Edging stitches · Beginner
Blanket stitch
Blanket stitch is a row of evenly spaced upright stitches joined by a line of thread along one edge, like a row of L shapes or the teeth of a comb. It is named for its use on the edges of blankets.
How to work it
Come up on the edge line
Blanket stitch is usually worked from left to right, between two lines. Bring the needle up at A, at the left end of the lower line. This is the line the loops will lie along.
Go down on the upper line
Put the needle down at B, on the upper line and one stitch to the right. Pull slowly and stop while a loop of thread still lies on the fabric to the right. Hold it with your thumb.
Come up inside the loop
Bring the needle up at C, on the lower line straight below B. Make sure it comes up inside the loop, with the loop lying under the needle.
Pull the loop snug
Pull the thread through until the loop tightens into a square corner at C. The thread now runs along the lower line and turns straight up to B.
Repeat one stitch to the right
Go down at D on the upper line and leave a loop. Come up at E, straight below it and inside the loop, then pull snug. Keep the spacing the same every time.
Hold the last corner down
After the last upright, go down just outside the last corner, on the far side of the loop. This tiny stitch stops the last loop from pulling loose.
At a glance
- Also called
- open buttonhole stitch, blanket edge
- Used for
- finishing the edges of felt and blankets; outlining applique shapes; borders and outlines; wheels and scallops
- Thread
- Three strands of six-strand floss is a good place to start. Use more strands for a heavier line and fewer for a finer one.
- Needle
- An embroidery (crewel) needle. A size 7 suits three strands of floss. Use a larger needle (a lower number) for more strands and a finer one for fewer. For wool or other thick thread, a chenille needle has a longer eye and a sharp point.
Tips
- Mark the two lines, and tick marks for the uprights if you like, until even spacing comes naturally.
- Pull each stitch until the corner is square and the thread lies on the line, without drawing up the fabric.
- On the edge of felt or a blanket there is no lower line. The loops lie along the cut edge of the fabric.
- At a sharp corner, make one stitch run diagonally through the corner point, then turn and carry on. If that stitch slips, anchor it with a small stitch.
- On a curve, mark the uprights first. The sharper the curve, the closer together the stitches need to be along the edge.
- Once the stitch feels familiar, you can go down at B and come up at C in one scooping motion, with the thread under the needle tip.
When it goes wrong
- The thread does not form a corner and pulls into a slanted stitch
- The needle came up outside the loop. Bring it up inside the loop so the working thread is caught under it.
- The uprights lean
- Come up straight below the point where you went down.
- The uprights are uneven heights
- Draw both lines and put the needle exactly on them.
- The edge line wanders or sags
- Tighten the slack of each loop against the needle before you pull the thread through.
- I ran out of thread in the middle of a row
- End with a tiny holding stitch over the last corner. Bring the new thread up inside that corner and carry on.
Left-handed
Work from right to left and mirror the diagrams. The loop swings out to the left, and your right thumb holds it while the needle comes up inside.
Variations
- Buttonhole stitch. The same movement with the uprights packed side by side, so no fabric shows between them.
- Blanket stitch with long and short uprights. The uprights are made in different lengths, which changes the look of the row.
- Blanket stitch wheel. Worked around a circle with every upright going down into the same hole in the middle.
- Closed blanket stitch. Pairs of uprights slant toward each other and share a hole at the top, forming a row of triangles.
- Whipped blanket stitch. A second thread, matching or contrasting, is whipped around the line along the lower edge.
Patterns that use it
Questions
- What is the difference between blanket stitch and buttonhole stitch?
- In embroidery they are worked the same way. The difference is spacing: blanket stitch leaves a gap between the uprights, and buttonhole stitch packs them close together. A tailor's buttonhole stitch is a different stitch that adds a knot on the edge.
- How do you end a blanket stitch?
- Make a tiny stitch over the last corner, just outside the loop, and fasten off on the back. Around a closed shape, let the last stitch share its starting point with the first one, then anchor it down.
- How do you turn a corner with blanket stitch?
- Work up to the corner, make one stitch run diagonally through the corner point, then turn and carry on along the next side. If the corner stitch slips, anchor it with a small stitch.
- Can you use blanket stitch for applique?
- Yes. Buttonhole and blanket stitch are used to outline applied shapes and to cover raw edges. Keep the looped edge along the outside edge of the shape, with the uprights pointing into the shape.