Byzantine Stitch

The Byzantine Stitch is similar to a staircase or Moorish stitch, in that it is worked diagonally in steps of equally spaced groups of thread. This stitch looks fabulous as a background filling for a large area, and can also be worked in 2 or more colors.

In this version of the stitch, four stitches are worked across three intersections of canvas to make the step-like stitch. For the best coverage on the back side of the canvas, work the stitch from the lower left to the upper right, working the rows from the top left to the lower right.

I’ve used a single color in the sample shown below, but you can work each diagonal row of steps in any number of colors.