How to Make a Split Stitch

A split stitch is a basic, but very popular stitch in embroidery. These are quick and easy-to-make stitches that form lines. Because of this, these stitches are commonly used to outline shapes or add detail to a design. Since split stitches are made going in a backward direction, they're actually considered to be a variant of a back stitch.

If your main interest in embroidery is to make fun, trendy designs with a hand drawn look to them (this is what author/artist Aimee Ray calls doodle stitching,) this stitch will be a main staple of your work! However, this stitch is not only important for doodle stitching, but is used in all types of embroidery, so it's a really good one to learn.

You will need:

• a needle
• floss
• cloth
• an embroidery hoop

When preparing your floss, you will mostly likely want to use an even number of floss strands. This is so that when you make your split, you can split it in half.

Starting out, you might want to use four strands (two on each side), just to get the hang of the stitch. Using just two strands will result in just one strand on each side of the split, which can easily break. Also, the more strands you use, the more tedious counting them will be.

Step 1: Start out by pushing your needle up from the bottom of your hoop and making a straight (running) stitch (figure 1.)

Step 2: Flip over your hoop so you're on the bottom side. With the tip of your needle find the halfway point of your stitch (figure 2) and push your needle through. While doing this, keep an eye on the topside, making sure that the needle goes through the center of your floss (figure 3) and pull the floss through (figure 4.)

You've just made your first split stitch!

Step 3: To start your next stitch, make another running stitch as before. Then just rinse and repeat in a nice straight line (or any design you would like) until you've completed your project. It's a good idea to note that you will only have split stitches on the topside of your project. The stitches on the bottom side of your project will look like running stitches.

Step 4: Tie off the end of your floss when you're finished and voilà, you've learned how to make split stitches!

Now that you've completed making split stitches, you can probably see by now why they're considered a form of back stitch: you go forward a little, and then back a little, forward a bit more... and then back. A split stitch is just one of many different types of back stitches.

Back stitches are fun to make and are handy for making outlines. They're perfect for projects where you want something fancier (or more filling) than a running stitch. A split stitch is just one of a number of back stitches, so you can add more to your repertoire by learning the different types! Plus, projects made with numerous types of stitches look awesome!