Pekinese Stitch

The Pekinese stitch. The Pekinese stitch.

The Pekinese stitch is a decorative technique made up of two elements that are combined in order to create a looped effect. It is also known as the interlaced back stitch, but also sometimes as blind stitch.

Firstly a line of long and fairly loose back stitches are worked on the ground material. Then, using a blunt needle, a second thread is laced through the back stitches, going forward two and then back one in order to form a series of small loops. The finished appearance depends upon the size of the loops and the type of threads.

This stitch was frequently used for Han Chinese embroideries from around the beginning of the modern era, but also, much later, elsewhere in the world, including parts of North Africa (notably Tunisia) and in the West.

The Pekinese stitch is also known as the Chinese stitch, blind stitch or the forbidden stitch.

Source: THOMAS, Mary (1934). Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, London: Hodder and Stoughton, pp. 158-159.

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 3 June 2016)

GVE

Last modified on Monday, 30 January 2017 13:47