How to Stitch a Bullion Knot

A bullion knot are also known as a caterpillar stitch, coil stitch, grub knot, worm stitch, knot stitch and post stitch. This wonderful stitch can provide a decorative aspect to your embroidery or create texture. Grab a few supplies and get ready to add a bullion knot to your current embroidery project.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Fabric
• Tapestry needle
• Thread
• Scissors

1. Thread your tapestry needle and secure the end of the thread with a knot to keep your first stitch in place.
2. Lay the threaded needle on the surface of the fabric. Insert the needle and bring it back up, a short distance to one side of where you inserted it. Do not complete this motion. Your needle should lay inserted into your fabric, with both the tip and the end of the needle visible. The length you make this space will equal the length of the bullion knot.
3. Wrap the working thread around the needle tip end of the needle at least 5 times to form a set of coils.
4. Push the needle through the coils you have made around the needle. Hold the coils firmly against the fabric with your thumb until the coils tighten. Be careful not to complete the motion of bringing the needle out of the fabric.
5. Rotate the needle back as it lies on the fabric back to the original insertion point and insert the tip into that same spot.
6. Pull the thread all the way through until the bullion knot lies flat against the fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrap the thread around the needle more than 10 times to create a long chain of bullion knots.