Blanket Stitch and Variations

Blanket Stitch * Buttonhole Stitch * Double Blanket Stitch * Blanket Stitch Eyelet * Looped Blanket Stitch

Blanket stitch is a traditional edging stitch that creates a line with regular vertical stitches. Come up at A and back down at B, a spot one stitch length above the guideline and one stitch length away, leaving slack. Come up at C, a stitch length away from A and catch the loop from the first stitch. Continue, going down at D, leaving the slack to catch when coming up at point E. End with a small straight stitch anchor.

Buttonhole stitch. Fill a shape using closely worked blanket stitches (left). Beginning the row of blanket stitches with a loop as if starting chain stitch (right) can be used to avoid the small bump created by the first blanket stitch. Working the stitches on a diagonal can be helpful for filling shapes with pointed ends such as leaves. Choose to keep the blanket stitches parallel with each other or vary the angle as you fill the shape.

Double blanket stitch. Create a line of blanket stitch from A to B. Make a second line of blanket stitch from C to D, or from D to C. Turn your fabric upside down to create this second line of blanket stitch to avoid having to work the stitch backwards and/or upside down. Space the stitches so that the vertical sections of each line of blanket stitch are staggered.

Blanket stitch eyelet. Come up at A on the edge of the circle, and go down at the center (B), leaving slack. Come up at C, catching the slack, and pull to tighten the original stitch before going back down at B. Continue around the perimeter, finishing with a small straight stitch to anchor.

Looped blanket stitch. Come up at A on the edge of the circle, and go down at the edge of the inner circle (B), leaving slack. Come up at C, catching the loop, and pull to tighten the original stitch before going down at D. Continue around the perimeter, finishing with a small straight stitch to anchor. Repeat, creating smaller circles to fill the shape.