Stitchtember - Day 9 - Blanket Stitch

Hannah Burbury
Sep 9, 2023
3 min read

Apologies for the late blog post today - I've had a few technical issues but I got there eventually!

Blanket stitch works perfectly to encapsulate the edge of your fabric. You can also stitch two layers of fabric together using the blanket stitch. Traditionally the stitch was used for the edging of blankets but it can also be used in applique and helps to prevent fabric from fraying.

Blanket stitch tutorial

Materials:

· Fabric

· Stranded embroidery thread

· Needle

· Scissors

During this tutorial I am using 100% wool felt, black DMC stranded cotton embroidery thread and a hand embroidery needle. I will show you how to blanket stitch two pieces of felt together. The same process will apply if you are only using one layer of fabric.

1. Thread your needle using stranded embroidery thread. For this tutorial I use four strands of DMC stranded embroidery thread. You can choose how many strands of thread you would like to work with.

2. Open your fabric layers and insert the needle into the front layer of fabric. Working from the back of the fabric to the front.

3. Pull the needle and thread through until the knot is secure in between the two layers of fabric.

4. Put your needle back in the same hole your needle has just come through. Push the needle through both layers of fabric.

5. As you pull the needle through the fabric, leave a loop of thread.

6. Bring your needle through the loop of thread and pull the needle all the way through the fabric until the stitch forms on the fabric.

7. To anchor your first stitch and stop it from moving you need to secure the stitch. Insert your needle into the top of the first stitch and pull the needle through to secure the stitch.

8. Work your second stitch by inserting your needle into the fabric a short distance away from your first stitch.

9. As you pull the needle through the fabric, ensure your needle is sitting inside the loop of thread.

10. Continue to pull the needle and thread until your stitch has formed.

11. Repeat this process until you reach the corner of your fabric.

12. Once you reach the corner of your fabric insert your needle into the fabric, ensuring it's the same length as your previous stitches and is in line with the corner.

13. Pull the needle through the fabric until your stitch has formed. You may need to adjust the stitch so it’s sitting in line with the corner of your fabric.

14. Continue with your blanket stitch until the thread becomes too short to work with.

15. Once the thread becomes too short to work with, insert your needle into the top of your last stitch and pull the thread all the way through.

16. Then slide your needle through the next few stitches and pull your needle and thread through.

17. Then cut the end of the thread with scissors, being careful not to cut your blanket stitches.

18. To start working with a new piece of thread, thread your needle with a knot at one end. Insert your needle at the top of your last stitch.

19. Pull the needle and thread through until the thread is secure. Your thread is now sitting at the top of your last blanket stitch, ready to restart your blanket stitch.