The saved stitch is the most common technique for embroidering. The split back stitch is very similar to the saved stitch: the two techniques have a similar final result, but different manufacturing procedures.
Steps
Preparations Before You Begin
Step 1. Draw a line on the fabric
Use a fabric marker to lightly draw the patterns you want to embroider onto the fabric.
- If you are still practicing, it will be easier for you to take your first steps by embroidering along straight lines.
- Become familiar with straight lines, draw curved lines and irregular shapes. The saved stitch and the split back stitch lend themselves to following sinuous designs.
Step 2. Snap the fabric into a round embroidery hoop
Make sure your design is in the center of the hoop.
- Lay the fabric on the inner circle of the hoop.
- Press the outer circle down, over the fabric and the inner circle.
- Smooth out any creases and wrinkles that have formed on the fabric.
- Tighten the frame locking screw. This will keep the fabric taut and immobile, ready for embroidery.
Step 3. Thread the needle
Insert the thread through the eye of the embroidery needle. Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
Purchase six-ply embroidery thread when working with the spare stitch and split back stitch. This way, you should be able to separate the ends of the thread exactly in half as you sew the saved stitch, i.e. keeping three ends on each side of the needle
Method 1 of 2: The Saved Point
Step 1. Pull the needle out of the fabric through the back
Point the needle to the back of the fabric, just below the start of the previously drawn line. Thread the needle into the fabric to pull it out from the front.
- This will be the hole TO of the point saved.
- Pull the needle and thread through the stitch TO. Keep pulling until the knot at the bottom of the yarn touches the back of the canvas, preventing the yarn from moving any further.
Step 2. Insert the needle into the fabric, choosing a stitch just below the guideline
Obviously the point should not be too broad. Lightly press the tip of the needle into the canvas.
- This will be the hole B. of the point saved.
- Do not pull the needle completely out through the stitch B.. No more than one-third or one-half of the needle should come out of the back of the fabric.
Step 3. Thread the needle halfway between the two points
Tilt the needle until it is parallel to the fabric. Run the tip of the needle along the back of the canvas. Insert it halfway between the points TO And B. and come out with the tip from the front side of the fabric.
- This is the hole C. of the point saved.
- Do not pull the needle completely out of the hole C..
Step 4. Pass the needle between the ends of the thread
Slide the tip of the needle across the outer surface of the fabric until it pierces the yarn coming out of the hole TO, separating the heads. At this point, fully pull the needle and thread out through this position.
- Separate the yarn into equal parts. In the case of 6-ply thread, there should be 3 plies on each side of the needle.
- Pull the needle until the thread is completely out of the fabric, flattening itself on it after dividing the thread.
- This step describes making a single point saved.
Step 5. Thread the needle along the embroidery line in the area just below the stitch you just made
Try to keep similar distances to each point.
- This will be your point D..
- This step begins the second saved point.
- Note the distance between the holes C. And D. it should be roughly equal to the distance between TO And B..
Step 6. Divide the thread in half again as you pull out the needle
Slide the tip of the needle along the back of the canvas and punch the canvas halfway between B. And D..
- Pay attention to divide the yarn of the first stitch evenly when passing the needle from the back to the front of the canvas.
- Once you have divided the thread into equal parts, you have to pull the needle until the yarn is all out, that is until it stops flattened on the canvas.
- This step completes the second saved point.
Step 7. Continue this way until you have embroidered the entire line
All subsequent stitches will be embroidered following the instructions for the second saved stitch.
- Thread the needle along the line in the area just below the stitch you just made.
- Thread the needle from the back to the front of the fabric, exactly halfway through the previous stitch, dividing the thread in half.
- Pull the needle until the stitch is flat on the canvas.
Step 8. Tie a knot at the end of the thread
Once the embroidery is complete all the way, pull the thread out from the back of the canvas. Tie a small knot to lock all the embroidery to the spared stitch.
Another way to secure the embroidery is to sew the ends of the thread, to the back of the fabric, with the previously embroidered stitches
Method 2 of 2: Split Back Stitch
Step 1. Thread the needle from behind
Place the tip of the needle against the back of the canvas, just below the start of the drawn line. Thread the needle into the fabric and then pull it out with all the thread through the front.
- This is the hole TO of your point.
- Pull out the needle and thread from TO completely, stopping only when the knot at the end of the thread meets the back of the canvas.
Step 2. Insert the needle a little further down the line
Place the tip of the needle on the drawn line. Push the needle in and push it all the way through to the other side.
- This is the hole B. of the point.
- Pull the needle and thread out of the back of the fabric, stopping only when the thread is flat against the front of the fabric.
Step 3. Pass the needle a little further down the line
Insert the tip of the needle into the back of the canvas and pull it out from the back, at a point beyond B., a little further along your embroidery line. Pull the thread out of this hole.
- This is the hole C. of the point.
- Distances B. - C. And TO - B. they should be the same.
- Pull the needle until the thread lies flat on the back of the fabric.
Step 4. Divide the first point
Return the needle in TO And B. and let it enter the canvas, dividing the thread itself in half.
- The needle should divide the stitch created between the holes TO And B..
- Divide the yarn into two equal parts. For six-ply yarns, there should be three plies on each side of the needle.
- Pull the thread through this hole until the stitch is flat on the canvas.
- This step completes the sequence to embroider the first split back stitch.
Step 5. Pull the needle out further along the embroidery line
Pull the tip of the needle out of the front of the canvas, following the embroidery line. Grab the tip of the needle and pull the thread completely out.
- This is the hole D..
- Distances C. - D. And B. - C. they should be the same.
- This step begins the sequence for embroidering your second split back stitch.
Step 6. Divide the second point
Point the needle into the hole C. and let it enter both the yarn and the fabric. Grab the tip of the needle protruding from the back and pull until all the thread has passed.
- As always, be careful to divide the yarn into equal parts.
- Note that the needle must go into the hole C., or at least in its immediate vicinity.
- This step completes the sequence to embroider the second split back stitch of your work.
Step 7. Repeat the procedure along the embroidery line
The rest of the embroidery done with the split back stitch technique will have to follow the procedure described in this step.
- Pull the needle out along the embroidery line.
- Thread the needle through the previously embroidered stitch, as always by dividing the yarn in half.
Step 8. Tie a knot at the end of the thread
When you have finished embroidering, you will need to stop the yarn by making a knot at the end that is left over. This knot, for aesthetic reasons, must remain hidden in the back of the canvas.
Another way to stop the embroidery is to sew the ends of the thread, to the back of the fabric, with the previously embroidered stitches
Advice
- Both the saved stitch and the split back stitch are mostly used for contouring. They can also be used in dense rows, such as backgrounds, but they are very time consuming.
- The saved stitch and the split back stitch are very similar in the final result, but quite different on the inside of the canvas. The spared stitch is very neat, while the split back stitch is noticeably denser and more tangled when viewed from behind.
- When sewn correctly, a split backstitch embroidery will adhere better to the canvas than a saved stitch job.
- The split back stitch consumes 20-25% more thread than the saved stitch.
