How to sew a blanket stitch: steps for beginners

A blanket stitch edge goes wrong in predictable places: the first stitch that has nothing to hook onto, the corner that leaves a bare triangle, and the join where a new thread breaks the loop line. The repeating stitch itself is easy once the working thread sits behind the needle tip. Hold the edge toward you, work left to right and mark your dots before you start. The stitch then looks the same on felt ornaments, wool coasters and fleece throws. Two felt scraps and a skein of floss are enough to practice both single-layer and two-layer edges.

A blanket stitch catches a loop of thread on the very edge of the fabric with every stitch. The loops build a continuous line along the edge, while straight "legs" reach into the fabric at regular intervals. That edge line is what separates it from a plain wrap, and it slows fraying on felt, fleece and wool.

Supplies for a neat blanket stitch edge

You need a hand-sewing needle with an eye large enough for your thread, a thread that contrasts with the fabric, sharp scissors and a way to mark evenly spaced dots. Felt is the easiest practice fabric because it does not fray and the stitches sit clearly on its surface.

Embroidery floss has six strands. Use all six for a bold border on felt, or separate out three for ornaments and appliqué. On fleece, many sewists switch to worsted weight (#4 medium) yarn.

Marking the dots and holding the fabric

An even edge depends on stitch depth, stitch spacing and a steady hand position. A classic setup is 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep with stitches 1/4 inch apart, worked left to right with the raw edge toward you and the front of the fabric facing you, the position used for every step that follows.

• Mark the stitch line. Draw a light line 1/4 inch from the edge, then add a dot every 1/4 inch along it. Matching depth and spacing gives the traditional square look.
• Cut a manageable length. Work with about 18 inches (45 cm) of thread. Longer strands tangle and fray.
• Travel left to right. DMC's stitch diagrams show the stitch worked left to right, and that is the direction used here. Left-handed stitchers often prefer right to left; the motion is mirrored, and the finished edge looks the same.

For two layers, line up the edges and hold them with pins or clips so the layers cannot shift while you stitch.

How to sew a blanket stitch, step by step

With the edge toward you and working left to right, the blanket stitch repeats one motion: the needle goes in from the front at the next dot, comes out past the edge, and passes over the working thread before you pull. The first steps anchor the row; steps 4 to 6 then repeat to the end.

1. Bring the needle up at the first dot. On a single layer, come up from the back so the knot stays behind. On two layers, start between them: bring the needle out through the front layer only, so the knot is trapped inside.
2. Wrap the edge once. Take the thread down over the edge, around to the back, and bring the needle up through the same dot again. You now have a straight stitch wrapping the edge.
3. Lock the anchor. Slide the needle from left to right under that wrap stitch at the edge, without piercing the fabric, and pull snug. The thread now leaves the edge heading right.
4. Insert the needle at the next dot. Move 1/4 inch to the right. From the front, push the needle straight through the fabric (both layers, if you have two) at the dot, and bring its tip down past the edge, pointing toward you.
5. Catch the working thread. The working thread runs from the previous stitch along the edge. Lay it to the right and behind the needle tip, so the needle sits in front of the thread and passes through the loop it forms.
6. Pull through and set the tension. Draw the needle toward you until the loop closes onto the edge and the new leg stands straight up from it. Keep it snug but not tight: the fabric should stay flat, not ripple.
7. Repeat at each dot. Repeat steps 4 to 6 along the edge.

How to turn a corner without a gap

A blanket stitch corner uses three stitches that share one hole, fanning out like the spokes of a wheel. The shared point sits 1/4 inch in from both edges, so the corner looks as full as the straight sides instead of leaving a bare triangle of fabric.

1. Mark the corner point, then make a normal stitch into it. Its leg is perpendicular to the edge you are working on.
2. Insert the needle into the same point again, this time angled diagonally toward the corner tip, with the thread behind the needle. Pull through so the loop sits on the corner itself.
3. Rotate the work a quarter turn so the new edge is toward you. Insert the needle into the same point a third time, perpendicular to the new edge, thread behind the tip, and pull through.
4. Continue along the new side at your usual spacing.

Joining new thread and finishing the edge

When about 5 inches (13 cm) of thread remain, stop and secure it rather than stretching it to the last stitch. A short tail is hard to knot, and the join should leave no visible break in the loop line running along the edge of the fabric.

