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« Knot Know-How Tutorial | Main
Friday
20Jul2007

Drawing with French Knots

French knots are a basic element of embroidery that can be strung together to make lines and shapes, or they can make a field of polka dots. Try our pattern for Connect the Dot Pillows to see how pretty these simple knots can be!

Here's how to make a French knot: 

1. Thread the embroidery needle.

2. Bring the needle up through the fabric to the front. Wrap the thread around the needle three or four times. Keep a tight grip on the thread as you wrap it.

 dotpill17.jpg

3. Push the needle down through the fabric just next to where it came out, holding the thread tight in your fingers.  Pull the needle through the knot to the back of the fabric. 

dotpill16.jpg

Reader Comments (12)

The tight grip on the thread does help prevent the knot from forming far away from the fabric. I also found it helps to slide the knot down to the tip of the needle just as you are pushing the needle through the fabric. Additionally, if you tilt the needle so it is almost parallel to the fabric, then you can press the knot and thread into place as you draw the extra thread through the fabric. The photos illustrate this nicely :) Thanks for the tutorial!
July 20, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAmy
IT WORKED!! It really worked. I have tried so many tutorials before and got nowhere. I even used to cheat and use bullion knots to get round this, er, knotty problem. Thanks guys :)
July 29, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterQalballah
thanks for this tutorial!, finally i can do that point, thanks!
August 2, 2007 | Unregistered Commentercarmen
thankyou.
success. at. last.

ps. may i just add that although you show it in your excellent photos, it may help other pea-brains, like myself, to say that you wind the thread around the needle starting from the bit coming out of the fabric (rather than from the needle end).
August 25, 2007 | Unregistered Commenterhazeljoy
I am making a chenille duck for my one year old granddaughter. I needed to know how to make a french knot. I googled french knot and came to your website. The instructions were easy to find and easy to do. Thank you! I have added you to my favorites!
August 26, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterBecky Max
I was just going to give up on french knots until I found your tutorial. Many thanks! I'm putting them everywhere now :)
January 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSophia
thanks for the tutorial. this is the best one that i have found.
April 20, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterrhapsdyblue
Thanks! Needed a visual on this to finish a project tonight - hooray - yours is hands down the best tutorial online. Thanks again! Lizabeth www(dot)sparkbark(dot)com
November 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLizabeth
Thank you!
December 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSheri
Thank you so much - I was cheating using small seed stitches, but now I can make the centers of my flowers look super cute! I've been trying to learn this for such a long time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
December 27, 2008 | Unregistered Commenteramanda
i was making a small project for my fiancee who is going overseas within the next month. he'll be gone for 2 years and i wanted to send him with something to have from home. thanks so much for all the help. you helped make the project perfect. :)
August 5, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterkayleigh
Hazeljoy thank you for your comment... that helped me a ton! I'm a pea-brain!

Thank for the great tutorial!
September 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterNicole Angeline

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