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Straight stitches · Beginner

Brick stitch

Upright stitches over two threads, worked in a zigzag so each one is stepped half a stitch from its neighbor, like courses of brick.

Brick stitch: the finished stitch on canvas, 18 stitches, all upright, in two colors
The finished stitch on canvas. Every stitch runs from one hole to another; the two colors are only there to tell the stitches apart. In the steps, new stitches are red, and the numbers give the order: up at an odd number, down at the next even one.

How to work it

  1. Make the first stitch

    Brick stitch, step 1: the first stitch on the canvas. Numerals 1 and 2 mark its ends, in working order.

    Work an upright stitch over two threads.

  2. Step the next stitch down

    Brick stitch, step 2: two stitches on the canvas, the one this step adds in red. Numerals 3 and 4 mark its ends, in working order.

    In the next hole along, work another upright stitch one thread lower, so the two overlap by half.

  3. Zigzag across the row

    Brick stitch, step 3: nine stitches on the canvas, the seven this step adds in red.

    Continue across in this up-and-down zigzag.

  4. Fit the next row underneath

    Brick stitch, step 4: 18 stitches on the canvas, the nine this step adds in red.

    On the next row, fit each stitch under the one above it, sharing its hole, so the rows lock together.

At a glance

Used for
sky; buildings; backgrounds; areas of any size worked fast
Coverage
Full, with a thread a little thicker than for tent stitch
Direction
Upright
Stitch length
Over 2 canvas threads

Brick stitch covers quickly and lies flat. Worked over four threads with a step of two it becomes a bigger pattern for larger areas. It is a favorite for sky, and changing color row by row makes stripes for fields and hills.

Brick is a small, neutral stitch: it does not lead the eye in any direction, which is why teachers reach for it as a background. Its small scale makes a sky look far away and lets it fit spaces too tight for most decorative stitches. Beyond sky and buildings, sources name it for clothing, hair, hills, clouds and foliage.

The name is older and looser than the canvas stitch. One stitch reference notes that 'brick stitch' has been used for several offset stitches, including a way of couching, and that the counted version is a core stitch of Chinese embroidery, worked in silk on gauze.

It is easy to compensate. Where a full stitch will not fit against the edge of a shape, work a shorter upright stitch in its place.

One teacher sets a brick-stitch sky behind clouds in Hungarian stitch, which is slightly larger in scale and so reads as nearer.

Tips

  • Turn the stitch on its side, with the stitches lying across, for brick walls and buildings.

When it goes wrong

Canvas shows between the stitches.
Upright stitches cover less well than slanted ones. Add strands or change to a thicker thread, and when you stitch with several strands, use a laying tool so they lie smoothly side by side.
The stitches lean or look uneven.
Pick one working method and keep to it for the whole area. One teacher prefers to work every other stitch across the row and fill the gaps on the way back, because the stitches then stand straighter and lie more smoothly.

Variations

  • Double brick. Two upright stitches side by side at each step, which makes larger blocks.

Questions

Should I work brick stitch in a zigzag, or skip a stitch and fill in on the way back?
Either. Both give the same pattern on the front. What matters is using the same method throughout.

Where to go next

Stitches

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