Stitch Leaf: Oyster Stitch

Stitch leaves using the Oyster Stitch.

The Oyster Stitch is great to create an embossed and filled texture. Many of us who have been embroidering, have used the Lazy Daisy to make small leaves. It looks pretty and is easy to work with. The Oyster Stitch is a more ‘luxurious’ version of the Lazy Daisy. Not only does it fill up the centre, but it gives a texture and also adds an ‘oomph’ to the leaves. This pattern is inspired by a certain kind of almond trees which is found around where I stay. The leaves are big and round, and to a certain extent, this pattern resembles the structure of the tree itself. I enjoyed working with the Oyster Stitch to create these leaves. Come and try this pattern with me!

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How to embroider leaves using the Oyster Stitch

Fig 1: Get your fabric, hoops, and threads ready. Create small circles or ovals to depict the leaves.	Fig 2: Start with the topmost leaf to make the Oyster Stitch. Keep the first stitch slightly inside the outline of the leaf.
Fig 3: My original tutorial shows the Oyster Stitch being worked downwards. I prefer doing it upwards, just the way I show here.	Fig 4: You can do the stitch whichever way you find comfortable. Just make sure you begin from a point closer to the stem and work outwards. It maintains the shape of the leaf.
Fig 5: When you take the second stitch through the fabric, cover the little space you had left earlier.	Fig 6: Finish up the stitch. I have used three strands of thread for leaves this thick.
Fig 7: My first leaf is done. You can move to the next leaf now.	Fig 8: I have worked on one set of leaves and it looks gorgeous.
Fig 9: All my leaves are done! Note how embossed they look.	Fig 10: Now, I work the stems using the Whipped Chain Stitch. This is just so that I can get a certain kind of thickness that can match the leaves.
Fig 11: With the stems done, the leaves look like this.

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Tips to make your embroidered leaf beautiful

1. Use the Oyster Stitch for small leaves. This is primarily a motif stitch.
2. Three strands of the thread will give you the right thickness. Thicker threads can be used to make bigger leaves, but it will also make it will also raise its profile. You can use six strands if you want to make the leaves slightly bigger than this.

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Related Projects

Leaf Projects

Flower Projects