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Indian drawn ground stitch icon
Indian drawn ground stitch

Indian drawn ground stitch main image

This pulled work stitch is formed of squares across three threads worked in diagonal lines - when pulled they tighten to form a regular pattern of circles. Depending on the weight of the thread used, alternate diagonal lines have a slight ridge along one edge.

This stitch first appears in print in the first part of the 20th century.  Mrs Christie indicates that the stitch can be found on “fine white Indian embroidery of fairly modern date” - presumably hence the name.  The V&A museum holds several pieces from mid-19th century Dhaka, Bangladesh which feature the stitch used to form repeating diamond patterns.

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Pulled Circular Pattern Embellishment Pulled thread filling Open Filling Whitework Pulled Thread

This stitch is awaiting a sponsor.

Method

At the end of the first diagonal line, you may find it easier to turn your fabric 180 degrees and continue working the stitch as before.
The spacing shown in this example (where the edge of each square/circle shares a hole with the corner of a square from the adjacent line)  is that indicated by both Mary Thomas and Mrs Christie: the circles are spaced by three threads horizontally.  Some modern authors work the stitch so that the squares share sides and are therefore more densely worked.

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1
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 1 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Bring the needle up towards the bottom right corner of your design area.  Take it down three threads to the left and and then back up three threads above.

2
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 2 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Take it down three threads to the right and back up three threads below (where it first emerged).

3
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 3 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Repeat step 1 over your previous stitching. This forms a square which when pulled will become a circle.

4
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 4 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

Take your threads down three threads to the left and repeat the steps above to form another circle.

5
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 5 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Continue working a diagonal line of circles.

6
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 6 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 6 photograph
6

To work back down the area, work the circles clockwise, this time starting at the top left corner.

7
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 7 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 7 photograph
7

Continue working circles in a diagonal line, each sharing a single hole with a circle on the previous diagonal line.

8
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 8 illustration
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 8 photograph
8

A finished area of Indian drawn ground stitch.

9
Indian drawn ground stitch method stage 9 photograph
9

The reverse of Indian drawn ground stitch.

Indian drawn ground stitch

Structure of stitch

Pulled Circular Pattern

Common uses

Embellishment Pulled thread filling Open Filling

Embroidery Techniques

Whitework Pulled Thread

Identifying Indian drawn ground stitch

This stitch can be identified by circles or ovals in a grid pattern.  Depending on the weight of the thread used, raised diagonal lines of thread may be visible.

References