11 Textural 3D Embroidery Stitches You Might Not Know & How to Create Them
- Melissa Galbraith
- Jul 15
- 9 min read
You don't need AI to create 3D stitches. Hand embroidery has been far ahead of the curve creating textural and sculptural effects with thread way before AI was ever invented or even thought up. This is often referred to as raised stitching or stumpwork embroidery.
Creating 3D stitches can be a little tricky, but once you practice and get the hang of them, they're a great way to add depth and dimension to any design. Try out these stitches with the tutorials below and leave a comment sharing which ones you're excited to try first.
3D Embroidery Stitches
Cast On Stitch
The cast on stitch is similar to the bullion knot in that it creates a raised knot on the front of the fabric. The cast on stitch, however, is more rectangular in shape and has a different texture in the stitch.
Start by bringing the needle up from the back of the fabric to the front.
Choose the length of the cast on stitch you wish to create and bring the needle back down through the fabric. Before pushing to needle all the way through the fabric, bring it back up next to where the thread is coming out of the fabric.
With the needle in the fabric, create the cast on stitch onto the tip of the needle. Do this by crossing the thread over itself in your fingers, then sliding the needle inside the loop. Gently tug the loop so that it casts onto the needle.
Continue casting stitches on the needle until the stitches are the length of the space you wish to fill.
Next, pinch the cast on stitches to hold them in place and gently tug the needle and thread.
Pull the threaded needle until the cast on stitches lay flush with the fabric.
To finish this stitch, bring the needle back down through the fabric where the cast on stitch stated.
This creates one cast on stitch. Â
Detached Buttonhole Bar Stitch
This stitch creates a textural tube that can have a bit of fluff sticking out at the top.
Start by placing a sewing pin into the front of the fabric. The pin should go into the fabric at the top of the stitch and out of the fabric at the base of the stitch.
Next use the inside color of thread. Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric next to the base of the needle.
Wrap the thread around the top of the sewing pin and then bring the needle back into the fabric on the other side of the pin. Repeat 2-3 times. The more wraps the more filled in and thicker the detached buttonhole bar will be.
Knot the thread on the back of the fabric once the wraps are made.
Then thread the needle with the second color of thread.
Bring the needle up through the fabric at the base of the wraps, next to the sewing pin.
Now create the buttonhole bar stitch over the thread wraps.
Hold the thread towards the top of the wraps. On the opposite side of the thread coming out of the fabric, slide the eye of the needle underneath the thread wrapped around the pin and over the working thread. Tug tightly. Then repeat, working down the wrapped thread.
Slide the needle underneath the wrapped thread, over the working thread. These stitches should be close together so that they cover the wrapped thread. Continue until the wrapped thread is covered.
Then bring the thread to the back of the fabric and knot it off.
Finally, remove the sewing pin. You can leave the loop at the top of the detached buttonhole bar or cut them so they are fluffy. This creates one detached buttonhole bar stitch.
Drizzle Stitch
The drizzle stitch creates a packed row of twisted stitches that sticks out from the fabric.
To start, bring the needle up through the fabric at the base of the drizzle stitch.
Next, unthread the needle and stitch the needle tip into the fabric next to where the thread is coming out of the fabric.
Now cast stitches onto the needle. Do this by creating a crossed loop with the thread and pulling it tightly around the needle. Cast on the desired number of stitches to the needle- the more stitches cast on, the taller the drizzle stitch will be.
Next, thread the needle with the loose end of thread.
With the needle threaded, gently pull the needle through the fabric.
Knot the thread on the back of the fabric, creating a single drizzle stitch.Â
Needle Weaving Bar
This stitch creates a raised bar that sits away from the fabric.
To begin, bring the needle up through the fabric at the bottom of the bar.
Make a long straight stitch to the top of the bar.
Leave a small space next to the stitch that was just made and make another, so that there are two long parallel straight stitches.
At the bottom of the bar, bring the needle up through the fabric between the two parallel stitches.
Weave the needle from inside the two stitches and around the right straight stitch.
Next, bring the needle back through the parallel stitches and weave the needle around the left stitch.
Repeat weaving until the entire bar is filled.
At the top of the bar, complete the last weave stitch and bring the needle back through the fabric between the parallel stitches.
Peking Knot
The peking knot creates a loop on the front of the fabric.
Bring the needle up at the base of the knot.
Then cross the thread over itself to create a loop. The working thread should be on the back of the loop.
Cinch the loop down towards the fabric, creating the size loop you want for this stitch.
Once you have the size loop you want, create a short stitch over the crossed thread. Be sure to NOT go back down in the same spot, otherwise the loop won't stay. This creates one Peking knot.
Raised Cup
The raised cup stitch is a 3D embroidery stitch that is worked on the front of the fabric and creates a raised circular outline.
To start the raised cup stitch, outline the circle with the back stitch. These stitches should be short because they're the base and anchor of the raised cup stitch.
Next, bring the needle up on the outside of the circle, parallel to the last back stitch created.
