clear navigate_before

Nobuko stitch icon
Nobuko stitch

Nobuko stitch main image

Nobuko stitch is a diagonal filling stitch that alternates long and short stitches. The long stitches span three canvas threads diagonally, whilst the short stitches span a single canvas thread. It is usually worked in horizontal rows from left to right, then back again.

Nobuko stitch was created by Charlotte ‘Chottie’ Alderson, who was instrumental in the early days of EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America)  and whose entire adult life was dedicated to ensuring the preservation of the needle arts through her designing, teaching, and historical research on the international level. Chottie was constantly creating new stitches: this stitch was named after her close friend and fellow stitcher, Nobuko. The stitch continues to be widely used in the United States.

For more stitches created by Chottie, please see Chottie’s plaid and Alisha lace stitch.

add_circleMy Stitches
Flat Parallel Filling Shading Canvaswork

Nobuko stitch is generously sponsored by San Bernardino Chapter ANG and Inland Empire Chapter EGA in southern California

Method

Work from left to right in a row, and then reverse the direction on the next row.

pan_tool
1
Nobuko stitch method stage 1 illustration
Nobuko stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Bring the needle up at the left end of a row and then take your needle down over one canvas thread diagonally to make a single tent stitch. This will be the ‘short’ stitch.

Tent stitch
2
Nobuko stitch method stage 2 illustration
Nobuko stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Bring the needle up one thread below the start of the previous stitch, and take it down over three intersections (angled from bottom left to top right). This is a ‘long’ stitch.

3
Nobuko stitch method stage 3 illustration
Nobuko stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Repeat these short and long stitches across the row.

4
Nobuko stitch method stage 4 illustration
Nobuko stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

Work the next row from right to left back across the area. Your stitches are always worked from bottom left to top right and so will result in long stitches on the reverse.

5
Nobuko stitch method stage 5 illustration
Nobuko stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Your stitches should share holes with those of the previous row (long stitches should touch the short ones from the previous row and vice versa).

6
Nobuko stitch method stage 6 illustration
Nobuko stitch method stage 6 photograph
6

Continue in this way to fill the area.

7
Nobuko stitch method stage 7 photograph
7

Reverse side of Nobuko stitch

Nobuko stitch

Structure of stitch

Flat Parallel

Common uses

The stitch is recommended for backgrounds or large areas, such as water and sky.

Filling Shading

Embroidery Techniques

Canvaswork

Related Stitches

Condensed mosaic stitch Diagonal stitch Parisian stitch Hungarian stitch

Identifying Nobuko stitch

This stitch is made up of alternating long and short diagonal stitches.  The stitches are worked in horizontal rows with a long stitch and then a short stitch followed by another long stitch.  Subsequent rows are worked so that the long and short stitches fit into the gaps left by the previous row so the canvas is completely covered.

For other stitches which alternate short and long parallel stitches, see condensed mosaic stitch, Parisian stitch and Hungarian stitch.

References

  • Jo Ippolito Christensen, The Needlepoint Book (1999) , p.194