JABC Stitch School: The Blanket Stitch

At JABC we love what we call “bite-sized” projects. Those are projects that you can make start to finish in little bites of time. Recently, I wanted to gift a trio of our Just Pins to a friend and wanted a creative way to present the pins. I was short on time so I grabbed one of our Seasonal Sliders mini pincushion patterns and stitched up a quick (and super cute) mini pincushion to present the gifted pins in.

As I was stitching, I started thinking about what some of my favorite hand stitches are. The blanket stitch is one of my main go-to stitches to use on wool appliqué and pincushion projects. It is my favorite stitch to add around edges of shapes. It is a simple stitch to do and adds a nice finished edge on a raw edge of fabric.

To begin, thread your favorite size of embroidery needle with two strands of embroidery floss. Tie a small knot at the end of your floss. Take a small stitch to anchor your thread to the back side of the fabric. Since I stitch mostly with wool, it is thick enough that I can take my stitch through the thickness of the fabric so that I come out on top of the edge of the wool. If you are stitching on cotton, take a tiny stitch near the edge where it can easily be hidden under your stitches.

Bring your needle to the front of the fabric. Keep your extra floss pulled to the side. (I am right handed so I keep my floss to the left of my stitches.) Pierce the fabric with the tip of the needle from the front to the back, directly below the anchored stitch. Make your stitch between 1/8″ and 1/4″ below the edge of the fabric.

Pull the needle and floss through the fabric. Keep your extra floss to the side. As you pull the needle through, be sure to keep the needle on top of the floss that is secured to the back of the fabric.

Pull the stitch until the loop is closed and there is no slack.

Decide how far apart you want your stitches. I usually place mine about 1/8″ apart. Move your needle over the desired distance and stitch again taking your needle through the front of the fabric to the back. Place your stitch so that it is the same distance from the edge of the fabric as the first stitch. As before, keep the needle on top of the floss that is coming from the back of the fabric.

Pull to close the loop. The completed stitch will lay on the edge of the fabric.

What if you have to turn a corner? Corners can be tricky! My solution is to take a small stitch on the backside of the fabric along the new edge, just like I would if I was starting at the beginning. With my thread secured to the back of the new edge, I can continue stitching that edge as usual.

When you have stitched along all the edges you plan to, take a simple securing stitch or two on the back of your fabric.

It won’t take long before you are stitching the blanket stitch like a pro! It won’t take long for it to be one of your favorites too!

Product links:

• Seasonal Sliders patterns
• Seasonal Sliders kits (quantities are limited)
• Complete selection of Just Pins and Pin-Minis

PS. Are you a fan of our fun and functional pins? Do you love getting happy mail? Check out our new Pin Lover’s Club! Each box contains an exclusive trio of pins that you are sure to love! Check out all the details here: Pin Lover’s Club.