Thorn Stitch

Designer: Sue Spargo

• Perle cotton No. 3
• Milliner's needle No. 1

The thorn stitch is worked by couching a continuous line of working thread.

1.    Bring your needle up at A, the base of where you want the thorn stitches. Insert it back into the fabric at B, the top of where you want the thorn stitches. This is the thread you will couch in place. Bring needle up at C, which is to the left of B and level with it (Diagram 1).

2.    Make a small horizontal stitch from right to left just below the couching thread (Diagram 2).

3.    Insert the needle at D, which is to the right of B and level with it (Diagram 3). Bring the needle up at E, below C.

4.    Continue as before to make another small horizontal stitch from right to left (Diagram 4) and take another diagonal stitch whose top is level with top of previous stitch (Diagram 5).

5.    Continue to couch remaining length of couching thread (Diagram 6).