A weaving pattern and a sewing stitch, so-called as it resembles the herring fish’s bone structure.
1. The woven zigzag pattern is a variation on a twill weave, where the reversal of direction at regular intervals forms a series of deep V shapes: one facing down, the next up. Herringbone fabrics are completely reversible, often in a single colour, allowing light reflection and weave to create all the interest that’s needed. Two toned weaves are extremely attractive, especially for upholstery; the colours, even though they can be bright are always less intense than a single colour bringing both subtlety and movement into the picture.
A simple herringbone weave in two colours shows the pattern clearly.
A weave in the herringbone genre, with complex mirror imaged direction changes, again two tones give more prominence to the subtle design.
2. Herringbone stitch can be used decoratively, but is always used in hemming to stitch a raw edge to a fabric beneath.
See- basic techniques, hems.