Fern stitch

How to work it

1. Come up one stitch from the top

   

   Fern stitch is worked from the top of the line down. Bring the needle up at A, one stitch length below the top.

2. Stitch up the line

   

   Take the needle down at B, the top of the line. This is the middle stitch of the first group.

3. Add the left stitch

   

   Bring the needle up at A again, in the same hole. Take it down at C, up and to the left, making a stitch the same length as the first.

4. Add the right stitch

   

   Come up at A once more and go down at D, up and to the right. All three stitches now fan out from A.

5. Move down for the next group

   

   Bring the needle up at E, one stitch length below A on the line. Stitch from E to A, then from E out to each side, just as before.

6. Repeat down the line

   

   Each middle stitch ends in the point the group above fans out from, so the middle stitches join into one unbroken stem.

At a glance

Used for

ferns and leafy sprays; greenery around embroidered flowers; decorating leaves and floral shapes; borders and outlines; single groups scattered as a light filling

Thread

Three strands of six-strand floss are a good place to start. Use one or two strands for a finer, lighter spray, and more strands for a bolder one.

Needle

An embroidery (crewel) needle. Size 7 suits two to four strands of floss, and size 9 suits one or two.

Tips

• Make all three stitches in a group the same length.
• Keep the two side stitches at the same angle to the line. About 45 degrees from the line is a common slant.
• If coming up three times in one hole is awkward, reverse each stitch: come up at B, C and D in turn and go down at A. The result looks the same.
• On a curved line, let the middle stitches follow the curve and keep the side stitches at a steady angle to it.
• For a different look, make the groups wider or narrower as you work down the stem.

When it goes wrong

The branches are lopsided

Mark a dot for the end of each side stitch before you make it, the same distance out on both sides.

The thread splits or the joint looks messy

Bring the needle up carefully through the same hole each time, or work each stitch from the outside in and go down at the joint instead.

The stem has gaps

Each middle stitch must end exactly in the hole the group above started from.

Left-handed

Nothing about the stitch changes. Work from the top down, and make the side stitches in whichever order is comfortable.

Variations

• Fly stitch. A fly stitch with a long anchoring stitch makes a Y shape much like one fern group. Its two arms are a single loop of thread, pulled down into a V by the anchoring stitch.
• Fern stitch on a curve. The groups follow a curved line, which makes a bending frond.
• Single fern stitch. One group of three stitches is worked on its own. Scattered over a shape, single groups make a light powdered filling.