The Feather Stitch

The feather stitch is one of the most commonly used stitch in crazy quilting, but common looking it isn't. Its beautiful and easy and I use it every chance I get.

Here is an amazing example from a beautiful blog called The Smallest Forest. She shows you step by step how she created this lettering with paint and other stitches.

Here are some lovely examples from Pintangle. Sharon has an amazing blog for embroidery stitches. Each Tuesday she challenges her readers to try a new stitch TAST. Here are some examples from TAST Week 3 of 2012.

From A Million Little Stitches- a feather sampler extraodiare.

Here is a simple step by step visual to take you through this easy stitch.

To make this stitch easy, take a disappearing marker and draw 3 lines parallel to each other along your stitching area.
1. Bring the needle up at the center point.
2. Insert the needle down and to the middle, going right to left. The tip of the needle should cross over the exposed thread.
Pull gently.
3. Now insert the needle from the opposite side and bring up in the center. The tip of the needle should cross over the exposed thread.
Pull gently.
4. Repeat until your feather stitch is the length you desire.

Here is a video from one of my very favorite stitching websites called Mary Corbet's Needle and Thread. She has generously shared her knowledge of embroidery by producing video tutorials on many stitches. Her whole site is a treasure trove of stitching goodness. Take a look but bring a cup of coffee and a snack. You'll be there a while! Click on her name above and it will take you right to the feather stitch video page.

The double feather is even more lovely. You can add french knots and beads to the ends of each stitch for a really dramatic look. You can create irregular stitches and the feather stitch will take on a nice organic look like a vine with branches.

Use the feather stitch along seams. Allow it to wander on both sides of the seam.

I invite all stitchers to join a few really wonderful sites that will encourage and inspire you to learn and create beautiful embroidery. Each embroidered fabric project just seems to reach the next level with a few elegant stitches.
Here are some great places to learn and be inspired-
Mary Corbet's Needle N Thread
The Hand Embroidery Network
The Crazy Quilt Journal Project
Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials aka RockSea
Pintange

Have fun!