A bullion knot is a long, coiled stitch that sits up off the fabric like a tiny caterpillar. It looks hard. It is mostly patience. Cutesy Crafts walks through two straight practice knots and then uses the same move to build a small lavender bullion rose, so you learn the stitch and get a flower out of it.
How to do a bullion knot: the short version
- Come up at the start of your line and go down at the end, leaving a loop.
- Bring the needle back up at the start, halfway through.
- Wrap the thread around the needle until the coil matches the line.
- Pinch the wraps and pull the needle through.
- Lay the coil down and anchor it at the end.
Why the needle matters so much
A regular embroidery needle has an eye wider than its shaft. That bump has to squeeze through every wrap, and it drags the coil apart. A milliner needle (sometimes sold as a straw needle) is the same width from end to end, so it slides out of the wraps cleanly. It is also long, which gives you room for 15 or 20 wraps. You can practice with what you have, but buy a pack of milliners before you start a real project.
Thread and fabric
Cotton floss is the easy choice. Use all six strands for fat, bold knots like the ones in the video, or split it to two or three strands for fine, delicate work. Floss that is too thick for the needle is the most common reason a knot jams. A firm, tightly woven fabric in a hoop helps too. Keep the fabric drum tight so the wraps have something to push against.
How many wraps?
There is no magic number. Wrap until the coil, pushed snug against the fabric, is the same length as the gap between your two holes. Too few wraps and the thread shows between the coils. Too many and the knot humps up and curls. Add two or three extra wraps on purpose when you want a curved knot, as you do for the outer petals of a rose.
Ways to use bullion knots
- Roses: a center knot with curved bullions spiraling around it. See the full embroidered rose tutorial.
- Lavender buds and wheat heads, stacked in pairs up a stem. Try embroidered lavender.
- Tiny caterpillars, fur on animals, or a textured border on a hoop gift.
- Raised lettering on a baby blanket or tea towel.
Common mistakes
- The needle will not come out. The wraps are too tight or the eye is too big. Loosen the wraps a touch and switch to a milliner needle.
- A loose, messy coil. Hold the wraps between thumb and finger the whole time you pull, and pull in the direction the knot will lie.
- Thread showing at the ends. Add a wrap or two, or shorten the gap.
- A twisted floss. Let the needle hang and spin free now and then.
Bullions sit well next to other raised stitches. Learn the French knot for the rose center, and if you are starting a new piece, see how to transfer an embroidery pattern onto fabric first.
