Where a normal stitch lays one length of thread down for each stitch, a bean stitch lays down three lengths of thread. The bean stitch is often used to digitize a thicker outline around an element. The bean stitch design consists of laying down a normal stitch in the forward direction, then going back to the original start of that normal stitch with another needle penetration, and again forward to the end of the first stitch with another needle penetration.