How to Make a Hawaiian Chicken Foot Stitch

Try a Hawaiian chicken foot stitch in your next quilting and embroidery project.

You can embellish quilted accessories with just a little knowledge of embroidery stitches. The Hawaiian chicken foot stitch, in its simplicity of a three-stitch pattern, is ideal for beginners. The traditional Hawaiian quilt showcases the chicken foot stitched design. The Hawaiian chicken foot stitch has a three-clawed, v-shaped foot with the middle claw slightly longer than the other two claws. You can stitch this design around any applique quilt piece or other accessory you choose.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Embroidery Hoop
• Embroidery Floss
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Place the fabric in the hoop. Push threaded needle up through the back of the fabric at the left top point of the v-shape of the foot. Pull the needle up through the fabric to the front.

2. Push the needle down through the fabric at the bottom center of the v-shape. Pull the needle through the back of the fabric.

3. Push the needle up through the top center of the middle claw, or slightly above the center point between the two sides of the top of the v. This forms a longer claw in the center of the foot. Pull the needle up through the front of the fabric.

4. Push the needle down through the fabric at the bottom center of the v. All stitches going through the bottom of the v-shape will be stitched through the same needle hole for a uniform look. Pull the needle through the back of the fabric.

5. Push the needle up through the fabric at the top right point of the v. Pull the needle through to the front of the fabric.

6. Place the needle down through the bottom center of the v once more. Pull the needle through to the back of the fabric. Tie off and cut embroidery floss or continue with a row of Hawaiian chicken feet before tying off and cutting the embroidery floss.

References

• Hawaiian Quilting: Weekly Picture Page
• Rittenhouse Needlepoint: Stitch of the Week: Crow's Feet