Fishbone Stitch is one of those stitches you may have heard of but probably haven’t used.
It’s similar to Diagonal Gobelin but has a crossed stitch at one end. Depending on the length of these crossed stitches it can look like a little bone, hence the name, or it can look like Diagonal Gobelins, in opposite directions that overlap instead of meet.
That’s the key that makes this stitch delightful. When you use Diagonal Gobelin for something such as feathers, you get a line where the stitches meet. Sometimes this does not look good and needs to be covered. Usually I do this with Backstitch or Whipped Backstitch.
Fishbone solves this problem. Those overlaps make a neat, finished joint as you can see in the stitch diagram here. This picture is of the open version of the stitch, so it’s easy to see the crossings. Make the stitches solid for items such as feathers.
Mary Corbett has a great post on her Needle n’Thread blog about this stitch. The post has wonderful pictures of stitched feathers that will give you an idea of how great this stitch can be.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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