How to Do Chevron Stitch in Embroidery

Chevron stitch is a decorative band of diagonal stitches that zigzag between two parallel lines, with a short straight bar at every point of the zigzag. The bars make it look tidier and more structured than plain zigzags. It is used for borders, hems, the edges of pockets and collars, and is a classic stitch on smocking, where it gathers the pleats into a pattern.

How to do chevron stitch, in short: working from left to right between two lines, make a short straight stitch on the lower line and bring the needle up in its middle. Go diagonally up to the upper line, make a short straight stitch there and come up in its middle. Go diagonally down again and repeat.

Difficulty	Beginner to intermediate
Used for	Borders, hems, collars, smocking, bands on samplers
Thread	2–3 strands of stranded cotton or perle cotton size 8
Needle	Embroidery (crewel) needle, size 7–9
Stitch size	Band 5–10 mm wide; bars 2–4 mm

What You Need

Two parallel guide lines, plus dots along each one at equal intervals for the bars. See our guide to transferring embroidery patterns to fabric.
Fabric in a hoop.
A thread with some body, such as perle cotton, so the bars stand out.

How to Work Chevron Stitch

Bring the needle up on the lower line at the left (A).
Make the first bar: take the needle down a short way to the right on the lower line (B) and come up halfway back between A and B (C).
Go up diagonally to the right and take the needle down on the upper line (D). Come up half a bar’s length to the left (E).
Make the top bar: take the needle down half a bar’s length to the right of D (F) and come up again at D, the middle of the bar, with the thread below the needle.
Go down diagonally to the lower line and make the next bar in the same way.
Continue, alternating between the lines. Every diagonal starts from the middle of a bar.

The movement is easier to see than to read: follow the diagram once with the needle in your hand and the rhythm becomes clear within a few repeats.

Keeping the Band Even

Mark the bars on both lines before you start, at equal spacing, offset so each top bar sits halfway between two bottom bars.
Same bar length on both lines. Short bars give a sharp zigzag; long bars give a more open, ladder-like band.
On curves, space the bars slightly wider on the outer line.

Chevron Stitch Variations

Threaded chevron: a second thread laced through the diagonals without entering the fabric.
Double chevron: two rows interlocked, often in two colours.
Chevron filling: rows worked one above another so the bars meet, filling a shape with a lattice.
Tied chevron: a French knot or small cross on each bar.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Problem	Why it happens	Fix
Bars twist or tilt	Thread on the wrong side of the needle	Keep the working thread below the needle when making top bars and above it for bottom bars.
Uneven zigzag	Bars spaced by eye	Mark equal dots on both lines.
Band narrows	Lines not parallel	Rule both lines, or follow the fabric weave.
Puckering	Diagonals pulled tight	Let the diagonals lie flat; check the hoop.

Chevron Stitch vs Herringbone Stitch vs Feather Stitch

Chevron stitch: diagonals meet at straight bars; neat and structured.
Herringbone stitch: diagonals cross each other at the points; softer and woven-looking.
Feather stitch: open loops either side of a centre line; light and branching.

For an overview of all the basic stitches, see our complete guide to hand embroidery stitches.