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Long and Short Stitch, How to do thread painting (Step By Step)

January 30, 2019 By fasembroidery Leave a Comment

Long and short stitch is also known as thread painting or needle painting. It is a beautiful stitch that is used to fill flowers or designs. Just like the satin stitch, this is a time-consuming stitch. 

long and short stitch flower

It is a very beautiful stitch that is very rewarding when you finish the design. The outcome of this stitch is really awesome. If you have some patience, you will end up with a very satisfying design.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED?

  • Any fabric.
  • Embroidery hoop, 15cm (6″) (Bigger if you are working on a larger design)
  • Tapestry needle
  • Embroidery thread (I have used the pearl cotton floss for this tutorial)

How many strands of floss do you need for making the long and short stitch?

Since I have used the pearl cotton floss, I have taken double floss for it. But if you take general embroidery floss for the pattern, then you can start with 2 strands of floss and increase the number of strands according to your design. The lesser the strands, the finer the design will be.

Step by Step Pictorial Process of making the long and short Stitch

starting long stitch

1. Start by inserting the needle from below the fabric at point A. Make a straight stitch at Point B at your desired length.

starting short stitch

2. Take the thread down at point B and bring it up at point C, that is just beside Point A.

working on the long and short stitch

3. Make a shorter stitch at point D. This should be shorter than the previous stitch.

making long and short stitch

4. Keep working in similar fashion for the rest of the stitches by making one long stitch and one short stitch.

long and short stitch

5. Work until the end of the design. One row is completed. If you want to fill a design, work on the second row in a similar fashion. You can check the video for easier reference.

Tips for working the long and short stitch

  • You can start by outlining your design with back or stem stitch and then working on the long and short stitch.
  • Various colors can be used to achieve a great effect on the design like the one shown above.

WHAT IS THIS STITCH USED FOR?

  • This stitch is a great way to fill any design.
  • You can make beautiful flowers, leaves and almost anything with this long and short stitch.

More stitches:

  • Trellis Stitch
  • Fly Stitch
  • Blanket stitch
  • satin stitch
  • back stitch
  • stem stitch

Check out the video tutorial below

So until next time,

Keep Stitching,

Fareeha

Pin this image for later reference:

how to make long and short stitch with step by step pictures

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Filed Under: Satin Stitches, Straight Stitches Tagged With: basic stitches, satin stitches

« Woven Trellis Stitch, How to work a trellis stitch
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