Feather Stitch and Variations

Feather Stitch * Cretan Stitch

Feather stitch creates an interesting vine that can be modified by altering tension and stitch length. Come up through your fabric at A and down a horizontal stitch length away to the right at B, leaving a loop. Come up at C, catching the loop, and go back down to the left at D, leaving a loop. Continue, swinging from right to left while creating connected U shapes. End with a small straight stitch to anchor.

Cretan stitch uses feather stitches to fill a shape. Come up at the top center of the shape at A and go down at B, a point slightly down the right edge. Catch that stitch at C along the center line and go down at D, a point slightly down the left edge from A. Continue filling down the shape.

See also Fly Stitch