Fly Stitch Embroidery: Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners

Learn how to do fly stitch with this easy step-by-step embroidery tutorial. Fly stitch is a beginner-friendly hand embroidery stitch that creates decorative V-shaped or Y-shaped stitches. It can be worked individually, joined together, or used as a filling stitch to create leaves, branches, flowers, borders, grass, coral, and textured embroidery designs.

What Is Fly Stitch Embroidery?

Sometimes referred to as the open loop stitch, fly stitch is a decorative stitch made from open loops that resemble a Y or V shape. It can be stitched individually or joined together to form larger motifs. It can also be worked vertically, horizontally, or in alternating rows for different decorative effects.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create the stitch in four easy steps.

How to Do Fly Stitch, Step-by-Step

Supplies

Here is what you need for fly embroidery:

• Fabric: Use any fabric with an open weave such as linen, Aida cloth, or calico. I used unbleached calico for these samples.
• Needle: A hand embroidery needle with a large eye suitable for thicker embroidery threads.
• Thread: Embroidery floss works best. Use all 6 strands for bold stitching or separate strands for finer work.
• Hoop: An embroidery hoop keeps the fabric taut and helps prevent puckering.

1. Prepare Your Fabric

Mark your design with a removable fabric pen or tailor’s chalk. For practice, you can draw guidelines with a pencil. If you stitch carefully over the lines, they will not be visible in the finished embroidery.

2. Bring the Needle Up

Prepare your embroidery hoop and thread your needle. Next, bring the needle up from underneath the fabric at point (1). Then, secure your thread with a knot or by taping the ends underneath the fabric.

3. Insert the Needle Down and Up

Insert the needle at point (2), directly opposite point (1). Then, bring the needle back up at point (3), located between points (1) and (2) and slightly forward.

Make sure the working thread sits underneath the needle as it emerges. This creates the characteristic V shape of the fly stitch.

4. Create the Fly Stitch Tail

Complete the stitch by making a small straight stitch at point (4). The placement of point (4) determines the final appearance:

• Place it close to point (3) for a V-shaped stitch.
• Place it farther away for a more pronounced Y shape.

This completes one fly stitch.

You can leave fly stitches as individual decorative elements or join them together to create leaves, coral-like textures, and borders.

Fly Stitch Variations

One of the best things about fly stitch embroidery is how many different effects can be created simply by changing the size, direction, and spacing.

• Adjusting the Size: Change the width and length of the stitch to create different looks. You can also lengthen or shorten the tail for additional variation.
• Changing Position: Fly stitch makes an attractive filler pattern when worked in alternating rows. Stitch one row upright and the next row upside down to create a geometric effect.

Vertical

Work along a marked line and join the tails together as you stitch. This creates a continuous vertical line of fly stitches.

Horizontal

Fly stitch can also be joined horizontally. Simply follow a guideline and connect each stitch across the top of the V shape to form a decorative border.

Leaf

Joined fly stitches make beautiful embroidered leaves. The center straight stitches resemble leaf veins, while varying the size of each fly stitch creates a natural leaf shape.

Here’s how to do it: start with small stitches, and gradually increase their size toward the center. Then, decrease them again toward the tip. Adjusting stitch density can create different leaf styles and textures.

Fly Stitch Embroidery Tips

• Maintain Even Tension: Pull the thread gently so the loop forms neatly without puckering the fabric. Using an embroidery hoop helps keep the fabric stable and makes it easier to achieve consistent stitch placement.
• Catch the Thread Correctly: When bringing the needle up at point (3), make sure the working thread sits underneath the needle. Missing this step prevents the characteristic V or Y shape from forming properly.
• Practice Different Sizes and Spacing: Experiment with varying the width, length, and spacing of your stitches. Larger and smaller stitches can create different decorative effects, while even spacing helps joined stitches look neat and professional.

What Can You Use Fly Stitch For?

Fly stitch is commonly used for:

• embroidered leaves
• flower stems
• grasses
• coral
• seaweed
• feathers
• branches
• borders
• decorative filler stitches
• textured backgrounds

Fly Stitch FAQs

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In Conclusion

Fly stitch embroidery is a simple yet versatile stitch that can be used for everything from delicate decorative details to bold filler designs. Once you master the basic Y-shaped stitch, you can experiment with different sizes, directions, and arrangements to create leaves, borders, and textured embroidery effects.

More Embroidery Stitches

• Feather Stitch
• Fern Stitch
• Fishbone Stitch
• Herringbone Stitch
• Lazy Daisy
• Satin Stitch