The Feather Stitch is a beautiful embroidery stitch for both straight and curved lines, and is a popular stitch in crazy quilting. This stitch is a hand embroidery stitch that creates airy lines of stitching, and can be single, double, triple, interlaced, done straight or at a slant or angle. It makes beautiful trim on garments, blankets as well as on quilts.
How is feather embroidery stitch used?
The Feather Stitch often depicts natural elements – vines, branches, seaweed and such – especially with variegated threads! Fair warning: it’s a stitch that welcomes the addition of beads, French knots and flowers! You’ll often find it combined with other stitches for embellishments. It is also a popular embellishment on garments as well as in crazy quilting.
Project idea: Feather stitch is also a great edge stitch – perfect for flannel baby blankets. Just double turned the edge of a piece of flannel and stitch the feather stitch around the edge for a nice finish.
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What is the feather stitch?
The Feather Stitch consists of open, looped stitches worked alternately to the right and left of central lines. This stitch also does a great job as a background filler stitch for garden or underwater scenes. The rhythm of the stitch reminds me a bit of Buttonhole Stitch and Chain Stitch. It’s a good idea to mark your fabric while learning about the four (4) parallel lines that guide your stitching. Once you get a bit of practice, you won’t need the lines any longer.
To mark the lines, use your favorite fabric marking tool. I use a Frixion pen which quickly disappears from my fabric with a bit of heat from my iron. ALWAYS test your chosen marker first on a small corner or scrap of your fabric.

How to Embroider the Feather Stitch
The feather embroidery stitch is a decorative stitch that is worked top down, alternating stitches from right to left. It is a nice and airy stitch that is just right for embellishments on garments, crazy quilting and more! Use it to finish binding on a baby quilt! It stitches great around curves, as well as straight lines.
Materials
- Fabric to embroider
- Embroidery thread or floss
Tools
- Embroidery needle suitable for your thread
- Embroidery hoop, recommended
- Embroidery scissors
- Fabric marker; I like using a Frixion pen
Instructions
- Start by hooping your fabric. I like to use a hoop to keep my fabric taut - it makes it easier to have nice stitch tension.
When you are beginning, it is easier to mark four (4) parallel lines on your fabric with your favorite removable fabric marker. I like using a Frixion pen. Always test your chosen method before you begin stitching to make sure it comes out of your fabric. A Frixion pen comes out with a bit of heat when you are done stitching.
Begin by bringing your threaded needle up at A, down at B, back up at C and loop the embroidery thread around the end of your needle. - For your second stitch, take your needle down at D and up at E. See how you are working right to left?
- Continue working in this method looping the thread around the needle right to left and left to right.
- When you get close to the end of your marked lines (or unmarked when you get good at the feather stitch), bring your needle up with the last loop.
- Then, take your needle back down just on the other side of the looped thread to the back side of your embroidery fabric.
- Here is the finished feather stitch embroidery! Once you get going with this stitching it becomes very rhythmic.
- Remove your markings and you have a beautiful sampler of the feather stitch!
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Here is a sampler that shows how different threads and weights can make the feather stitch look a little different.
- Row 1: Pearl cotton size 12
- Row 2: Pearl cotton size 8
- Row 3: Pearl cotton size 5
- Row 4: Pearl cotton variegated size 3
- Row 5: Pearl cotton variegated size 8
- Row 6: 6 strand embroidery floss

And, another small sampler:

Check out all of the embroidery projects on Create Whimsy!
