Let me be very clear, I LOVE a basketweave stitch. I would say that 95% of the time I use a basic tent stitch to complete my projects. But every once in a while, I want to mix things up and do a fun background stitch. Picking a new stitch can be overwhelming to say the least, there are thousands of options and there are several variables to thinking about – is the stitch high coverage or not? Does this pattern work with how I plan to finish it? Will this stitch work when I have a busy canvas?

So, to start below are my top 5 favorite background stitches for beginners. These are my go-to stitches for when I want to add a bit of texture, but I am not trying to get crazy.

BRICK OR GIANT BRICK STITCH

This is a super simple stitch that be used for any type of background. I stitch a lot of canvases that have an open background and then a fun saying in the middle, and this makes the background stitching flyyy by! It’s super versatile and you can be stitched large, small, horizontal or vertical! It also works with just about any thread which is a bonus.

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*If you like this stitch and want to kick it up a notch, try a double brick stitch!

MOSAIC

Another great background stitch, but more importantly this stitch is perfect for small/hard to stitch areas. So, if you have a canvas with a lot letters and an open background this might be perfect for you! The stitches work to create a square shape that gives off a sort of architectural affect.

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*If you like this stitch but want to switch things up, try stitching it at a diagonal

PARISIAN

Yet another great background stitch that works well in small areas. The Parisian stitch works well with almost any thread and is an excellent background stitch for both small and large canvases.

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NOBUKO

This is one of the first stitches I experimented with. I actually took a beginner’s class at my LNS – Nashville Needleworks, in which we learned this stitch. It’s another great one if you are just trying to experiment with a new stitch to add background texture to your canvas.

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BYZANTINE

This stitch is perfect for large background areas in which you are looking for high coverage (aka you don’t want to see the canvas). It also creates a beautiful stair-like effect that adds a nice bit of depth to a canvas. I would not recommend using this in small areas as it loses its affect a bit.

There are several variations of this stitch, but Byzantine #1 is the stitch I am referring to in the charts below.

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