Feather Stitch

One of my favorite hand stitches is the Feather Stitch. I think it's beautiful, unusual and fun to do....but many people don't like it, or they are very hesitant to try it.

Feather Stitch adds an elegant touch to baby clothes, on borders (above or right on the border) and even in smocking. In the photo at right the bottom smocking row is Single Feather Stitch worked horizontally in variegated thread. There are also a multitude of variations found in Crazy Quilts. 

This photo (right) shows a Triple Feather Stitch in the peach colored floss with added lazy daisy stitches. This is part of a Dresden Plate crazy quilt that I made years ago.


Here is another example of Triple Feather Stitch going around two sides of the blue patch. Isn't the variegated thread gorgeous? Feather Stitch is just the perfect stitch and it's particularly beautiful in variegated thread that has short colorways to show off the changes in color. Look at the Silk Ribbon Roll-Up below to see the variegated thread I used that's from Treenway Silks...it's the Montano "St Thomas" color silk cord. Absolutely gorgeous stuff to work with!

The terms for different Feather Stitches can get a little confusing: Single Feather Stitch, Double Feather Stitch, Triple... The Single Feather stitch looks like two rows of Feather Stitch because it's alternating "U's", one on the left and one on the right as the stitch is worked down a line. So why wouldn't it be called a Double Feather Stitch? Well, if one did a single row of "U's" down a line it would be an open chain stitch. Historically it was called a Coral Stitch...yup, that's right. If you look at page 19 of the Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese De Dillmont, it states that figure 46 (what we know as a feather stitch) "illustrates single coral stitch, worked vertically". To make it even more interesting, Carole Samples, in her incredible tome entitled Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches, has done an amazing study on it. Chapter Two of her book starts off with "Demystifying the feather stitches, or, a blanket stitch by any other name....". Indeed, the feather stitch is just a morphed version of the blanket stitch.
Enough history for now! So where do I use Feather Stitch? Right now I'm working on a boy's christening gown and am using the Single Feather Stitch in the main motif of the Infinity symbol. It circles the skirt and is on the bodice and sleeves, along with a very unusual treatment using "trailing" bullions (a technique I saw on an antique christening gown) that completes the infinity motif. I'm using DMC Cotton Floche and working "in-hand" (not using a hoop). Love the floche! So soft, thicker than floss, and works up beautifully in feather stitch and bullions (to name a few stitches).So here's how to do a Single feather Stitch.....

Single Feather Stitch is worked from top to bottom, and in this case, down a specific line. It's basically one “U” on either side of the line. There are three really important hints about achieving a good Feather Stitch (besides consistent tension and size): 

(1) The thread is always kept under the needle; 

(2) The working thread is swung from side to side to the same side of the line being worked when working down the row; 

(3) Each “U” is held with the thumb of the hand holding the fabric to keep tension in the working thread. I'm working this Single Feather Stitch along a curved line for the serpentine design in slightly less than 1/8" increments: the "U"s are that amount wide and long. The distance from the line is the same increment and the bite of fabric I take angling to the line is also the same slightly-less-than-1/8" increment. Hint: If you have a difficult time judging the distance on either side of the line draw two more lines (one on either side of the center one) to help you place your stitches to the correct width. 

To Start: bring your thread to the right side of the fabric (you can complete a split back stitch on the wrong side under where you are going to stitch) and come up the increment away from the center line. Now, just to start, take the needle into the line directly across from and level where the thread came out of the fabric and come out on the line the increment's length. The thread will have formed a "U" and the needle should be over the "U". 

Next photo on the right: Insert the needle the increment to the other side of the line on the same level where the thread came out and take a stitch angled to the line coming out on the line with the thread under the needle. Keep your thumb on the working thread.

Last photo on the right: Now go to the other side of the line and complete another "U" always keeping the same increment. Continue down the line stitching from one side to the other. Always remember to "throw" your thread to the left for a left "U" and then throw it to the right for a right "U". Your needle is always pointing down. It looks simple, right? This is one stitch that does take practice. It's important to develop a rhythm when doing the feather stitch so it's best to practice on a sample each time you sit down to work on a project. 

Here is the photo of the completed Infinity Christening Gown, which is a new class I'm offering. It's perfect for a little boy...not too frilly, but understated and elegant with the Single Feather Stitch.