Stitch Your Dogby Make It Yours

Stitch guide · Outlines

How to do a herringbone stitch

Herringbone stitch is a row of slanted stitches that zigzag between two parallel lines, each one crossing the last near its end. It's worked from left to right, with a small backward step on each line. Use it for borders, wide bands and stems, and in sewing to hold a hem or one fabric onto another.

  • Level Easy
  • Also called Catch stitch, Russian stitch

Use it in a pet portrait for…

  • A border along the bottom of the hoop.
  • A wide collar band, with a second color threaded through it.
  • A frame around your dog's name.

How to do it, step by step

Herringbone stitch: where the needle goesWorking left to right, come up at 1 on the bottom line and go down at 2 on the top line. Come up at 3, a little to the left of 2, then cross down to 4 on the bottom line. Come up at 5, a little to the left of 4, and go up to 6. Each stitch crosses the last near its end; the dashed one, 7 to 8, is next.12345678

Working left to right, come up at 1 on the bottom line and go down at 2 on the top line. Come up at 3, a little to the left of 2, then cross down to 4 on the bottom line. Come up at 5, a little to the left of 4, and go up to 6. Each stitch crosses the last near its end; the dashed one, 7 to 8, is next.

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

  1. Draw two parallel lines. Come up on the bottom line, at the left end.
  2. Go down on the top line, a little to the right, making a slanted stitch.
  3. Come up on the top line, a short way back to the left of where you went down.
  4. Cross over that first stitch and go down on the bottom line, making a stitch the same length and slant.
  5. Come up on the bottom line a short way back to the left, then cross up to the top line again.
  6. Keep going to the right. Each stitch crosses the one before it near its end.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Uneven crosses.
Make each backward step the same size, and keep the slanted stitches the same length.
The band wanders.
Draw two guide lines and keep the ends of every stitch right on them.
Puckered fabric.
Don't pull tight. The slanted stitches should lie flat on the fabric.

How many strands?

Two or three strands for a border, or one for a fine, delicate band.

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 is herringbone stitch used for?

Borders, wide bands and stems, and rows of it can fill a shape. In sewing, the same stitch holds hems and joins one fabric to another.

Which way do you work herringbone stitch?

From left to right, with a small stitch backward, right to left, on each line. If you're left-handed, you can mirror it.

What does the back of herringbone stitch look like?

Two rows of small, spaced stitches, like running stitch. That's why it's used in shadow work, where the stitches show through sheer fabric.

Sources: Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: Herringbone stitch · Wandering Threads: Herringbone stitch tutorial