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Let's talk stitches!

While a sewing machine is super convenient, having access to one is not required for mending. Most mends can easily be done by hand. If you're really patient, you can even make entire garments by hand, just like they did in ye olden days.

So, let's take a look at a few basic hand sewing stitches to get you started.

(Image source) [ID: hand stitches for quilters: the running stitch, slipstitch, backstitch, whipstitch, and blanket stitch.]

The running stitch

The running stitch can be used for many purposes. It's popular in embroidery, and can be used to outline shapes or baste (temporarily secure) pieces together. It can also be used to ruffle fabric by hand, and I personally use it a lot to secure patches in place when covering up holes in garments. The running stitch is also the base stitch for sashiko, a popular style of visible mending.

Video tutorial for the running stitch

Text tutorial for the running stitch

The slipstitch

The slipstitch, also known as the ladder stitch, is my go-to stitch for closing tears and fixing torn seams. This stitch is frequently used to sew pieces of knitting together, too. You can also use it to make small size corrections in a garment, for example to add a quick dart or to make a side seam smaller. It's invisible on the outside, which makes it a great stitch to fix up things like plushies, duvet covers, or pillows.

Video tutorial for the slipstitch

Text tutorial for the slipstitch

The backstitch

The backstitch will likely be the stitch you'll be using the most when working on a project. It's a strong, clean stitch that can be used for almost anything: seams, hems, embroidery, attaching two pieces of fabric together, zippers,... This is also the best stitch to imitate machine sewing with. If you're only going to learn one hand sewing stitch, then make it the backstitch!

Video tutorial for the backstitch

Text tutorial for the backstitch

The whipstitch

The whipstitch, also known as the overcast stitch, can be used to stop fabric edges from fraying and is great to finish seams off with. It can also be used to quickly sew two pieces of fabric together, for appliqué, or as a decorative technique. I personally prefer the blanket stitch over the whipstitch because it's a little cleaner, but the whipstitch is faster than the blanket stitch.

Video tutorial for the whipstitch

Text tutorial for the whipstitch

The blanket stitch

The blanket stitch is great for finishing off seams and stopping fabric from fraying. It's also frequently used for appliqué and embroidery, and can be used to make button holes by hand. It looks neater than the whipstitch, but is also slower to get done.

Video tutorial for the blanket stitch

Text tutorial for the blanket stitch

Conclusion

Get yourself a spare piece of fabric and try these stitches out before attempting them on a real project. I promise you'll get the hang of them quickly!

If you're only going to learn one of these, then make it the backstitch as it's the most versatile hand stitch.

Embroidered Tarot Card Pendants // Robin Tailoring on Etsy

I don’t get how in fantasy fiction, the women who actually enjoy sewing/embroidering are always painted as the weak, boring, and anti-feminist characters 

Sewing and embroidery take skill, patience, and artistic talent and it was also the ultimate way to ignore the annoying men in your life in past centuries 

If you didn’t feel like talking to a man, you just “took up your sewing” and he’d have to leave you alone, especially if he needed that shirt mended

Women also got together all the time to sew, weave, embroider but also talk, gossip, assist each other’s work, and enjoy each other’s company in peace 

The skill the female character has doesn’t have to be sword-fighting for her to be strong, because there’s strength and power in any skill she has 

some of my favorite woven tapestries, by Cecilia Blomberg:

Point Defiance Steps

Mates

Rising Tides

Vashon Steps

Oh, that is so cool!

OK I've taken pictures before ironing bc who knows when I'll get round to ironing. Some months ago I fell down a weekend research hole with some antique needlework books and read a Bunch about jacobean embroidery.

And then I drew a rocket. All the stitches are found in actual 16th century embroideries. The flame and tree of life are my own interpretation of designs that were a common motif.

I tried so many different things in this piece, and I can't decide what my favourite part is.

Art By IG: @chloegiordano_embroidery

Instagram: @artwoonz

Knitting youtuber: I like to knit for 25 minute long blocks at most at a time with a 5 minute break within each so I do not get injuries.

Me who did a 14 hour marathon on the weekend with a team of 7 spinners and knitters to shear a sheep and knit a man's jumper in as short a possible time:

My take on a tote bag posted by the wonderful @aliwonderland.

Finally, finished my cardigan. Loosely inspired by Show me, Romi! On YT.

A quick dog plushie tossed together with some extra yarn from my current WIP.

I present the Game Changer Cardigan!

Made almost exclusively with dollar store yarn. The grand total for this project was $32.

just your average Michaels run

thank you to my father for supplying tye type of anti depressant that actually works for me; yarn

cat beanie I made

i feel very lucky i am not in the worst path of helene. her rain however has been here nearly a week in a half. many of the lower roads here are flooded this week. I dont think it helps that the roads are not in the best condition and often have holes. I have been crocheting cat beanies for the girls in my familly as i can not go outside.

Trees. Because if my computer keeps playing dead, I will be dropping a tree onto it.

Trying to make natural props look like they have been handmade and sewn. Like the Birch tree having the stitch lines

New sewing spree counter tracks everything you have sewn until being hit. It still keeps count over levels so you can rack up a huge score until it breaks. Also got the line to flash white like in Pokémon Rangers yay

I finished these fingerless gloves in class :)

I started a new sweater on Monday, the body is halfway done, I'm so excited to show you! The yarn is Unger fluffy (it's an acrylic yarn), I'm pretty sure it's been discontinued, but you can find it on eBay and such. I got a ton of it at a yard sale and I've knit three sweaters with it so far, this is my fourth. I really love the colors and how it feels, it's great to knit with