# [Work a controlled bullion knot](https://threadcabin.com/explore/291/work-a-controlled-bullion-knot)

> Match the wrapped length to the intended span and use a needle whose eye passes through the wraps readily. Hold the coil while drawing the needle through.

- Canonical page: https://threadcabin.com/explore/291/work-a-controlled-bullion-knot
- Language: en
- Published: 2026-09-25T17:26:34.5731662+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-25T17:26:39.4396944+00:00
- Craft: Embroidery
- Primary image: [Illustration: Separate small embroidery samples showing compact French knots, rounded colonial-style knots and elongated bullion knots as distinct raised forms.](https://threadcabin.com/images/explore/focused/knots.jpg)

Match the wrapped length to the intended span and use a needle whose eye passes through the wraps readily. Hold the coil while drawing the needle through.

## Before you start

Prepare a small offcut of the intended ground with the intended needle and thread. Mark the practice area lightly and support the fabric without stretching its grain.

## How to do it

1. Mark the two ends of the knot. Bring the thread up at one, take the needle down at the other and bring its tip back out beside the first without pulling it through. Wrap the working thread around the exposed shaft until the coil covers the marked distance.
2. Hold the coil gently, pull the needle and thread through it, and settle the coil along the marked span. Take the needle down at the far end to secure it. If the eye jams, loosen the wraps or test a suitable milliner’s needle with a less pronounced eye.

## Try this example

Mark a short span on a scrap and check the coil against it before pulling through. If it is too short, adjust the wraps rather than stretching the finished knot.

## Check your result

- Release the frame and inspect front and reverse. The thread should lie as intended without distorting the ground; shorten a stitch or change the sample before pulling harder.
- Coverage and tension depend on the actual ground, thread and stitch length. A diagram shows the route, not a universal thread quantity or tension setting.

## Sources

- [rsnstitchbank.org: bullion knot](https://rsnstitchbank.org/stitch/bullion-knot)
- [rsnstitchbank.org: running stitch](https://rsnstitchbank.org/stitch/running-stitch)

[Browse editable craft templates](/crafts?craft=embroidery)

[Report a correction](/corrections).

## Sources and provenance

- [Running, back, and stem stitch: compare the thread path](https://threadcabin.com/explore/13/running-back-and-stem-stitch-compare-the-thread-path)
- [Embroidery needles: match the point and eye to the work](https://threadcabin.com/explore/5/embroidery-needles-match-the-point-and-eye-to-the-work)
- [Compare French and colonial knots](https://threadcabin.com/explore/290/compare-french-and-colonial-knots)