Pattern Darning is Quick and Easy

See that diamond-patterned border in the photo below? It looks intricate, but here’s the lovely secret — it’s nothing more than running stitch in different lengths. That’s it. If you’ve ever sewn a simple in-and-out stitch, you already have the skill you need.

Pattern darning (known as Smoyg in Norway, where it originated) uses these simple running stitches to build up repeating patterns. It’s an easy way to add a decorative border or personal flair to your stitching, without having to master anything complicated.

Harvest Time coaster with pattern darning border

By the end of this tutorial you’ll have a finished diamond border around the Harvest Time coaster — a real, complete piece you can use or give as a gift. I’ll walk you through it row by row, with a diagram beside each step so you always know exactly where you are.

The project uses my free blackwork pattern for the central area. I’d recommend stitching that first — on that page I share my coloured arrow system for working the fill pattern reversibly, and it’ll give you confidence before you add the border.

If you’d rather stitch the whole design in one go, grab the full pattern below.

Once you’ve finished and feel the rhythm of the stitch, you might enjoy my Japanese lady blackwork pattern — pattern darning is used in both her clothing and hair, so you’ll already know the technique.

Harvest Time Pattern Darning Tutorial

I worked the pattern darning in my sample with space-dyed thread. You may prefer to use 2 strands of embroidery floss.

How to Stitch Pattern Darning

There are only five rows to learn, and rows 4 and 5 are repeats — so really it’s just three different instructions. On the chart and the diagram below, I’ve added arrows to show you which direction to stitch each row. Follow the arrows and you can’t go wrong.

The stitch used for pattern darning is a basic running stitch. The chart shows how many fabric threads to work over if you are using 28 count evenweave. If you are using Aida, two fabric threads equals one block.

Row One
Start at point 1 on the chart and work down a vertical row, going over two fabric threads and under 4.

Row Two
Starting at the bottom, work up the next row going over 6 threads and under 6.

Row Three
Working from the top down, make your stitches over 10 threads and under 2.

Row Four
Follow the instructions for row 2.

Row Five
Repeat row 1.

Stitch direction diagram for the darning border

The green stitches on the diagram represent partial stitches — shorter stitches at the edges that fill out to the border line. Just make them as long as they need to be to reach the outer edge. They don’t have to be perfect; they’re there to tidy things up, not to be measured precisely.

That’s all there is to it — five rows, and you’ve got a beautiful diamond border. Once you’re comfortable with this arrangement, try changing the stitch lengths to create stripes, squares, or wavy lines. The same simple technique opens up dozens of patterns.

You’ve Got the Technique — Keep Going