Fern stitch as its name suggests is an easy stitch to work to form fern like foliage. It can be worked as a single motif or follow a line either straight or curved to form a branch. Fern stitch is a really easy stitch to work as it is just a series of straight stitches radiating from the same hole. It can be worked on both eavenweave fabric and plain weave fabric in various thread thicknesses. If working on plain weave fabric it maybe easier to follow a drawn line using an air erasable pen as in the bottom two examples.

Ok here's how to work the stitch: First form a straight stitch by bringing the needle up at 1 and down at 2. Then bring the needle up again at 3 slightly to one side of the first straight stitch at an angle. Then take your needle back down at 2 and then up at 4 again slightly at an angle. Complete the stitch by taking the needle back down at 2, the stitch is now complete.

To work a row along a curve position the first fern stitch at the tip of the line then bring the needle up slightly below at 1, then take the needle down again at 2. Bring the needle up again at 3 and then back down again at 1. Bring the needle up at 4 and down at 1 to finish the stitch. Work along the line in this way. The angle of the straight stitches can be altered in size and length to represent the foliage.

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(please note all photographs are copyright 2009 Hand Embroidery Network)