Chicken Scratch Embroidery is a vintage hand embroidery technique that was historically used to add detail, patterning, and decoration to gingham fabric, which is always the base cloth. The effect is almost a lace-like overlay and adds a rich texture to the cloth’s surface. Chicken Scratch is easy to learn, and meditative to stitch, using the natural grid of gingham check fabric to create the stitch patterning. In this workshop, Blair will cover a variety of the basic stitches that make up this type of embroidery, her favorite supplies, and tips for successful stitching, and also share a bit of the history through the vintage embroidery pieces in her collection.
Date
Thursday, July 9th, 2026
Time
12:00-2:30 pm ET
Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class
Cost
$75
Recording
All World Embroidery Series sessions will be recorded. A link to each recording will be emailed to all registrants following the live session. Each link is live for three months after the live session.
Class Materials:
- One fat quarter (approx. 18” x 21”) of gingham fabric. The gingham squares should measure 1⁄4” each, a standard gingham size.
- A few different colors of 6-strand embroidery floss.
- An embroidery hoop measuring 6” or 8”.
- A fabric marking pen (Blair uses a Frixion pen)
- Size 5 embroidery needle or similar size (any embroidery needle that will hold 3 strands of the 6 strand embroidery floss will work)
- Thread snips or scissors.
About the World Embroidery Series
TATTER’s World Embroidery Series is a celebration of global embroidery craft. Sewists will encounter an astonishing array of culturally specific techniques, and will have the opportunity to learn from accomplished practicing teachers who are equally purposed in preserving heritage techniques.
Our Teacher
After a full corporate career in apparel design and merchandising, Blair Stocker continues to use textiles of all kinds in her scrappy, modern quilts. Inventor of the Ruby Ruler®️, she is the author of two books on quilting and crafting under her brand, Wise Craft. A move from Seattle, Washington to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2020 left her with no studio space to quilt in, and that is when she discovered and fell down the rabbit hole of the world of chicken scratch embroidery.
These days she quilts during the day, and can usually be found hand stitching in the evenings.
Blair’s first book on Chicken Scratch embroidery will be published in late 2026.
Find her online at wisecrafthandmade.com