Leaf Stitch for Needlepoint

This week’s guest post comes from Needlepoint for Fun‘s great newsletter and is reprinted here by permission.
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The needlepoint leaf stitch can really leaf an impact (sorry, that was lame). But, it really does!

How to Stitch A Leaf Stitch

The leaf stitch takes a bit of figuring out before you get the hang of it – it’s not hard to execute, you just have to pay attention until you have the “formula” ingrained.

Here’s how you lay it down on the canvas….

Start at the top of the stitch and work down. Work both sides of the stitch as you travel down. So, start with the top vertical stitch (worked over three intersections), then do the next two stitches either side, and so on, down the leaf. Then move on to the next leaf.

When you are laying one leaf next to another you may need to use your fingernail to lift the threads that are already on the canvas aside so you can get your needle in to where it needs to go.

I found it easier to compensate at the end (mostly) with partial stitches around the borders.

Where to Use A Leaf Stitch

You can use one leaf stitch to represent one leaf, or you can line them up, one alongside the other, to add a lot of texture to your canvas. This makes it a good stitch for:

• hills and mountains
• foliage
• clothing

It takes up a bit of space, so it’s not ideal for tiny areas.

Using a variegated or over-dyed thread adds additional shading and texture. On this Cat and Dog canvas, above, I used an inexpensive DMC variegated thread and it works really well on this hillside.