This starfish is stitched with the open fishbone stitch.
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-LaCbhOQmjxg/TYtro2J0uxI/AAAAAAAACXs/7rvejKZYF2g/s400/ofs%2B1.jpg)
Yes, you guessed it, the open fishbone stitch is the latest stitch on my
100 Stitches list. On this border, you may also recognize the
running stitch and
french knots:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-ap6Ul8QC37w/TYtrpiqjXcI/AAAAAAAACX0/RvbCvt0bWcs/s400/ofs%2B2.jpg)
This is an extremely easy to learn stitch. It is a lot like the
fishbone stitch but even a bit simpler! To demonstrate this stitch, I am using quilter's weight cotton and pearl cotton floss, dmc #798:
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-3WuPGqRej6A/TYt3gGrcHqI/AAAAAAAACX8/OxZ8c43RePg/s400/ofs%2B3.jpg)
100 Stitches suggests that this stitch may be used to fill any open shape. I drew a shape and added a dotted reference line down the middle:
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-PCApDKhhl_8/TYuGwvnW2OI/AAAAAAAACYE/Am04OOt0DwU/s400/ofs%2B4.jpg)
Start the stitch by coming up through the fabric on the left hand side of the dotted reference line:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-jU1oNsXY2_E/TYuHqFaC1rI/AAAAAAAACYM/xFsftjR8CJA/s400/ofs%2B5.jpg)
Now go back into the fabric at a slant from where your floss first emerged:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-FpgyV49G7Ns/TYuH9OJmkBI/AAAAAAAACYU/yMeCa5Lihf8/s400/ofs%2B6.jpg)
Pull all the way through:
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Wu8uNKLmW8/TYuJvBFc5CI/AAAAAAAACYc/wslyM1yGf34/s400/ofs%2B7.jpg)
Come back up through the fabric on the opposite side of your shape:
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2F6YuM6qYs/TYuKEEsH3oI/AAAAAAAACYk/sRMO7NloST4/s400/ofs%2B8.jpg)
and go back into the fabric on the right hand side of the guideline, and a bit below the point where your floss first emerged:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-tZiFIY4pqlY/TYuKfak97QI/AAAAAAAACYs/MJNDgiAOgR0/s400/ofs%2B9.jpg)
Pull through to form the stitch:
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkyQdPK9de0/TYuK08dBecI/AAAAAAAACY0/s8Nb4pmmtjE/s400/ofs%2B10.jpg)
Then just like the very first step, come up through the fabric on the left hand side of the guide line:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcsKIk-g-00/TYuLLQZVHBI/AAAAAAAACY8/kEgTnXPBlBE/s400/ofs%2B11.jpg)
and then back into the fabric:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-MTkvjDPR968/TYuL10e2HFI/AAAAAAAACZE/Ev6bxj_wlI0/s400/ofs%2B12.jpg)
forming another slanting stitch:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-kAe2L8xrI1I/TYuMIhnrykI/AAAAAAAACZM/JNSQOTxcE4I/s400/ofs%2B13.jpg)
back up through the fabric:
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-R6H5tdudb9g/TYuM0O2wgRI/AAAAAAAACZk/KjSQIQ6bdYk/s400/ofs%2B14.jpg)
pull all the way through and go back into the fabric on the right hand side of the guideline:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpS-YFhBprw/TYuMm9UrrlI/AAAAAAAACZU/5gLgH-l7llQ/s400/ofs%2B15.jpg)
and pull all the way through:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-2drPvNaF45I/TYuMnZHJERI/AAAAAAAACZc/T_WblhxdxW4/s400/ofs%2B16.jpg)
continue in the same way:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XohbNA5V8Q/TYuNoCF1VtI/AAAAAAAACZs/jSQCAC932og/s400/ofs%2B17.jpg)
Until the shape is filled:
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3nWBvDT2Ok/TYuNo-8FrPI/AAAAAAAACZ0/AgiRtl_Zfx8/s400/ofs%2B19.jpg)
This is an easy stitch and it gives a beautiful result:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yu16h_Xr5zE/TYuNsDHlsDI/AAAAAAAACZ8/iK9K6Hocg3A/s400/ofs%2B20.jpg)
especially with my washable marking pen lines erased:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-89ij7vcNo6M/TYuSAnGbeaI/AAAAAAAACaM/9Vr3ajrik9Q/s400/ofs%2B22.jpg)
Looks pretty good on the underside of the fabric too!
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-CJ4-6qTuvPc/TYuSAfs1X6I/AAAAAAAACaE/XjV93Yv5LSw/s400/ofs%2B21.jpg)
This stitch is stitch #12 and is listed in the flat stitches section of 100 Stitches.