Also known as Astrakhan, Berlin plush, plush, raised, rug and tassel stitch.

The stitch produces a surface which looks like carpet pile. A softwool thread or multiple strands of fine wool provide the best results. But interesting results can be obtained using stranded cottons, rayons, silks, etc. (see finished flower).

This graphic is shown to understand the following:

This stitch can be used on canvas or cloth. When used on canvas, the work is over a single intersection.

When worked on cloth, which should be of a coarse enough nature to easily count threads, one can go over two threads.

First, a diagonal stitch is worked.

Come up at 1, down at 2.

Come up at 3, leave a loop, down at 4.

Come up at 5 and create another diagonal stitch by going down at 6.

Come up at 7 to begin the next Velvet stitch.

The illustration at left shows the working of the stitch. Note the diagonal "cross" stitches created which hold (lock) the stitch in place.

Stitch illustration at left from Mary Thomas's original Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches.

At left is embroidery in crewel and stranded cottons on Austrlian doctor's flannel. This is a readily counted wool ground.

The yellow flower centers are worked in velvet stitch using three strands of floss over two threads of the ground