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Coral stitch icon
Coral stitch

  • Knotted stitch
  • German knot stitch
  • Beaded stitch
  • Snail trail
  • Scroll stitch
  • Running knot
  • Single coral

​Coral stitch is a line stitch interspersed with evenly spaced knots.

Coral stitch has an ancient provenance as it is credited with being one of the stitches used by ancient Egyptian stitchers.  More recently, it features on the earliest known English sampler, dated 1598, a late 16th century English headdress and was a popular stitch in 17th and 18th century English crewelwork.

It became an integral part of German Schwalm Whitework (Schwälmer Weißstickerei) in the late 18th century and early 19th century.  It is also used in Sardinian knotted embroidery (Punt ‘e Nù), a form of counted thread whitework from Teulada, Sardinia.

add_circleMy Stitches
Knotted Outline Embellishment Crewelwork Mountmellick Surface Elizabethan Blackwork

Coral stitch is generously sponsored by Fiona Bonthrone

Method

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Coral stitch method stage 1 illustration
Coral stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Bring your needle to the surface and lay your thread along the design line in the direction of travel.

Coral stitch method stage 2 illustration
Coral stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Hold on to the thread and take the needle down through the fabric on one side of the laid thread.

Coral stitch method stage 3 illustration
Coral stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Draw the thread through partway to create a loop, then bring the needle back to the surface on the other side of the laid thread and up through the loop.

Coral stitch method stage 4 illustration
Coral stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

Hold on to the needle in the fabric and draw the thread through from the underside, pulling the loop tight against the needle.

Coral stitch method stage 5 illustration
Coral stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Bring the needle up to the surface to repeat. Continue along the line, producing knots at equal intervals.

Coral stitch

Structure of stitch

Knotted

Common uses

It is commonly used for outlines and tendrils in floral designs.

Outline Embellishment

Embroidery Techniques

Crewelwork Mountmellick Surface Elizabethan Blackwork

Related Stitches

Pearl Stitch Knotted pearl stitch Portuguese knotted stem stitch Double knot stitch

References