Rows of beautiful stitches. You can change the stitch length to suit different fabrics or decorative looks. These will be the most common stitch types used on a sewing machine. Use it to finish seams, hems, topstitching and even edges.
Here are some straight stitches of different lengths.
For most projects with light to medium cotton fabrics, test on a 2.5 inch length of fabric first. See how it looks and adjust it accordingly. As with all sewing machine stitches, be sure to check your sewing machine’s tension. This means the seam should be nice and even, and not curl around the back and front of the fabric.
Further Reading: HOW TO USE YOUR
SEWING MACHINE
ZIGZAG STITCH Zigzag stitches vary from side to side in width and length. It can be used for seam facings, applications and elastic seams. If you are sewing bodysuits or swimsuits, zigzags are essential for sewing leg and neck elastic.
Further Reading: Zigzag Stitch
OVERSTICK The
overlock or overlock is primarily used to finish seams. Unlike serge, it does not cut the raw edges of the fabric.
For this reason, it is important that your edges are pre-cut nice and clean. Most machines come with a special presser foot to handle this stitch, which prevents the edge from rolling and provides guidance for your fabric.
Further Reading: Overlock Stitch
Buttonhole Stitch
The buttonhole stitch is very similar to the zigzag stitch, but many modern machines offer it special features. It is a very narrow point with almost no space.
Read more: How to sew buttonholes
Blind stitch Blind stitch
is used for wide invisible edges on skirts and trousers.
It uses a variable width zigzag stitch and is the default on most machines.
Further Reading: How to Sew Blind Stitches
Decorative Stitches
These are not for everyday sewing, but for decorating your sewing projects. They’re kinda fun and can customize everything you do. The number of decorative stitches varies greatly between machines and brands.
In general, the more expensive the machine, the more decorative stitches you will have to choose from.
Don’t feel bad if you have almost nothing on your machine. I only have about 8 hosts and only use them once. Probably le
Types of Hand Sewing
If you’re new to hand sewing, you might want to read some of these articles to get started.
Oidery Basics
Tools
How to Thread a Needle
● Hand Sewing Needles
● Embroidery Tools
● How to Embroider
● Hand Sewing
● Embroidery
4 ST444 Let stand first. The list is in alphabetical order as this is the most used of all hand stitching.
It’s fast, super easy and even a beginner can sew. Row stitch
is a simple top and bottom stitch that can be used for decorative embroidery and simple stitching. The stitches can be large or small, but the closer together the stitches, the stronger the seam. If you’re embroidering with running stitches, keep in mind that longer stitches can snag.
Running stitches remain fairly uniform for the most part, but interesting effects can be achieved by varying stitch and gap lengths.
Full story: Running stitch
Running stitch
BACKSTITCH
backstitch is another widely used stitch for sewing or embroidery. For seams, this creates a stronger stitch than the back stitch that is less likely to tear. Although it takes a little longer, it’s not that difficult. For embroidery, it can be used to create embroidered letters or to draw shapes that will be filled in with other stitches.
Full Text: How to Sew the Reverse
Stitch Types
– Back Stitch
Blanket Stitch Blanket Stitch
can be used around the edge of a blanket (no surprise!
) and sew the fabric or felt together. It creates beautiful embroidered flowers and is a popular appliqué stitch.
Complete story: how to do blanket stitch (video included)
Types of stitches – blanket stitch
Buttonhole stitch
Although similar to blanket stitch, it has a rope edge and is suitable for buttonholes and decorative flower stitches . It is sewn from right to left, which is the reverse of the blanket seam.
Full Text: How to Do a Buttonhole Stitch
Buttonhole Stitch
Buttonhole stitch is used to sew hems by hand, especially for heavier materials such as wool.
The inside hem looks like a series of small cross stitches, while the outside has barely visible seams.
Further Reading: Hanging Stitch
Hanging Stitch
Chain Stitch
Chain Stitch
is a useful fringe stitch because it creates a thicker border. Use it for the outside of letters and shapes, including flowers and stems.
Full Story: How to Chain Stitch
Herringbone Stitch
Herringbone Stitch
is an excellent type of stitch for cutting and filling large areas. It works left to right along straight lines that can be split or joined.
Full story: How to do it Herringbone stitch
Herringbone stitch
LAYER STITCH
Layering stitch is a method of sewing on thicker yarns or even yards to create endless shapes and lines. To create this stitch, lay a thicker thread over the surface of the fabric in the desired pattern, then sew over it with a thinner thread.
Full Text: How to Couch
Couching
Cross Stitch
Cross stitch is a popular hobby where entire designs can be created with this simple stitch. The stitches range from very small to large and are usually made on open weave fabrics where you count the threads to even them out.
Full Text: How to Cross Stitch (Including Single and Double Cross Stitch)
Cross Stitch
FAGGOTING
Fagoting is one of the types of stitches used to join two pieces of fabric.
It can be used as an open edge for towels, underwear and tablecloths. The cut is often so detailed that it looks like lace has been inserted between the fabric.