To end a thread mid-row:

• On a single layer, take the needle to the back, tie a small knot close to the fabric and slide the tail under the backs of three or four stitches before trimming.
• On two layers, knot the thread close to the fabric, push the needle between the layers and bring it out about 1 inch (2.5 cm) away, then trim it flush so the tail disappears inside.

To start the new thread, knot it and bring it up from the back (or from between the layers) so it emerges right where the last loop meets the edge, passing under that loop. From there, carry on with step 4.

To close a full loop on a shape you stitch all the way around, such as a pillow, pouch or ornament, finish where the last stitch meets the anchor. Pass the needle under the anchor stitch at the edge, knot around the anchor and bury the tail. On an open edge, such as the end of a blanket hem, make a small tack stitch over the last loop on the outer edge so it cannot slide off, then knot on the back.

Reading your edge: what each flaw means

You can read most problems straight off the finished stitches. A slanted wrap points to the needle path, uneven legs to the marking, ripples to tension and a bare corner to the corner method, so the fix usually applies to the next stitch rather than a restart. Check the edge after every inch or so.

• Slanted wraps with no loop line. The needle missed the working thread in step 5. Keep the thread behind the needle tip every time.
• Uneven or leaning legs. You drifted off the marked line or inserted the needle at an angle instead of perpendicular to the edge.
• Puckered or rippled fabric. You pulled too hard. The loop should rest on the edge, not dig into it.
• Gaps at the corners. Only one stitch went into the corner point. Use the three-stitch fan described above.

Adapting the stitch to felt, fleece and appliqué

The motion stays the same on every fabric; what changes is the stitch size, the thread and how you prepare the edge. Felt takes a small, crisp stitch in floss, fleece needs a larger stitch in yarn, and woven cotton needs a finished edge before you stitch over it.

• Thick fleece. Deeper, wider stitches look more proportionate, such as 1/2 inch (13 mm) deep and 1/2 inch apart, worked in yarn with a chenille needle.
• Woven fabrics that fray. Blanket stitch slows fraying on woven cotton but does not stop it alone. Turn under a narrow hem or finish the raw edge before you stitch over it.
• Appliqué. A small blanket stitch in matching floss holds a fused appliqué shape in place and covers its raw edge, a classic look on quilts and tote bags.

The Embroiderers' Guild of America offers free projects and beginner resources, and the American Sewing Guild lists local chapters where you can learn hand techniques alongside other sewists.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between blanket stitch and buttonhole stitch?

Many references, including DMC's stitch diagrams, treat them as the same stitch worked at different densities: blanket stitch is spaced out, while buttonhole stitch is packed tightly with no fabric showing between the legs. Some embroidery sources describe a traditional buttonhole stitch with an extra knot at the edge.

Does blanket stitch work on stretchy knit fabric?

It works well on fleece and sweatshirt knit, which do not fray. On thin, stretchy jersey, the stitches tend to stretch the edge into waves. Keep the tension loose, avoid pulling the fabric as you stitch, and test a few inches on a scrap before you commit to a whole edge.

How much yarn do you need to blanket stitch a fleece throw?

Each stitch uses thread for two legs (front and back) plus the loop along the edge, so with depth equal to spacing you use roughly three times the edge length, plus extra for the fabric thickness, knots and joins. Measure the perimeter, multiply by about four as a working estimate, and buy one extra ball or skein in the same dye lot.

Can you blanket stitch a no-sew fleece blanket?

Yes. A no-sew blanket usually joins two fleece layers with tied fringe, but you can skip the fringe and finish the edge with blanket stitch in yarn instead. Fleece does not fray, so the raw edge needs no hem. Work through both layers with a chenille needle.

Can you blanket stitch on a sewing machine?

Many computerized machines include a blanket stitch, often labeled as an appliqué or decorative stitch, and some mechanical models have one as well. The machine version is narrower and uses regular sewing thread, so it suits appliqué edges more than thick yarn borders on fleece.

Mark the depth and spacing before you start, keep the working thread behind the needle tip on every stitch, and give each corner its three-stitch fan. Edge one 4 x 6 inch felt rectangle on its own to practice a single layer, then join two rectangles with the stitch to practice the layered version. When both look even, move on to a small project that uses the stitch for real, such as a felt ornament, a set of wool coasters or the edge of a fleece throw worked in yarn at 1/2 inch spacing. After that, a whipstitch for closing seams is the natural next stitch to learn.