Embroidery stitches
Niku-ire-nui is a Japanese embroidery technique that creates a raised look by the use of a cotton padding. Generally called the padded satin stitch.
Nui-kiri is the Japanese term for a free-style embroidery technique that is being used for smaller designs, such as petals or leaves.
The open chain stitch is a form of chain stitch, but with a wide, ladder-like loop, rather than the normal oval shaped one. It is also known as the ladder stitch, Roman chain stitch, or the square chain stitch.
The open Cretan stitch is closely related to the feather stitch, and is worked with the needle at right angles to the line of the embroidery.
The open fishbone stitch is often used to fill a leaf or shape. It is very similar to the fishbone stitch, but there is a gap between the individual elements of the stitch.
With the outline stitch, the thread is taken forward on the surface of the cloth, then taken to the back and moved backwards and up again next to the thread on the surface.
An overcast bar is a technique whereby a stitched bar is created between two woven areas of cloth. This is done after a section (or group) of the ground threads has been removed (as happens in drawn thread work and cutwork).
The overcast stitch is a basic technique that can be worked in several ways. The simplest form is where an outline is drawn on the ground material and then small, simple stitches (the overcast stitches) are worked over and under the line, picking up the smallest amount of ground material as possible and making sure that the stitches lie vertically next to each other in order to create a slightly raised line.
The padded blanket stitch (or padded buttonhole stitch) is a composite stitch made up of a series of randomly placed filling stitches, which are then covered with either buttonhole stitches or blanket stitches. If the buttonhole stitches are placed close together this may be called a padded buttonhole stitch. If they are widely spaced then it may be known as a padded blanket stitch.
The padded satin stitch is a form of satin stitch, whereby the stitches are used to cover a number of small, isolated straight stitches in the design area. This technique gives a raised effect. The padded satin stitch is also called the raised satin stitch.
Sometimes a padding (or padded) stitch is required in order to give a little modelling and 3-dimensional effect. The effect can be created by working a stitch, such as a chain stitch, running stitch or satin stitch, in the desired part of the design and then covering these 'padding' stitches with a second stitch, such as a satin stitch or stem stitch.