50 essential stitches to explore – curated by the prestigious embroidery institution: The Royal School of Needlework (RSN).
Perfect for quick reference, daily practice, and embroidery on the go. This innovative deck of cards distills centuries of tradition into 50 practical and modern cards.
Whether you have extensive embroidery experience and are looking for new ideas, or are a beginner who wants to work on a few stitches at a time without carrying a whole book, this versatile deck of cards is perfect as a gift for yourself or someone you know, both for guidance and inspiration. The box contains:
-
50 colourful cards, each featuring an embroidery stitch presented on its own page. The 50 stitches have been carefully selected to provide a broad and varied collection. On the front of each card (85 x 140 mm) you will find a colour photograph of the finished stitch, along with any alternative names and historical usage. When you are ready to start embroidering, simply turn the card over to find clear illustrations and step-by-step, written instructions.
-
A 16-page booklet filled with basic embroidery knowledge, as well as a brief historical overview of RSN's rich history.
Embroidery is a living art form. The goal of the RSN Stitch Bank is to ensure that hand embroidery is not only preserved but thrives into the future, allowing us to create new and modern works built on hundreds of years of experience.
The content of the card deck is expertly curated by the Royal School of Needlework, the world's foremost experts in embroidery, and supports RSN's groundbreaking online Stitch Bank. The RSN Stitch Bank was launched in September 2021 with the first 150 stitches, as part of the opening of RSN's 150th anniversary. New stitches are regularly added, and RSN collaborates with partners worldwide to include stitches from various traditions. The Stitch Bank now contains more than 500 stitches across 28 disciplines – from crewel embroidery to whitework.
The cards feature these stitches:
- Arrowhead stitch
- Back stitch
- Blanket stitch
- Brick shading
- Bullion knot
- Buttonhole stitch
- Cable stitch
- Chain stitch
- Cloud filling stitch
- Coral stitch
- Couched herringbone stitch
- Couching
- Cretan stitch (closed)
- Cretan stitch (open)
- Cross bar filling trellis
- Cross bar with link trellis
- Crossed buttonhole stitch
- Darning stitch
- Detached chain stitch
- Detached wheatear stitch
- Dot stitch
- Double buttonhole stitch
- Double herringbone stitch
- Feather stitch
- Fern stitch
- Fly stitch
- Fly stitch filling
- French knot
- Herringbone stitch
- Leaf stitch (surface)
- Long-tailed daisy stitch
- Loop stitch
- Pekinese stitch
- Pistil stitch
- Quaker stitch
- Raised fishbone stitch
- Running stitch
- Satin stitch
- Seeding stitch
- Single feather stitch
- Slanted satin stitch
- Star eyelet stitch
- Stem stitch
- Tête de boeuf stitch
- Thorn stitch
- Trellis
- Whipped back stitch
- Whipped chain stitch
- Whipped running stitch
- Whipped stem stitch






