If you want to add texture and dimension to your embroidery projects, the turkey work stitch is a great technique to master. This beginner’s guide will give you all the tips and tricks you need to create stunning embroidery designs using the turkey work stitch.
When I first tried to embroider fringing, I couldn’t find a clear enough video or guide that was slow enough to grasp. So here I’ve put together a simple video guide and an illustrated step-by-step, demonstrating how I work turkey stitch into paper.
Watch the video to get the overall idea, and then follow the illustrated guide on the back of the envelope, page of an old book, or piece of paper you don’t need. There is a beginner activity at the bottom of this post!
This turkey stitch, often referred to as turkey stitch or turkey loop stitch in embroidery, is loops made with embroidery and then cut to make the fringing.
Turkey Stitch Embroidery Video
Turkey Stitch Step-By-Step Guide
1. Pierce through the back of your paper through the centre (A).
Make a loop with your finger and hold, then stitch down C to secure.
2. Next, still holding the loop, come up B and down A. (See below.)
3. Come back up hole B, make a loop with your finger and hold, then stitch down D.
4. Next, still holding the loop, come up C and go down B to secure (see below.)
5. Come up hole C, make a loop with your finger and hold, then stitch down F.
6. Next, still holding the loop, come up D and go down C to secure (see below.)
7. Continue in the same pattern as illustrated above until you reach the end of your line.
8. At the end of your line, you need to work two stitches as above, E to D, then F to E.
9. Lastly, cut along all the loops to make the fringing. Trim to make it neat.
Turkey Stitch Project – Make Your Art From An Old Book Page
Have a go at this simple project to master turkey stitch and create a fun piece of book art simultaneously!
1. Choose a page to upcycle from an old book.
2. Draw a straight line and draw spots along it with a biro or pen evenly spaced apart. How far apart you put them depends on the weight of the wool you use.
3. Work the looped turkey stitches across your line using the video and illustrated instructions above. Choose how long you want your loops to be depending on how long you want your fringing. If you hold your loops down on the page, as shown above, that is roughly how long you need the fringe cutting.
Above are rows of straight fringing, all 1.5cm (0.75 inches) long.
4. It’s also fun to vary the length of the stitches and the shape. One way of doing this is by changing the length of the loops as you work the turkey stitch or by shaping with scissors after you have cut the loops.
5. Treat the fringing as if creating a highlighting line to show a particular line or paragraph in the book. Below, I’ve highlighted some sentences beginning with ”pink,” ”Pink Favourite,” and ”Pink Parfait,” but you could highlight a favourite quote or text.
6. Play with different colours and different weights of wool for a unique piece.
Embroidery Kits Using Turkey Work Stitch
Owl Embroidery – Perfect turkey work stitch by making huge Seventies style fringed eyes on this beautiful paper owl.
More Stitch Tutorials
Master a Rose Stitch
Learn the simplicity of Backstitch
Explore the contemporary craft of Embroidering On Paper
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Contempfleury
Contempfleury is the studio of artist Leah Nikolaou. Trained in Constructed Textiles at The Royal College Of Art in London, Leah has a wide collection of embroidery stitched into paper. Be inspired by her pressed flower art collection, which showcases her hand embroidery skills.
