How to do the Sprat’s Head Stitch - Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials

About the Sprat’s Head Stitch

The Sprat’s Head Stitch probably, derives its name from its resemblance to the Sprat Fish’s head, an interesting name to have in the Fishbone Stitch Family. This stitch is decorative and can be used creatively as isolated stitches to texture or fill an area. It is also used effectively as a visible mending stitch to cover holes in fabric and leather. The technique is similar to the Raised Fishbone Stitch but takes on a different effect due to the triangular shape.

How to do the Sprat’s Head Stitch


Fig 1: Start from one corner of the triangle. Go in through the next corner and pluck a bit of fabric at the corner, as shown.	Fig 2: Come back down to the third corner. Then, come up very close to the stitch made on the first corner. Keep the stitch points on the outlines.

Fig 3: Again, go back in and out under the earlier stitch in the second corner.	Fig 4: Again, into the third corner, at a point close to the earlier stitch, and on the stitch line. Continue with this process. The needle should always pass through the outline of the triangle.

Fig 5: When the entire space is covered, pass your final stitch through the fabric on the triangle’s base.	Fig 6: Your finished triangle will look like this.