Until recently I didn’t realise that this was a proper stitch with a proper name. I thought this was the result of when my French knots went horrendously wrong. Another name for pistil stitch is elongated French knot which describes perfectly how you create this stitch. If you are familiar with French knots then the only difference is the point at which you take the needle back down through the fabric.

• Bring the needle up through the fabric at the point you want the long tail of your stitch to finish (A)

• Wrap the thread around the needle 3 or 4 times

• Put the tip of the needle through the fabric where you want the knot part of the stitch to lie (B)

• Gently pull the needle through the wraps, hold your thumb over them to keep them in place if needed

When I created my daffodil pattern I wanted a bit of extra texture at the centre of the trumpet to represent the stamen and pistil stitch was the perfect stitch for this detail.

Enjoyed this blog post? I share embroidery tips and a free embroidery pattern in my monthly newsletter. Sign up here to receive the newsletter on the 1st of each the month.