Subscriber Bonus: Cuppa Tea Cozy Embroidery Stitches

As a lover of mystery novels I have a special place in my heart for Margaret Stump’s Cuppa Tea Cozy from the 2022 Winter issue. Whenever I open a new mystery and see a thoughtfully drawn map on one of the first few pages, I know I’m in for a good time.

While the embroidery at first glance might seem like a lot, the truth is that Margaret primarly used simple stitches that just about any beginner can pick up easily: straight stitch, running stitch, back stich, and a sort of satin stitch.

Of these 4, the straight stitch is probably the simplest in that it is simply a stitch in a straight line (used in the “windows” of the large house in the photo). You take the needle and starting from the back of the fabric, push it thorugh and pull it out the front. Then at your desired distance later, repeat the process except this time push the needle thorugh the front of the fabric and pull it out the back. The result is one straight stitch (hence the name), and it’s the basis of pretty much every other stitching technique.

The other 3 stitches are almost as easy and are all variations on the straight stitch but have their own peculiarities that are best explained with images. As a bonus for our current subscribers, here are illustrations of the running stitch, back stitch, and satin stitch.