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Tied Gobelin stitch icon
Tied Gobelin stitch

  • Knotted stitch
  • Persian cross stitch
  • Pangolin stitch
  • Rep stitch

This canvaswork stitch is made up of rows of Encroaching Gobelin stitches (long diagonal stitches), couched through their centre.

N.B. the stitch length here is shorter (over three threads) than for Encroaching Gobelin stitch (five threads).

Mrs Beeton’s Book of Needlework calls this Rep stitch (hence the alternate name), although see the Stitchbank entry for Rep stitch for the more usual version of that stitch.

Tied Gobelin stitch is generously sponsored by Gillian Giddins

Tied Gobelin stitch is generously sponsored by Lucy Shaw

Method

Always work the rows from top to bottom or bottom to top.

May be worked horizontally as shown, or by turning the stitch through ninety degrees to work vertical bands.

N.B. Tied gobelin is slow to work.

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1

Bring the needle up and then down three threads up and one across to make a slanted stitch.

2

Make a reverse tent stitch (a diagonal stitch over one intersection, angled bottom right to top left, i.e. the opposite from tent stitch) in the centre of this.

3

Repeat across the row, always making the long stitch first and then crossing it.

4

On each following row, begin two threads down and make the long stitch so that it encroaches into the previous row, sharing the canvas hole with the reversed tent stitch.

Tied Gobelin stitch

Structure of stitch

Common uses

​This is a very small and neat stitch that can give a delicate texture to small areas.

Embroidery Techniques

Identifying Tied Gobelin stitch

​This stitch is made up of bands of slanted stitches held down (tied) in the centre

References

  • Various Authors, The Royal School of Needlework Book of Embroidery (2018) , p.111
  • Jennifer Campbell, Ann-Marie Bakewell, Guide to Embroidery Stitches (2004)