Looking back over our sewing patterns so far, we've noticed that we seem to have a bit of a thing for hand stitching. A lot of a thing, in fact. Turns out, we've recommended finishing hems, waistbands and linings by hand in all three of our patterns - which comes as a surprise as we had no idea what perfectionists we really were! Ain't nothing like a flawless finish, so we're going to take you through four of our favourite and most useful hand stitches.
*WARNING - this is a super nerdy post, filled with loadsa close up step-by-step images of sewing samples and long winded explanations. To be digested in small doses...!*
First things first - there are two main ways to thread your hand sewing needle and both are good for different techniques:
Single thread: thread your needle but knot only one end so that the other is free to come unthreaded - this is especially useful for embroidery techniques where you might need to quickly and easily unpick a few stitches.
Double thread: thread your needle and knot both ends together - the doubled up thread will make for a more secure stitch, but is impossible to unpick without cutting the thread and starting over!
Running Stitch - what's it good for?
Good for gathering or ruching fabric to make gathered skirts, basting seams and stay stitching a curved edge to prevent it from stretching. A running stitch looks exactly the same on both sides of the fabric.
- Working from right to left (or left to right for lefties), insert your needle into the fabric and bring it back out again (fig.1)
- Now weave your needle in and out of the fabric, keeping the stitches as even and straight as possible (figs.2,3&4)
Back Stitch - what's it good for?
Mending clothes by hand - the back stitch creates a strong seam and can reach awkward, fiddly places that a sewing machine can't. From the right side, the back stitch looks like a straight machine stitch, but the stitches overlap on the wrong side.
- Working from right to left, insert your needle into the fabric and come back out again, pulling the thread through (fig.1)
- Re-insert your needle half a centimetre or so to the right of where your needle just came out, and come back out half a centimetre to the left of your first stitch (fig.2)
- Continue like this, inserting your needle at the end of your last stitch to the right, and coming out one stitch ahead to your left (figs.3&4)
Blind Slipstitch - what's it good for?
This is our most favourite. A pretty much completely invisible stitch that is perfect for pretty much anything - from basic hemming to finishing the inside of a waistband, à la Charlotte Skirt, finishing raw edges of a bodice lining as in the Elisalex Dress and finishing the sleeveless armhole of the Victoria Blazer.
- Press your fabric and pin the fold into place ready to be blind stitched
- Insert your needle through the folded edge (fig.1) and pull the thread through
- Pick up a couple of threads from the fabric directly underneath the point where your needle just came out (fig.2) and pull the thread though (fig.3)
- Reinsert the needle into the pressed edge of the fabric directly above the point at which your needle just came out (fig.4). Using the pressed fold as a guide, slide the needle an centimetre or so along inside the fold and then come out again (fig.5)
- Keep repeating figs. 2 - 5 along the entire length and securely knot off your stitching at the end
Blind Catchstitch - what's it good for?
Especially good for hemming, in particular hems that require flexibility or easing in.
- Press the hem in by 1/4″, and then press in again by 1/2″, or however much or little in order to achieve your desired length
- Working from left to right, insert your needle inside the fold (fig.1)
- Make a little stitch in the fabric just below the fold (fig.2)
- Next make a stitch in the main body of the fabric, moving diagonally down to the right of your first stitch (fig.3) and pull the thread through, keeping it secure but not too tight (fig.4)
- Moving diagonally up to the right, make another little stitch in the fabric just below the fold (fig.5) followed by another little stitch from the main body of the fabric (fig.6), and so on
Finishing off your hand stitches
Just as we back stitch on a sewing machine, securing the end of a line of stitching to prevent it from coming undone, so we have to securely knot the thread when stitching by hand as well.
- On the wrong side of your fabric, and with your needle still threaded, insert the needle close to where the thread is coming out, catching just a tiny thread of the fabric as you go (fig.1)
- Pull the needle and thread through, stopping when you have a little loop to insert your needle through (fig.2)
- Bring the needle and thread through the loop, keeping the forming knot close to the fabric (fig.3)
- Tighten the knot and snip the thread a few millimetres from the knot (fig.4)
Phewzers!! You can be sure we'll be back next time with something a hell of a lot more frivolous than this! Good time to get the old glue gun out methinks...
-
Elisalex de Castro Peake
Comments on this post (24)
How to do hand stitch method like serger’s? So that I can secure the edges where the one-piece fabrics were cut. Thank you very much.
