Weaving the Woven Wheel Stitch
Table of Contents
Here’s an embroidery stitch that will take you around in circles. It’s woven more than it is stitched and it one of the easiest ways to add some ‘plumpness’ to your embroidery project. It’s a popular stitch for creating round flowers that stand out.
Tips for the Woven Wheel
I’ll start with a couple of quick tips.
- Use at least 6 strands for the woven wheel. If you use less it won’t be as plump and it will take you twice as long to finish your stitch.
- There's a lot of weaving and very little moving in and out of your fabric so it's okay to use a bit longer thread than you normally use for other stitches. Still, keep the length manageable so you don't end up with a tangled mess.
Step One: Make a “pie”
- Draw a circle template and divide it into 5 pieces like a pie.
- "Cut up your pie" with straight stitches which should go from the center to the circle. A straight stitch is essentially a line that goes from A to B.
Step Two: Weaving
- Bring your needle up near the center. It doesn't matter which section you start in.
- Then just start weaving over and under each of those 5.
- Continue weaving around and around until you've completely covered your template. Use the blunt end of your needle to weave if your needle catches on the thread.
If you see that you're running out of thread:
- End your stitch after you've gone over a line, then push your needle to the back just before the next line.
- Come up on the other side of that line with your new thread and continue weaving.
Step Three: Finish
- When you reach the outer edge make sure you've covered the tips of the 5 stitches that are holding your weave in place.
- You can add a few stitches around the woven to cover them if you’d like.
- Finish off your woven wheel stitch by pushing your needle to the back and fluff them up a bit with your needle.
Adding Leaves
If you’re using the woven wheel to create a flower and want to add some leaves, use a stitch such as the satin stitch. Super simple and super cute!
More Woven Wheel Tips
- Take your time (I think I say this for all embroidery stitches but it makes a difference)
- Don't pull your thread too tightly as you weave. It shouldn't be too loose either. I sometimes hold my finger on top of the stitch as I pull the thread around to make sure I don't accidentally pull too hard. You'll see me do that in the video tutorial.
- Use your fingers to nudge your thread in place as you work.
- You can use more than one color. Try making the center one color and finish it off with another.
Woven Wheel Video