Stem stitch is a useful stitch for creating a decorative line and, as the name implies, is good for sewing the stem of flowers and plants!
There are a couple of ways of sewing this stitch, depending on personal preference. I have shown both ways below.
Firstly, sew an initial stitch, binding in the tail of thread at the back (as shown on the 'getting started' page).
Next, insert the needle from the back of the fabric about halfway along the first stitch, as shown in the picture below. Pull the thread through (catching in the tail at the back to keep the work tidy and secure). Push needle back down through the fabric a little way past your first stitch and bring it back up where the first stitch ends (as shown in the picture below). Make sure that you always keep the thread down, crossing over the previous stitch. The needle should always come up on the same side of the thread each time. This will make the pattern of the stem stitch sit correctly.
Pull the thread through so that it looks like the picture below each time and the pattern will sit correctly.
Continue to repeat the previous steps until your line is complete.
The alternative way of completing this stitch pattern is shown below. After completing an initial single stitch and securing the tail at the back, bring the needle up through the fabric from the back a little way past your first stitch. Push the needle back down through the fabric about halfway along your first stitch. Pull the thread through (catching in the tail at the back to keep your work neat and secure). Repeat this action by pushing your needle up through the fabric from the back a little way past your previous stitch, as shown in the picture below.
Push the needle back down through the fabric at the point where the stitch before last ends, as shown below. Make sure that as you do this you always keep to the same side of the previous stitch. You can see from the picture below that I have pushed the needle in to the left of the previous stitch so the thread is always crossing in the same direction. It doesn't matter which side you choose, as long as you keep to the same side for the whole line of stitching.
Repeat this pattern of stitching until you reach the end of your line. This line can be straight or curved depending on your pattern.