Who doesn't love the back stitch? It's the first stitch I learned, and probably most people learn, so I have a special place in my heart for the back stitch. If you're new to embroidery and learn no other stitches, you can still make a ton of really cool stuff with only a back stitch.
Today, I thought I would do a few variations on the back stitch. I learned the whipped back stitch earlier in this project; I used it a lot with my flowers in March, April, and May. It's such a great stitch because it adds dimension and detail without a lot of effort. I did a single and a double whipped stitch today. I don't know if a double whipped back stitch is a real thing, but I like it since it adds even more dimension and height. Start with two rows of even back stitches, and then loop across both rows to create the double whipped back stitch.
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| Back stitch, Whipped back stitch, Double whipped back stitch |
I also added the laced and double laced back stitch to my stitching repertoire. Today was my first time trying these stitches, and I love them. The fun thing about both versions is you can decide how much of a loop you want with the wrapped stitch. I left a larger loop for the laced back stitch and no defined loop for the double laced option. The laced back stitch is a pretty common edging or border stitch, but I could see it being useful for flowers and plants or adding texture into a piece.
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| Laced back stitch, Double laced back stitch |
Full piece:
One of my other favorite ways to use a back stitch is as a filling stitch. I didn't include that variation today since space was limited. The cool thing about using it as a filling stitch is that it creates a different texture than a single row of back stitches. I've used it for things like bricks, a candle, and hearts, but also for filling in a flower. I may use this variation in tomorrow's piece.
The variations I featured today are both wrapping stitches, so you're not piercing the fabric or the original row of back stitches. With the whipped back stitch, always bring your needle up in the same direction (I always come up through the bottom of the back stitch). The laced back stitch is meant to alternate so you can make the loop.
Details:
Stitches: back stitch, whipped back stitch, laced back stitch, double laced back stitch
Thread palette: DMC 3801, 964, 891, 958 (6 strands) - I used 6 strands since this is more of a practice piece. The whipped back stitch does work with 2 and 3 strands, but the dimension isn't as obvious. I haven't tried a smaller strand count with the laced back stitch, but I would guess the same would be true. More things to try!
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