Woven Herringbone Border: Step-by-Step Embroidery Tutorial

Today we're creating a quick and simple border pattern that's perfect for adding a touch of handmade charm to your projects. I'm folding the edges of the fabric about one inch inwards and pressing it with an iron to create a clean and finished edge. Then I'm using my plastic cross stitch mesh to mark dots on the folded edges. The mesh makes it easy to space the dots evenly. I'm using my white erasable pen to mark two lines of dots creating a triangle shape. If you don't have a mesh you can also use a ruler to mark dots with two centimeter gaps. Now let's prepare our thread. I'm using light beige floss for the herringbone stitch. I'll be separating my floss using four strands. Now let's start stitching the herringbone stitch. I'm starting from the folded back side of the fabric. Bring your needle up through the fabric at the top left dot. I've attached half of my eight inch square hoop to the fabric, making sure it's taut and wrinkle free. Then I'll secure the hoop onto my hoop stand. This will make stitching much easier and more comfortable. Then insert your needle diagonally down at the bottom right dot. Just keep repeating this to create a zigzag pattern, guiding yourself with the dots we marked earlier. Work from left to right. Once I've finished the herringbone stitch I'm threading my tapestry needle with the light orange floss. Tapestry needles have a blunt tip making them perfect for weaving because they won't snag or split the threads. I'm going to start weaving through the herringbone stitches, creating a circular pattern around each cross or X of the herringbone stitch. Before I move to the next X, I'm adding a small bead to the center of each woven circle. This adds a lovely touch of sparkle and detail to the border. Simply thread a bead onto your needle before completing the weave around each X. I'll continue weaving around each X, adding beads and securing the thread with a knot at the end. Repeat this process until you reach the end of the herringbone stitch border. I love how the weaving and beads create such a unique and eye-catching design. This border is perfect for embellishing the edges of garments such as sleeves, necklines or hems. You can also use it to decorate accessories like bags or scarves or even home decor items like cushions or tablecloths. Get creative and experiment with different color combinations, thread types and bead choices to create your own unique designs. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you did, be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to Handyworks for more stitching inspiration. Happy crafting!