How to do the Cast On Stitch
The Cast On Stitch is a dimensional stitch, commonly used in dimensional embroidery forms. It touches the fabric on both ends and stands free in the middle. This property makes it easy to able to shape the stitch as per the requirement of the project.
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| Fig 1: Bring the needle out from one location. Go in a little back and come out from the first location, as shown. | Fig 2: Place the thread over your finger. |
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| Fig 3: Twist the thread with your finger. | Fig 4: This creates a twisted loop. |
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| Fig 5: Take it closer to the tip of the needle. Touch the tip of the needle lightly with your index finger and slip the loop onto the needle. | Fig 6: Pull the loop towards the base. |
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| Fig 7: Keep making more loops in the same way and build up the wraps on the needle. | Fig 8: The wraps should be at least as much as the space created by the needle. |
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| Fig 9: Now, hold the wraps between your fingers and pull out the needle completely. | Fig 10: As you keep pulling the thread, direct it towards the other stitch point. (This is similar to the technique used to make Bullion Knots). |
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| Fig 11: Take the needle in through the point closer to the earlier stitch point to finish the stitch. | Fig 12: The Cast On Stitch looks like this. Since the wraps are slightly more than the space created by the needle, it takes on a gentle curve. The more the wraps, as against the stitch space made, the sharper the curve will be. |
Learn to do Cast On Stitch in 2 minutes!
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Sarah has been researching and sharing hand embroidery lessons for over 17 years, making it accessible to everyone around the globe.
Hi. Sarah’s.
Si sorry I have been v v busy with a lot of work. Now mco again.
Nice work of your. It very interesting to sew it. You are amazing with you work.
Thank you
Ms. Khoo hooi bin.
I hope all is fine there, Ms. Khoo hooi bin. Happy that you are back!
Thanks for the reminder of this stitch, Sarah. I haven’t used it for a long time.
❤️
Thanks for the quick reply. I’ll try manipulating the threads in the future. I’m usually using Perl cotton size 8, so it’s big enough to move around.
I have used Perle cotton 8= equivalent to three strands of embroidery floss. 🙂
My cast on stitches always want to curl. They rarely sit flat on the underneath thread. Would being left handed cause that?
Hi Penny,
It is not uncommon for the stitch to curl. Some stitchers use this nature of the stitch to their advantage.
The kind of thread used and the length of the stitch could matter. What I have figured is that if your thread is thin, or you are using fewer strands as against the length of the stitch, it might have a tendency to curl. Try using 6 strands, then try with 5 and then 4….and see if it makes any difference. Also, the longer the stitch, the more the chances of it twisting.
I don’t think being a left-hander would cause it. Mine almost always has a slight twist. If you check Fig11, it is kind of curling, but I just nudged the ‘knots’ to one side with my fingers and straightened it in Fig12. 😀
hello, maybe it also help. Try leaving thread upside down.