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Up and down blanket stitch icon
Up and down blanket stitch

Up and down blanket stitch main image

A variation on regular buttonhole or blanket stitch, where alternate stitches are narrow then widely spaced.

For more background see the entry for blanket stitch.

add_circleMy Stitches
Border Edging Outline Crewelwork Surface

Up and down blanket stitch is generously sponsored by Riddhika Chakravartty

Method

Mark the fabric with two parallel lines or one parallel to a raw edge.

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Up and down blanket stitch method stage 1 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Working from left to right, bring the needle and thread up on the baseline and take it down on the top line, leaving a loop on the surface.

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 2 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Bring the needle up in the loop on the baseline and tighten the loop against the working thread.

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 3 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Take the needle down further along the baseline ensuring to leave a gap of a threads thickness, draw the thread to the back leaving a loop on the surface.

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 4 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

Bring the needle up on the top line very close to the previous stitch.

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 5 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Whilst the needle is still in the fabric, throw the surface loop over the needle

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 6 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 6 photograph
6

and draw the thread through to complete your first ‘Up and Down’ stitch

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 7 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 7 photograph
7

Repeat these steps again to produce a series of ‘Up and Down’ stitches evenly spaced to achieve an Up and Down Blanket stitch

Up and down blanket stitch method stage 8 illustration
Up and down blanket stitch method stage 8 photograph
8

Up and Down blanket stitch

Up and down blanket stitch

Structure of stitch

Common uses

Borders, edgings, outlines, couching.

Border Edging Outline

Embroidery Techniques

Crewelwork Surface

Related Stitches

Blanket stitch Buttonhole stitch

Identifying Up and down blanket stitch

A continuous line of scallop looking Blanket stitches tied together in pairs
Each stitch should be a mirror image of the adjacent stitch

References

  • Betty Barnden, The Embroidery Stitch Bible (2003) , p.62