Let’s be honest: stitching text can feel a little terrifying—at least it did for me when I first started! One wobbly stitch and suddenly your hope looks more like nope. And don’t get me wrong, even now stitching text can be imperfect and a bit frustrating for me. But by taking the time to slow down and learn some of the how-to’s and the what-not-to-dos, the process of stitching text can feel much more attainable and can allow you to spend more stitching time meditating on the text and not just grumbling over it.
The Do’s
So let’s start with the how-tos of stitching text.
1. Slow Down
Good lettering starts before you ever pick up your needle. One of the biggest mistakes stitchers make is rushing through the tracing step. (Trust me, I’ve been there!) When transferring your pattern, take your time to carefully trace each letter with smooth, steady strokes. Wobbly, rushed lines will lead to wobbly, rushed stitches.
Pay extra attention to curves and connections, especially in script-style fonts, so your letters flow naturally once you start stitching. And when tracing print-style letters, grab a business card and use that to be your baseline so that your lines are perfectly straight.
What is even better than setting the foundation for beautiful stitching? Allowing this to be the first step of meditating on God’s Word in your stitching journey!
2. Keep it Tight
Just like with embroidery in general, it is crucial to keep your fabric tight while stitching. If your fabric is not taut, you will get saggy lines, uneven text, and you will be unhappy with the final outcome. So when tracing, when stitching and when preparing to finish your hoop—keep your fabric tight.
We will touch back on this point in the what-not-to-do section.
(example of saggy fabric!)3. Pick the Right Strands and Stitch
This topic could be its own Abide Guide post, but for now here are a few key tips:
Use the right strand size: The size of your text determines how many strands of floss you should use. The bigger the text, the more strands you’ll need to keep it bold and legible. The smaller the text—you guessed it!—the fewer strands you’ll want to use for clean, crisp lines.
As a general rule, if my lettering takes up a large space in the design, I’ll use four or more strands. If it’s something smaller, like a Bible reference or a delicate detail, I’ll stick to two or three strands for precision.
Use the right stitch: Just as important as strand count is picking the right stitch. Different stitches create different effects, and in addition to that, different floss colors can change the readability. So not only do you need to match your stitch with the design itself, but you need to make the right stitch with the right color.
Personally you will almost always find in my projects that I use a back split text for a script-style font and more often than not a back stitch for a print-style letters. But play around with different stitches for your text. For delicate, small, or script-style text, you can try my go-to’s of back split and back stitch or, for more bold, blocky letters, you can use a satin stitch or chain stitch!
4. Go with the Flow
Think of your needle as your pen: stitch in the same direction you’d write the text by hand. This helps your stitches flow naturally and keeps your letters smooth and readable. For script-style fonts, follow the curves of each letter rather than stitching in choppy sections. A split back stitch or stem stitch works well for this since they create fluid, continuous lines.
5. Mind Your Baseline
Stitching print-style text can feel intimidating because every wobble is noticeable—there’s no room for error! To keep your letters looking crisp and uniform, always start a new letter by bringing your needle up at the baseline of the text.
By consistently pulling your thread in the same direction, you’ll maintain even tension across your stitches, preventing any letters from looking misaligned or shaky.
The Don’ts
Now that we’ve covered the do’s, let’s dive into the don’ts.
1. Don’t adjust your fabric mid-way through stitching text
By now, you know how important it is to keep your fabric taut while tracing, stitching, and finishing your hoop! If you notice any sag in your fabric while stitching, make sure to adjust it before or after you stitch, but never during.
Interrupting your stitching to fix fabric tension will mess with your consistency and ruin your fabric pull, which could throw off the alignment of your text. Keep everything steady, and you’ll avoid uneven text!
2. Don’t speed through the tracing process
I know we’ve already talked about this, but I’ve got to say it again: take your time tracing! Rushing through the tracing phase will lead to wobbly, uneven stitches. Be patient and let the tracing set the foundation of your lettering!
3. Don’t use the wrong needle size
Using the wrong needle size can seriously affect the readability of your text. A needle that’s too large for small floss numbers will leave noticeable holes behind your floss, making your stitches look sloppy. On the other hand, a needle too small for thicker floss can leave you with a bruised finger—less than ideal. Choose a needle size that matches your floss thickness for smooth, neat results! (Want to read more about that? Read our post about needle sizes.)
4. Don’t get overwhelmed
Will your text be perfect the first time you do it? Probably not. Does that matter? No. Because what you just spent hours on was meditating on the Lord and His Word. We aren’t striving for perfection here, but instead an intentional slowing down and meditation.
Will your lettering improve? Absolutely! I’ve been stitching for over a decade and it wasn’t until I started Abide Embroidery Co. four years ago—intentionally stitching text on every project—that I really saw my lettering skills grow. With practice, you’ll get there too!
Final Word
Phew! I know this was a lot but I also know that stitching text is what often holds people back from starting an embroidery project. With a little patience, the right techniques, and some practice, you'll quickly realize that you can easily stitch text too!
So, take it slow, keep your fabric tight, choose your stitches wisely, and—most importantly—enjoy the process!