Working from the inside of the circle, slide the needle underneath the back stitch and wrap the working thread around the needle, going over and under it.
Then pull the needle through and tug the wrap flush with the fabric.
Move on to the next back stitch and work all the way around the circle.
To add the next row of the raised cup, slide the needle underneath the bar of thread between the two knot wraps, then wrap the thread around the needle as before.
Continue working around the circle adding as many rows as you'd like.
To finish the raised cup stitch, create the last stitch in the circle, then bring the needle back down through the fabric on the inside of the circle, next to the last stitch.
Rhodes Stitch
The Rhodes stitch is an overlapping stitch that creates a raised center.
To start, make a straight stitch across the center of the shape.
Next, bring the needle up next to the start of the first stitch.
Then stitch across the straight line, bringing the needle down on the other side of the stitch.
Continue stitching from one side of the shape to the other, overlapping the stitches until the shape is filled.
Ribbed Spider Web Stitch
The ribbed spider web stitch is a woven stitch that creates a circle of raised lines on the front of the fabric.
Start by making an uneven number of straight stitches that start at the outer edge of the circle and end in the center point. These are the spokes.
Next, bring the needle up near the center point in between the spokes.
Now slide the needle underneath the closest spoke. Gently pull the thread underneath.
Lay the thread across the spoke that the needle just slid under and then slide the needle underneath it and the next spoke, so that the working thread wraps around the straight stitch.
Repeat this all the way around the circle until it is filled in.
End the stitch by bringing the needle down through the fabric as you wrap around the last spoke.
Spiral Trellis Stitch
The spiral trellis is a 3D embroidery stitch that creates a raised dome on the front of the fabric.
Start by outlining the circle with the back stitch. These stitches should be short, because they’re the anchors and base of the spiral trellis.
Next, bring the needle up parallel to the middle of the last back stitch made, on the inside of the circle.
From the inside of the circle, slide the needle underneath the back stitch.
With the needle under the back stitch, slide the working thread around the needle counterclockwise.
Then continue pushing the needle out from underneath the back stitch. Gently tug so that the thread knot is flush with the back stitch and pulled towards the inside of the circle.
Repeat going all the way around the circle.
After the first row is stitched, add the second.
These stitches are made by sliding the needle underneath the loop of thread between the thread knots in each row.
Keep working around the circle until it is entirely filled in.
To end this stitch, bring the needle down through the fabric in the middle of the circle.Â
Tassel Stitch
The tassel stitch creates a raised tuft of thread on the front of the fabric similar to a flower bud.
To start, make the tassel. Cut an arm’s length of thread. Fold the trad in half, then half again and again until the fold thread is about 1 inch in length.
Then thread a needle with the thread that will tac the tassel onto the fabric.
Hold the 1 inch long folded thread on the front of the fabric.
Bring the needle up front the back of the fabric just below the middle of the tassel thread.
Make a short stitch over the tassel thread, tacking it to the front of the fabric.
Next, fold the two ends of the tassel towards together towards the top of the tassel.
Then use the thread to make a stitch across the folded thread about ¼ inch from the bottom center.
Use stab stitches to tac the rest of the base of the tassel into place.
Once secured to the fabric, use satin stitches to cover up the base of the tassel. Start at one side and make a stitch across to the other side, repeating until the entire tassel base is covered.
Knot the covering thread on the back of the fabric.
Now trim the tassel ends to your desired length.
Woven Picot Stitch
The woven picot stitch creates a three-dimensional triangle on the front of the fabric. The triangle is attached at the base and pops away from the fabric at the top.
Start by placing a long pin into the fabric at the top point of the triangle and bringing it up through the fabric at the bottom center of the triangle.
Next, bring the needle up through the fabric in a bottom corner of the triangle.
Wrap the thread around the top of the pin and bring the needle back down through the fabric in the other bottom corner of the triangle. Gently tug the thread so that it is flush with the fabric. This will outline the triangle with thread.
Next, bring the needle up through the fabric next to the pin, in the bottom center of the triangle.
Again, wrap the thread around the top of the pin. This will look like a line coming up the center of the triangle.
Now that the outline of the woven picot is complete, it’s time to weave!
Flip the needle around and work with the eye of the needle. Glide the needle over, under, and over the three strands of the triangle in the opposite direction the thread is from the top of the pin.
After weaving the needle through, gently tug so that the thread is close to the top of the triangle.
Now weave back through the strands in the opposite direction, going under, over, under the three strands of thread.
Continue weaving until the triangle is entirely filled and the rows are tightly packed against each other.
End the woven picot stitch by finishing a woven row and then bringing the needle back down through the fabric at the base of the triangle.
Knot the thread on the back and then remove the pin to see the woven picot stitch pop away from the fabric.
More Texture, More 3D Stitching
Play around with texture and pattern in my first embroidery book How to Embroider with Texture and Pattern: 20 Hand Embroidery Designs that Celebrate Pattern, Color, and Pop-Up Stitching or delve even further into 3D embroidery with third book 3D Botanical Embroidery and Stumpwork.