Chicken Scratch Embroidery

“Chicken scratch” embroidery is a lacy-like embroidery technique worked on gingham. Chicken Scratch Embroidery is known by many other names including Chinese Pinwheel, Tic Tac Toe Embroidery, Hoover Star, Mountain Lace, Norwegian Embroidery, Amish Embroidery, Snowflake Embroidery, Depression Lace or Gingham Lace. Chicken Scratch Embroidery uses the Smyrna or Double Cross Stitch and other woven embroidery stitches and is often confused with the more complex embroidery style known as Teneriffe Lace because of the needleweaving employed in both techniques. Teneriff embroidery is much more complicated, with more involved needleweaving than Chicken Scratch. Chicken Scratch Embroidery is traditionally done on gingham fabric.

Although its origin is uncertain, it probably dates back to early America, and spread across America as the settlers moved westward. Hence, the many different names. A combination of simple embroidery stitches and a basic needleweaving stitch, when worked on gingham fabric, results in a beautiful lace effect that looks like it took hours to accomplish. When worked on the evenweaves, it takes on the appearance of an intricate blackwork. Whatever you may call it, we are delighted to help revive the easy method of making this layered lace work on gingham we call Chicken Scratch.

It involves only about three or four types of stitches - the running stitch, the cross stitch, the double cross stitch, and (if you want to consider it a separate stitch), the threaded running stitch.

FABRIC
Chicken Scratch is usually worked on gingham check in order to give it the lacy appearance which has made it so popular. Any of the woven or printed ginghams can be used for working Chicken Scratch. When working with most of the 1/8 inch and 1/16 inch ginghams, all that I have found are rectangles and not squares.

HOOP/FRAME
Work all of the design using a wooden scroll frame or a plastic embroidery hoop with the fabric pulled taut. (Be careful when stretching the fabric in the hoop, as the thinner cotton blends will distort if pulled too tightly and leave a hoop mark.)

NEEDLE
A #24 tapestry needle or a #7 or 8 crewel needle may be used.

FLOSS
DMC Article 117 six strand embroidery floss is used throughout, except where specified, but you may use Susan Bates floss, or Coats and Clark floss, or any thread that gives you the proper weight needed for the size check on which you are working.