Back Stitch

The back stitch can be used to create basic outlines, straight lines and lettering and is usually one of the first embroidery stitches you learn as an embroidery beginner.

Back Stitch Instructions

1. Bring the needle up from behind your hoop.
2. Make a single straight stitch.
3. Continue along your pattern line, but come up one stitch length ahead.
4. Bring your needle back down where your previous stitch ended.

Repeat 3. and 4. until the whole line is finished.

Alternative stitches

If you already feel a little more confident in your embroidery skills, you can also try the Stem Stitch. This is actually the same stitch, simply the front and back. Unlike the back stitch, however, the stem stitch has the advantage that the created line looks much cleaner and more continuous.