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Perspective stitch icon
Perspective stitch

This geometric canvaswork stitch looks like square boxes viewed from an angle to give a 3D impression, hence the name ‘perspective’.  It consists of groups of slanted stitches in a herringbone pattern, overlaid with similar stitches worked in the opposite direction.

For a stitch with a smaller ‘box’, see perspective stitch variation.

Perspective stitch evidently dates from at least the mid 19th century as a larger version of it features in The illuminated book of needlework, published in London in the 1840s.

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Crossed Pattern Filling Embellishment Canvaswork Perspective stitch variation

Perspective stitch is generously sponsored by Anne de Normanville

Method

Work across the area to be filled from the top downwards.

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Perspective stitch method stage 1 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Make a diagonal stitch across two intersections of canvas, from bottom left to top right. Make two more in the same way directly underneath the first.

Perspective stitch method stage 2 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

To the right of these, make three diagonal stitches that angle from bottom right to top left which meet the first three. Repeat these two steps working across the shape creating touching chevrons.

Perspective stitch method stage 3 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Using another shade of thread, make a diagonal stitch across two intersections of canvas, from bottom right to top left. The top of the stitch should share a hole with the bottom of the first stitch of the previous row.  Repeat with two more stitches, each sharing a hole with a stitch of the previous set of three.

Perspective stitch method stage 4 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

To the right of these, make three diagonal stitches that angle from bottom left to top right to meet the first three. Repeat across the shape creating touching chevrons in the opposite direction from above.

Perspective stitch method stage 5 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Reverting to the first shade of thread, make a diagonal stitch across two intersections of canvas, from bottom left to top right.  The stitch direction is the same as in the previous row, but the colour is different.

Perspective stitch method stage 6 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 6 photograph
6

Continue across the shape creating touching chevrons in the same direction as above.

Perspective stitch method stage 7 illustration
Perspective stitch method stage 7 photograph
7

Continue to stitch two rows of chevrons with the opposite orientation to the two rows above, remembering to alternate the shades.

Perspective stitch

Structure of stitch

Crossed Pattern

Common uses

Filling Embellishment

Embroidery Techniques

Canvaswork

Variant Stitches

Perspective stitch variation

Related Stitches

Arrowhead stitch Fern stitch (canvaswork)

Identifying Perspective stitch

This stitch consists of rows of three-stripe chevrons pointing up (∧), overlaid with other three-stripe chevrons of a different colour pointing down (V), to form 3D box shapes.  The stripes alternate in colour, but after the first row the direction changes every second row.  Chevrons of both colours are of equal width.

References

  • Mary Thomas, Jan Eaton, Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches (Revised Edition) (1989) , p.156
  • Florence Hartley, The ladies’ handbook of fancy and ornamental work (1860) , p.89
  • Mrs Henry Owen, The illuminated book of needlework (1847) , p.103