How-to's

Learn the stitch
from our hands
to yours.

Video lessons

Watch, pause,
stitch along.

Tap any video to play. Use Space to pause and ← → to nudge back or forward five seconds while it's focused.

Lesson 01 1:14

Starting your thread

  1. Bring the needle up from the back, leaving a tail about two fingers long hanging loose underneath.
  2. Pinch that tail flat against the back of the cloth and hold it there with your non-stitching hand.
  3. Work your first few stitches directly over the tail so each one binds it down a little tighter.
  4. Give the thread a gentle tug. If nothing shifts, it's anchored — trim the tail close and carry on.

Lesson 02 0:42

Finishing off cleanly

  1. When roughly four inches of floss remain, take the needle through to the back.
  2. Slide it under three or four finished stitches, travelling sideways rather than through the cloth itself.
  3. Draw the thread all the way through until it lies flat against the stitching.
  4. Snip the tail flush. No knot, no bump, nothing to catch when the piece is worn or washed.

Lesson 03 1:12

How to remove waste canvas

  1. Trim the surplus canvas back to a small margin around the embroidery. Stay well clear of the stitches themselves.
  2. Take hold of one canvas thread at the cut edge and ease it free, drawing it straight out along its own length rather than at an angle.
  3. Clear every thread running in one direction first, then turn the piece and work through the ones crossing them.
  4. Keep going until nothing remains underneath. What's left is your tatreez sitting directly on the fabric.