Full Text: How to Do Fagoting
Fagoting
Feather Needle Feather Needle
is a flowing stitch for small stems and corals. It is sewn between 4 parallel threads and is best suited for intermediate embroidery.
Full text: How to do the feather needle
The feather needle
The fern needle The fern needle
is another stitch similar to the feather needle and is used on stems and leaves.
Easier to do even without drawing guides. It can be straight or slightly curved, which makes it ideal for stitching up gardens.
Full Text: How to Do Fern Stitch
Fern Stitch
Fish Stitch
Herringbone Stitch is not usually used to make fish stitch, but is used to make stuffed leaves with a criss-cross effect interesting in the middle. The ends of the leaves can be pointed or rounded, making them very versatile when sewing leaves.
Full Text: How to Do a Herringbone Stitch
Herringbone Stitch
Flying Stitch Flying Stitch
can be used alone to sew fun little herringbones or joined together to embroider leaves.
This is an easy stitch for beginners.
Full Text: How to Fly Needle
Fly Needle
French Knot The
French Knot involves wrapping yarn around a needle before inserting it into the fabric. These buttons can be used to create small flowers like fireworks, lavender, and are perfect as centerpieces for flowers sewn with other stitches. They may be small, but French knots are very useful. The size of the French knot can vary depending on the number of times the yarn is wrapped around the needle.
Full Story: How to Tie the French Knot
French Knot
Blank Stitch
Herringbone stitch is primarily used to fill in the edges of the stitch. It works from right to left between 2 parallel lines with relative ease.
Full Text: How to Do a Herringbone Stitch
Herringbone Stitch
Blindstitch (Leather Stitch)
Blindstitch, also known as leatherstitch or slipstitch, is used to close open seams on toys , beanbags and clothes . It is sewn into the folds of the open seam in a zigzag pattern before being closed. As the name suggests, it creates an invisible closure when sewn with matching color thread.
Further Reading: Blindstitch
Blindstitch
LAZY DAISY
Lazy daisy stitch is a chain stitch used to create flowers and daisies. You can vary the number of petals and the size of the center to create different looks. It is often used with a French knot in the middle.
Full Text: How to Do a Lazy Daisy
Lazy Daisy Stitch
Long and Short Stitches
Long and short stitches, also called brick stitches, consist of interlocking straight stitches that form a solid block. It is often used to subtly nuance shapes, and the use of variegated yarn looks very artistic.
Further reading: long and short stitches SASHIKO STITCH
Sashiko stitch
is a variant of running stitch, with an intricate repeating pattern. A traditional Japanese stitch, it is an easy to do but very effective traditional art form for filling large pieces of fabric.
Full Text: Sashiko Stitch
Satin Stitch Satin Stitch
is a fill stitch that can be used in any shape imaginable. It’s better for small shapes, because long threads can get tangled in larger threads. Satin stitches can be used alone or with back stitches for a neater edge.
Full story: How to do satin stitch
Satin stitch
Seed stitch
Seed stitch (also called seed stitch) is used as a fill stitch or as a filling method under a satin stitch. They are basically small random dots performed with a simple up and down motion. The dots can be all different colors or the same color.
Full Text: How to Seed
Seed Stitch
Slip Stitch Slip stitch
can be used for seams and more importantly blind hems. The seams are in the gathers of the hem so they are almost invisible when sewn with matching thread.
When used to repair seams, skip stitches can also be called leather stitches or blind stitches.
Full Text: Jump Stitch
SMOCKING
Smocking is not a single stitch, but a group of stitches used to gather the fabric without stretching it. It is both decorative and functional.
Full Text: Workwear
Quilting
Quilting is used to design and create simple designs. It is considered a straight stitch and is formed by dividing the yarn in half.
The outline of this stitch is thick and thin, making it more of a statement stitch.
Full Text: Split Stitch
STEM STITCH
STEM STITCH is used for stitches and edges and produces thick string stitch lines on the diagonal. It is thicker than running stitches or back stitches, which gives the uppers a more three-dimensional look. Does the name fit?
Full Text: How to Do a Dry Stitch
Dry Stitch
Straight Stitch
Straight stitch is used as an embroidery term to refer to a group of hand embroidery stitches rather than a single stitch.
These are straight stitches and the uses are endless. Examples include running stitches, back stitches, flying stitches and fern stitches.
Full text: How to make a straight stitch
Straight stitch
Web stitch
A spider came on my web. Remember that old saying? A net needle is a circular knitting needle that can be used to weave webs and make beautiful roses.
Use contrasting colors or matching metallic braids and spokes for a different look.
Full Text: How to Web Stitch
Web Stitch
Whip Stitch
Whip Stitch can be used for appliqué and sewing seams in felt and other non-fraying materials. It is also a popular stitch used to combine knitting and crocheting.
Further Reading: How to Do a Whip Stitch
Stitch Types – Latest
So you have 35 stitch types that you can use for hand or machine sewing. You’re sure to find something for your latest sewing project.