Satin stitch

Satin stitch in silk. Detail of an altar frontal, France or Italy, 1730–40, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, M.2009.76.

In sewing and embroidery, a satin stitch or damask stitch is a series of flat stitches that are used to completely cover a section of the background fabric.[1] Narrow rows of satin stitch can be executed on a standard sewing machine using a zigzag stitch or a special satin stitch foot.

In order to maintain a smooth edge, shapes can be outlined with back, split or chain stitch before the entire shape including the outline is covered with satin stitch. In traditional practice, satin stitch is employed to fill an area without the presence of an outline, resulting in smooth shapes and even lines created by the stitching.[2]

Machine-made satin stitch is often used to outline and attach appliques to the ground fabric.[3]

  1. ^ Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (March 1992). ISBN 0-89577-059-8, p. 48
  2. ^ "How to Work Satin Stitch in Hand Embroidery". The Spruce Crafts. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  3. ^ Complete Guide to Needlework, p. 196-197