How to Make a French Knot for Needlepoint

French knots can be used to secured beads and sequins to a project.

French knots add texture and dimension to a needlepoint project. The knots are used for details such as the centers of flowers, eyes, animal fur or wool. The French knot is also referred to as the wound knot, twisted knot or French dot in various needlepoint patterns. The stitch is used with embroidery floss and satin ribbon for embroidery projects. Read through the instructions a couple of times before your first attempt at making a french knot on your needlepoint project for a better understanding of the process.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery hoop
• Floss
• Embroidery needle

Instructions

1. Set the project, secured in an embroidery hoop, on a work surface or your lap. Hold the threaded needle in your right hand.

2. Grasp the embroidery floss with your left hand a few inches from the fabric surface above the area where the last needlepoint stitch was made. Hold it taut above the fabric.

3. Set the needle against the front of the taut embroidery floss.

4. Keep the floss taut as you wrap the embroidery floss around the needle with your left hand one or two times. The second wrap will add height and a greater dimension to the French knot. Don't move your right hand or the needle. You should only use your left hand during this wrapping portion of the technique.

5. Keep the floss taut with your left hand. With your right hand, insert the needle tip down into the fabric next to the last stitch taken. Make sure that you do not insert the needle into the tiny hole in the fabric from the last stitch or both of the stitches will pull out.

6. Pull down on the taut embroidery floss in your left hand to pull the wrapped floss down the needle toward the fabric. Gently ease the needle down part of the way through the fabric to secure the knot mass against the cloth.

7. Hold the embroidery floss taut with the left hand and push the needle all the way down through the weave in the fabric with your right hand. The needle can also be pushed through the cloth on a horizontal line, to come out on the top of the fabric surface where the next stitch is to be made. The finished result should be a small knot that will lie on top of the fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are left handed simply switch the instructions for each of your hands. The left hand will work the needle as the right hand keeps the floss taut.

References

• Stitch With the Embroiderer's Guild: French Knots
• Sublime Stitching; Le French Knot; Jenny Hart; 2000