About RSN Stitch Bank
Finnish stitch
This pulled work stitch fills an area with open marquise (pointed oval) shapes. It is formed by blocks of three double back stitches, worked in stepped diagonal rows.
Finnish stitch first appears in print in the 1970s but the origin of the name is unclear.
Finnish Stitch is generously sponsored by Diana Stephenson
Method
Bring your needle up towards the top right corner of your design area and work a back stitch over two vertical threads. Bring the needle back up four threads below where it first emerged and pull taut.
Work another back stitch over two threads and bring the needle up four threads above and four threads left.
Make another back stitch so it shares a hole with the first stitch. Continue working these two parallel lines of back stitches until they both have three stitches.
Start the next group two threads below the previous one. Work two parallel lines of three back stitches as before.
Continue working groups of stitches in a diagonal line.
Work back up across the area again making pairs of back stitches. This time start with the lower backstitch of each pair.
The top line of the group should share holes with the bottom line of a previous group.
Work a new line, diagonally down across the area. Work the top backstitch of each pair first as in the first row. Continue in this way, starting the downward lines with the top backstich and the upward diagonal lines with the bottom backstitch first.
A completed area of Finnish stitch.
The reverse of Finnish stitch.
Finnish stitch
Structure of stitch
Common uses
Embroidery Techniques
Related Stitches
Identifying Finnish stitch
This stitch can be identified by the groups of holes which collectively form marquise (pointed oval) shapes. The holes are worked in offset lines with two larger holes in the centre and two smaller ones at each end.