Backstitch Embroidery Tutorial

Hello!

I’m here with another stitch tutorial today, but plot twist, it’s for embroidery!

My next pattern is going to be a combination of crochet and embroidery, so a tutorial for embroidering onto a crochet fabric was needed!

What is so special about the backstitch?

The backstitch is a beginner embroidery stitch that is worked by starting your first stitch one stitch length ahead of the beginning of your pattern line, then sewing backwards to complete the stitch. It sounds more complicated than it is, I promise!

For this tutorial, I’ll be backstitching onto a piece of fabric made entirely of single crochet, as that is the most common crochet fabric to embroider onto due to the square-ish nature of the stitch.

Following the photo tutorial is a video tutorial, just in case you need to see it in action.

Photo Tutorial

Step 1: With the wrong side of your fabric facing you, secure the end of your threaded yarn by weaving into the back side of your crochet stitches (the side that looks like the mathematical symbol for pi), first going one direction...

Step 1 Continued: Then back the other direction, just like weaving in the ends of your crochet fabric

Step 2: Insert your needle from the back of your fabric to the front, one stitch-length in front of your first stitch in the direction in which you are working.

Step 3: Working backward, insert your needle down into the space between cochet stitches where you want your embroidery to start.

Step 3 Continued: Then feed your needle through the gap between single crochets one stitch length in front of the stitch you just completed.

Step 4: Continue repeating Step 3 until you've completed your design.

Step 5: When you reach the last stitch, feed the needle down to complete the stitch, flip your fabric to the back side.

The back of your work will look like this.

Step 6: Weave in your end on the back side of your single crochet stitches, as in Step 1, then cut yarn.

Video Tutorial

If you want to see this stitch in action, I’ve recorded a video tutorial for you as well!

Now that you have mastered the backstitch embroidery stitch, you can start playing around with drawing designs onto your crochet!

I hope you liked this tutorial! Let me know if there are any stitches you would like to see future tutorials made for!

Until next time!

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