How to Sew a Ladder Stitch

The ladder stitch is a decorative embroidery stitch with two parallel chains of stitches that look like braids and long, straight stitches in between that look like the rungs of a ladder. The ladder stitch is a fairly complicated embroidery stitch, so it will take some experience to get the ladder stitch looking nice and even, without making the stitches too tight or too loose. You may want to practice on a scrap of fabric first. Read on to learn how to sew a ladder stitch.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Fine tipped marker or chalk
• Ruler
• Embroidery floss
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery hoop
• Scissors

Instructions

Get Ready to Embroider the Ladder Stitch

1. Use the ruler and a fine tipped marker or chalk to draw two straight, parallel lines on the fabric, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. These will be the sides of the ladder.

2. Loosen the screw on the embroidery hoop and remove the inner hoop from the outer hoop.

3. Place the inner hoop under the fabric, around the area at the top of the lines. Place the outer hoop on top of the fabric, fitting it over the inner hoop. Smooth out the fabric, then tighten the screw to hold the embroidery hoop together.

4. Cut a piece of floss about 15 inches long. For a thick embroidery stitch, use all six strands. For narrower embroidery stitches, use two to four strands of floss.

5. Moisten the ends of the floss to hold them together, then insert the floss through the eye of the needle. Pull the end of the floss until the end is several inches below the end of the needle, so that it will stay threaded.

Sew a Ladder Stitch

1. Insert the needle through the underside of the fabric at the top of the left line. Pull the needle until there are about 2 to 3 inches of floss on the underside of the fabric.

2. Poke the needle down through the top of the right line. Pull the needle until the floss rests snugly but gently against the fabric, forming the first ladder rung.

3. Insert the needle through the underside of the fabric at the upper right corner of the line, just above the second stitch. Poke the needle down just below the upper right corner, so that the thread crosses over the end of the ladder rung. Pull the thread until this loop is snug, but not too tight.

4. Insert the needle through the underside of the fabric slightly below the upper left corner, on the other side of the ladder. Carefully bring the needle over the ladder rung and insert the needle under the floss, making a loop. Pull the needle until the loop becomes snug.

5. Bring the needle to the right side of the ladder. Poke the needle underneath the loop and underneath the rung, without putting it through the fabric. Pull the needle until the new ladder rung is snug against the fabric. Poke the needle down through the fabric just below the right side of the second rung.

6. Insert the needle through the underside of the fabric on the left side, just below the second rung. With the needle between the two rungs, poke the needle under the loop and underneath the second rung without putting it through the fabric. Pull the needle until the loop is snug.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 to continue stitching the ladder. When you’ve finished stitching, poke the needle down through the fabric and cut off the extra floss, leaving a tail several inches long to make sure the stitches don’t come out.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to line up your stitches as closely as possible, using the pen or chalk lines as a guide, so that the ladder rungs will come out even.

• Use caution when working with embroidery needles.

Resources

• Video of the ladder stitch
• Photos and diagrams of how to do the ladder stitch