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Pekinese stitch is a textured embroidery line made in two stages: first sew a row of backstitches, then lace a second thread through them without piercing the fabric. Adjust the stitch spacing, thread, and loop tension to create anything from a fine outline to a bold border or filled area.
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What is Pekinese stitch?
Pekinese stitch is a composite stitch: the backstitches form a foundation, and a second thread interlaces with them to create a row of loops. The Canadian government’s TERMIUM Plus terminology record summarizes it simply: “Pekinese stitch is worked in two stages.” It describes the lacing thread as interlacing the foundation without taking up fabric (TERMIUM Plus).
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It is also called interlaced backstitch. Some references use names such as Chinese stitch, blind stitch, or forbidden stitch, but those alternate names are not consistent across sources.
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What you need
- Fabric and embroidery thread or floss suited to one another.
- A needle suitable for the fabric and thread for the foundation row.
- A blunt-ended tapestry needle for lacing; its tip can slide beneath the backstitches without splitting them.
The foundation and lacing threads can match or contrast. A heavier or contrasting lacing thread makes the loops more prominent. Perle cotton is one demonstrated option, not a required thread type or weight (Pintangle; Textile Research Centre).
How to work Pekinese stitch
- Follow the design line. Mark the line if helpful, then sew a row of backstitches along it. Keep the foundation stitches fairly loose: lacing can tighten the row.
- Bring up the lacing thread. Near one end of the row, bring the second thread to the front. Use the blunt needle to pass through the foundation stitches rather than splitting them.
- Lace through the backstitches. Slide the lacing thread beneath the foundation stitches without taking up any ground fabric. One common sequence passes beneath two foundation stitches, then returns beneath the preceding stitch to form a loop; repeat the forward-and-back movement along the row. Keep the sequence consistent.
- Set the loops gently. Ease each loop into place as you work. Pulling too tightly can distort the foundation row; steady, even tension helps keep the loops regular.
Instructions may describe the starting direction differently because they begin or number the foundation stitches differently. The essential action is to lace under the backstitch row, moving forward and back to form loops. For a visual walkthrough, see the diagrams or photographs in Practical Embroidery and Pintangle.
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How spacing, thread, and tension change the result
- Foundation-stitch spacing: Smaller stitches make denser lacing; wider spacing creates larger loops or more visible gaps.
- Loop size and tension: Consistent, gently set loops create a regular line. Loose or uneven tension changes the loop rhythm, while excessive pulling can draw the foundation row out of shape.
- Thread weight and color: A heavier or contrasting lacing thread emphasizes the texture. Matching threads give a more unified line.
- Placement: The stitch follows curved lines as well as straight ones. A single row can outline a motif or finish a border; several close rows can form a filling.
Pintangle reports rows of Pekinese or Chinese stitch at 30–40 stitches per inch in the context of Chinese silk embroidery. That is a contextual report from the source, not a general setting to use for every project (Pintangle, 2012).
What is known about its history?
References associate Pekinese stitch with Chinese embroidery, but they do not establish a settled origin date. The Royal School of Needlework says the stitch is credited as originating in China and was common there, while noting no evidence for it there before 1900; the Mandarin squares it cites that feature the stitch date from the early twentieth century (Royal School of Needlework). The Textile Research Centre describes its use in Han Chinese embroidery and later in North Africa, including Tunisia, and in the West (Textile Research Centre). These accounts support historical associations and later wider use, not one uncontested account of when or where the stitch began.
Quick Recap
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