Feather Stitch Embroidery: Straight, Even Lines

Feather stitch is a line of open loops worked alternately to the left and right of a centre line. Each loop holds the one before it, so the line branches like a feather or a sprig of greenery. It is also called briar stitch, a name from crazy quilting, where it is used along seams. The movement is the same as fly stitch, just without the tie-down. Feather stitch is quick once the rhythm clicks; the usual difficulty is keeping the line straight and the two sides the same width.

How to do feather stitch, in short: work open loops that alternate from one side of a centre line to the other. Each stitch goes in level with the last one, comes out lower down towards the centre with the thread under the needle, and the next stitch is made on the opposite side.

Feather stitch embroidery diagram: open loops alternating left and right down a centre line, with the thread under the needle — Feather stitch: open loops alternate from side to side, each one holding the previous loop.

Difficulty	Beginner to intermediate
Used for	Borders, stems, foliage, seaweed, sprigs, decorating seams
Thread	2–3 strands of stranded cotton; perle cotton for borders and seams
Needle	Embroidery (crewel) needle; a chenille needle for perle cotton
Stitch size	Arms about 4–6 mm long; the same distance down the line between stitches

What You Need

Guide lines. Draw a centre line and one line on each side of it, a few millimetres away. The needle goes in on the outer lines and comes out on the centre line. This is the single best way to keep feather stitch even.
Fabric in a hoop. Each loop is held only by the next one, so the fabric must stay still while you pull.
A thread that shows texture. Two or three strands give a light, airy line. Perle cotton gives a bold, crisp border.

How to Work Feather Stitch

Bring the needle up at the top of the centre line (A).
Take the needle down on the right-hand line (B), level with A, and bring the tip up on the centre line a little lower (C). Loop the thread under the needle tip and pull through until the loop lies open. This is the first stitch.
Make the left stitch: take the needle down on the left-hand line, level with C, and bring it up on the centre line a little lower again. Loop the thread under the tip and pull through.
Make the right stitch in the same way: down on the right-hand line level with the last exit point, up on the centre line lower down, thread under the tip.
Keep alternating left and right down the line, moving down the same distance each time.
Finish by taking the needle down just below the last loop with a tiny stitch to hold it.

Slant the needle so it points towards the centre line, not straight down. The angle of the needle sets the angle of the arms.

Variations and Curves

Double feather stitch. Make two stitches to one side, each a little further out, then two to the other. The line becomes wider and more branched, good for foliage.
Single-sided feather stitch. All stitches to one side give a line of small hooks, useful along a stem or edge.
Closed feather stitch. The arms touch, forming a ladder-like band; good for borders.
Curves. Keep the guide lines parallel along the curve and make the stitches on the inside of the curve slightly shorter than those on the outside.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Problem	Why it happens	Fix
The line drifts or wanders	No guide lines, so exit points move off the centre	Draw three parallel lines and come out exactly on the centre one each time.
One side is wider than the other	Arms on one side are taken further out	Insert the needle on the outer guide lines, both sides the same distance from the centre.
Loops close into flat lines	The thread is pulled too tight	Pull only until the loop sits against the needle exit point and stays open.
A stitch collapses or pulls the previous loop out of shape	The thread was not under the needle tip	Check the loop is under the tip before pulling every time.
Stitches bunch up or spread out	The step down the line changes	Mark the centre line with dots at even intervals.
The last loop pulls open	The line was not finished with a holding stitch	End with a small stitch over the last loop, as in chain stitch.

Where to Use Feather Stitch

Borders. A straight or wavy feather stitch line frames a hoop design or decorates a hem.
Foliage and sprigs. Short lines of double feather stitch look like small branches; add French knots as berries.
Seaweed and underwater plants. Curving lines with irregular arms.
Seams in crazy quilting. The traditional use: it covers a seam and decorates it at the same time.
Garlands and wreaths. Feather stitch worked around a circle gives a quick evergreen wreath.

Feather Stitch vs Fly Stitch vs Fern Stitch

Fly stitch: one open V tied down with a small stitch. Stacked, it makes symmetrical leaves and branches. Feather stitch alternates the loops instead and needs no tie-down.
Fern stitch: groups of three straight stitches from one point. It looks similar from a distance but is made of separate stitches rather than loops, so it is flatter and more regular.
Chain stitch: also linked loops, but closed and in a single line. Use it for solid lines and feather stitch for branching ones.

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