starting and finishing the thread frequently and so this example works it back and forth across the design area.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 1 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 1 photograph
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Bring your needle up at the top left of the design area and take it down four threads to the right.  Bring it back up one thread below and two threads back and pull taut.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 2 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 2 photograph
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Take your needle down four threads to the right and bring it back up at the end of the first stitch.  Pull taut.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 3 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 3 photograph
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Continue working stitches in this way, on alternate rows.  Each stitch starts where a previous stitch ends.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 4 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 4 photograph
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At the end of the row, bring your needle up two threads down and, reversing direction, make a stitch across four threads.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 5 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 5 photograph
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Bring your needle up at the end of the last stitch of the row above and make another stitch over the top, sharing the holes.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 6 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 6 photograph
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Bring your thread back up at the end of the first stitch on the new row and make another stitch.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 7 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 7 photograph
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Continue working stitches in this way, with the top stitch of each pair sharing holes with the lower stitches of the previous pair.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 8 illustration
Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 8 photograph
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A finished area of cable stitch.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 9 photograph
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The reverse of cable stitch.

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Cable stitch (pulled thread) method stage 10 photograph
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This image shows an area of cable stitch stitched on the diagonal - the brick pattern is less obvious due to the slant of the stitches.
N.B the reverse of the diagonal version should look similar to single faggot stitch although the stitches are slightly slanted.

Cable stitch (pulled thread)

Structure of stitch

Parallel Pulled Solid-line

Common uses

Open Filling Pulled thread filling Border

Embroidery Techniques

Pulled Thread Surface Hardanger

Related Stitches

Cable stitch Double stitch filling Reversed faggot stitch

Identifying Cable stitch (pulled thread)

It is similar to double stitch filling, although the rows of stitches are worked more closely together.

The first and last rows are only worked once and so the stitching is less dense.

If worked on the diagonal, the stitch resembles a version of reversed faggot stitch although the stitches are offset to form a brick pattern.

 

References

  • Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches (1934) , p.42-3
  • Yvette Stanton, Elegant Hardanger embroidery (2007) , p.30
  • '19th century Turkish towel/napkin border', Victoria and Albert Museum. Available at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O62809/towelnapkin/ (Accessed: 12 October 2021)
  • Esther Fangel, Ida Winckler, Agnete Wulder Madsen, Danish pulled thread (1977) , p.16-7

Examples of Cable stitch (pulled thread)

C18 sleeve ruffle

A version of cable stitch is used in diagonal rows in the central area.

Image courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Accession number: 1933.858b

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/179395/sleeve-ruffle