Needlepoint Stitch Families

Updated October 18, 2023. My Internet connection is messed up. As result, I’m re-running this auricle.

Today we are going to look at stitch families, the most common way to classify needlepoint stitches. First we’ll talk about why stitch families are important. Next we’ll define the most common families. Finally we’ll classify the stitches from yesterday’s post into families.

The Importance of Stitch Families

The chances are good that you had stitched for awhile before you realized that stitches could be grouped together with other stitches that looked similar. I had been stitching 7 years before I bought The Needlepoint Book and became aware of such a thing. It rocked my needlepoint world.

That’s because most stitch families have stitches that are similar in construction. If you already know how to make one stitch in a family, it won’t be a big stretch to make others. Suddenly instead of about ten stitches I could make dozens, even hundreds.

Knowing many stitches opens needlepoint for you. You’ll be able to pick different stitches and try new things.

Second, stitch families give you a chance to find companion stitches. These are stitches that are similar in both construction and shape but differ in size. Tomorrow’s post will look at these in more detail.

Third, stitch families share characteristics when stitched. For example,if you want something that is bumpy for a particular area, think of Cross Stitches; they will all have layers of some sort. If you need a stitch that has a direction that is neither diagonal or straight, look in Diagonal Stitches, that’s where you will find oblique stitches.

The stitch families are not always complete answers for finding a stitch, but most of the stitches you’ll need are in the same stitch family.

Common Stitch Families

• Tent – These stitches go across one canvas intersection. Although you will not find this family in most older stitch dictionaries, the rise of finer mesh and more detailed canvases has created a need for more of these small stitch variations.
• Diagonal – These stitches cross intersections, not threads in either true diagonal or oblique lines. Tent Stitches could be considered a subset of these.
• Straight – These stitches cross horizontal or vertical threads of canvas in straight lines. They do not cross intersections. Bargello is the most popular kind of needlepoint using Straight Stitches.
• Box – These stitches form squares or rectangles when stitched. By extension diagonal versions of these stitches, which share the smallest stitch, are usually classified here.
• Cross – These stitches have one or more parts of the stitch crossing another part of the stitch. This family covers the widest range of stitches, ranging from a tiny Cross Stitch going over one thread, to the very large Hilton Stitches.
• Accent – Another family that isn’t seen in most books, I use this family for those attention-getting stitches that don’t work well when repeated alone across an area. Often these are large stitches that look best by themselves.

If you were thinking about stitches as you went through the list, you probably realized that many stitches can be classified in more than one family. For example Smyrna Cross is both a Cross Stitch (because stitches cross) and a Box Stitch (because it’s square). Where stitches get classified is mostly a matter of custom.

Stitch Families for Woven Stitches

Most woven stitches are Cross Stitches because their stitches cross each other. Some Cross Stitches are:

• Point de Tresse
• all sizes of Herringbone
• Waffle and Norwich
• Woven Cross
• Jessica

Woven Plait is a diagonal stitch. Waffle and Jessica are both Accent Stitches, although I have seen very effective needlepoint using both repeatedly.

The Straight Stitches are:

• Double Linen
• Tiny Lazy Roman
• Straight T

Straight T is also a Darning Pattern.