I'm a huge fan of hand embroidery.  Yes, there are fancy machines that can do cool embroideries super fast at a push of a button, but hand embroidery will always be one of my favorites, both in look and in action.  Here's a new stitch for you to try: the cretan stitch.  I really love this one because you can get a different look depending on the variation.  If you do an open cretan you get a decorative stitch perfect for borders.  If you do a closed cretan, then it's more of a filler stitch and can make beautiful embroidered leaves.  In this tutorial I show you how to stitch both the open and closed cretan stitch.  All you need to do is grab your fabric, embroidery hoop, needle and some floss and you'll be on your way to mastering this amazing embroidery stitch.