Stitch Your Dogby Make It Yours

Stitch guide · Texture and details

How to do a blanket stitch

Blanket stitch makes a row of evenly spaced upright stitches joined by a line of thread along the bottom, like the letter L repeated. It's the classic stitch for edging felt and finishing a raw edge. Use it to edge ornaments and appliqué, or as a decorative border.

  • Level Easy
  • Also called Buttonhole stitch (when worked close together)

Use it in a pet portrait for…

  • Edging a felt backing on a finished hoop or a mini ornament.
  • Joining two felt shapes into a little dog-shaped ornament or gift tag.
  • A decorative border around a patch with your dog's name.

How to do it, step by step

Blanket stitch: where the needle goesWorking left to right, come up at 1 on the bottom line. Go down at 2 on the top line, and come up at 3 directly below it, inside the loop. Pull snug, then go down at 4 and up at 5.1234567

Working left to right, come up at 1 on the bottom line. Go down at 2 on the top line, and come up at 3 directly below it, inside the loop. Pull snug, then go down at 4 and up at 5.

Odd numbers: come up from the back Even numbers: go down Dashed: the next stitch

  1. Work from left to right. Come up on the bottom line, or right at the edge of the felt.
  2. Go down on the top line, a little to the right.
  3. Hold the thread in a loop to the right, and come up on the bottom line directly below, inside the loop.
  4. Pull snug so the thread lies flat along the bottom.
  5. Go down on the top line a little further along, and repeat. Keep the spacing and the height the same.
  6. Finish with a tiny stitch over the last loop to hold it.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Uprights in different heights.
Draw two guide lines, or use the edge of the felt and a line drawn a set distance in.
A loose bottom thread.
Make sure the needle comes up inside the loop every time.
Bunched or gappy spacing.
Keep the spaces equal. Packed tightly together, it becomes buttonhole stitch.

How many strands?

Two or three strands for felt, or all six for a chunky, rustic edge.

Embroidery floss comes as six thin strands twisted together. Cut a length from your fingertips to your elbow, pull out the strands you need one at a time, and lay them back together (DMC’s guide to stranded floss).

Questions people ask

What's the difference between blanket stitch and buttonhole stitch?

They're made the same way. Buttonhole stitches sit right next to each other, and blanket stitches are spaced out.

How tall should blanket stitches be?

There's no rule. Pick a height that looks balanced, and keep it the same all the way along.

How do I join a new thread?

Finish the old thread on the back, then bring the new one up inside the last loop and carry on.

Sources: Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: Blanket stitch