Whipped Backstitch is one of my favorite stitches. It’s easy to do and it makes smooth rounded shapes. Not many stitches in needlepoint can do that. You can use it to outline round shapes (like the bubbles in Wicked, above).
But where it really shines is to make letters. I used it for the letters in Happy Spring, above. Mary Corbet is doing a series on lettering right now and has a detailed tutorial on whipped backstitch on her blog, Needle n’Thread.
Remember when using this tutorial that Mary is doing embroidery on fabric, not on canvas. To adapt this stitch to needlepoint, make sure your Backstitches go over at least two threads as much as possible. This makes a very blocky line, usually not pretty at all, but trust me, everything smooths out once you whip the stitches.
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
Wow! Thanks so much for the information on whipped backstitches. I love the Easter Bunny one. It looks really good.
Check out our Easter Bunny Letters