P.S. Personally I like the backstitch method very much. I learnt by reading my Form 3 ‘Kemahiran Hidup’ textbook (about daily life skill-teaching book during my 3rd year of middle or secondary school) despite the fact my teacher never teach us this hand stitch method. I always had my clothes stitches broken (the one originally sew by other people using sewing machine) and I always use backstitch and guess what -— they never break again since then (using double up thread because I can make the thread knot bigger faster and the thread never slip out of my sewing needle during hand stitching) !
I know my running stitch and another one looks like coiling stitch since very young, around 9 years old because my mum is a professional sewer who knows to hand stitch and machine stitching very well. I learnt those from her but I never grow the interest to handle sewing machine or hand stitch because I’m only using them when my clothes is broken =D
Currrently looking forward to hand stitch with solely backstitch for my first 3/4 circle skirt (midi) the whole project while waiting for my final exam result to be released in 2 weeks time. Also looking forward to fix my broken canvas bag, flat shoes, backpack, and making new purse, bigger pencil case, clutch, working card connector, hanging strip and maybe dresses for Chinese New Year =D Am I too greedy? XD
— JoanKSX
3D Puff Embroidery Digitizing
Thank you for a great explanation. I was looking online for a similar idea and really appreciate it
— Aimee Aimee
3D Puff Embroidery Digitizing
Thank you for a great explanation. I was looking online for a similar idea and really appreciate it
— Aimee Aimee
Thank you for a great explanation. I was looking online for a similar idea and really appreciate it
3D Puff Embroidery Digitizing
— Aimee Aimee
Beautiful, fantastic stitches to learn.I think everyone is in need of these . thanks
— Farhana
Just yesterday my MIL ask me to tack the lining of her Easter jacket. I knew I wanted a stitch that would move a little. Mom taught me the cross-hem stitch but, like thread through the eye of the needle, just how to do that had slipped away to frustration.
Thanks. Job done.
— I am clay
This was great !! My mother in law was wonderful at sewing and I married her daughter she doesn’t see so it is up to me. My mother in law showed me the first 2 but I had forgotten and since I am the one fixing things I am very thankful for your site. Regards Terry.
— Terry
Thanks its really helpful just exactly what I was really looking for
— Floraon
Loved this blog! I wish more people loved these days, sometimes I wonder if I apprentices wouldn’t just glue everything if I wasn’t watching them closely ;)
I also just posted on the technique that works best for hand stitching, which you may like to check out: https://saccaggi.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/the-tailors-hand/
— Benjamin Saccaggi
Hi there!
Thanks so much for the post – really helpful. Was just wondering if I could check – I’m looking to take in some t-shirts that are too big… do you think a running stitch on the inside would hold ok? Once I’ve stitched it I will cut the excess fabric so want to be sure. Thanks!
— Ruth
Thanks for this…just about to venture into the world of sewing!
— Sally
I really love your post!, Thank you for these!,. Step by step, I am learning which I must have to learn in sewing.. XOXO :) Looking forward for your next posts.. :)
https://mysewingmall.com/
— Amelie Miller
i need help
with my hand stitches
— wynter lockett
Ahhhh thank you for these easy-to-read/understand instructions! I’d been putting off a sewing project for months because I couldn’t find how to do it with a machine and the very unstretchy cotton I have, when it suddenly occurred to me to try hand sewing =P Do you have any tips/tutorials related to sewing stretch stitches or with stretchy fabric?
— Brownie
thanks
— florence
Love your post, the pictures are awesome and the list of uses for each stitch is great.
— Gail
Hi Kait,
Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your blankets! Drop me a line at help@byhandlondon.com and I’ll see how I can help.
x
— Elisalex - By Hand London
I like to stitch fabrics together to make blankets but some have fallen apart. I’m only 12 so I don’t know the stitch and I don’t know what to do to make it stay with a hand stitch so please email me and help me thank you.
— Kait Tedrow
Love this post! I teach how to recycle old clothing with easy hand sewing techniques. You have explained these stitches well!
Check me out at: CinderellaSew.com
for more hand sewing love. Would love to see what you are making, by hand!
xoxo
— Laura
very helpful :)
— Bevs
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I just started sewing recently and only knew the very, very basics, and as a novice to sewing, this was helpful and easy to understand. I’ll definitely be checking out your other posts :)
— Marissa Parker
Welcome to the club, sewing nerds unite!
— byhandlondon
Thank you so much for this! I haven’t had any formal sewing training and I’m super nerdy so this was great for me!
Cheers
Christine
— Name *
Thank you! Super helpful and nerdy.
— Cameron