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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.

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Crossed Couched Filling Canvaswork Berlin wool work

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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Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 1 illustration
Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

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

Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 2 illustration
Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 2 photograph
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.

Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 3 illustration
Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

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

Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 4 illustration
Tied Gobelin stitch method stage 4 photograph
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

Crossed Couched

Common uses

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

Filling

Embroidery Techniques

Canvaswork Berlin wool work

Related Stitches

Encroaching oblique Gobelin stitch Oblique Gobelin stitch

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)