Stitch 1: Make a vertical stitch down over three threads and bring the needle up again one space diagonally right and down (1 o’clock) from the starting hole, give a quick pull against the bottom of the first stitch to open the threads of the fabric.

Stitches 2–4: Make three stitches at 1, 2 & 3 o’clock radiating around the centre hole, always taking the needle down into the same centre hole, again remembering to pull with increased tension on the up stitch to open up the fabric in the centre hole.

Stitches 5–6: Make two more stitches at 4 and 5 o’clock with good tension, bring the needle up to the surface again in the 3 o’clock hole.

Repeat the last six stitches for a new diamond and repeat again for any subsequent diamonds you need to fill the space.

Stitches 7–12: On your return journey, to fill the space you will complete the other half of each diamond by bringing the needle up with increased tension at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 o’clock and taking the needle down into the centre hole each time.

On completing each diamond, move onto the next at 6 o’clock and work round to 11 o’clock.

Completed Diamond eye filling stitch.

This stitch can be worked at a larger scale with more stitches. This variation shows the first stitch is over five threads of the canvas and the whole stitch consists of 20 stitches and cover 10 x 10 threads of the canvas.

When worked traditionally with white thread on white fabric the characteristic diamond shape is lost and creates a diagonal pattern of circles.