100 Stitches - Stem Stitch

The next stitch I have been working on is the stem stitch (stitch #1). This is actually the first stitch that the book 100 Stitches profiles but it isn't a stitch I have had a lot of experience with. In fact, I wasn't exactly sure how to do it before I read this book! It is very easy and a really quick stitch to do.
The floss I used for this stitch is perle cotton - this is DMC color number 3325.

I am going to draw a straight stitching line to practice the stitch along:

This stitch will be worked from left to right along this line:

 The first step is to come up through the fabric at the left end of the stitching line:

Pull the thread all the way through:

Go back into the fabric right alongside but below the stitching line at a slight angle to the line, just a small distance to the right of where the floss first emerged.  Bring the tip of the needle back out of the fabric right alongside and above the stitching line:

Pull all the way through:

Repeat for the next stitch - into and out of the fabric:

pulling all the way through:

until you have stitched along the entire line.  To end the stitch, I just went back into the fabric:

 and secured my floss underneath:

A beautiful and simple stitch:

This is stitch number one on the list of 100 Stitches and is from the Flat Stitches category.