Hand sewing · First steps · 15 minutes

Backstitch

Backstitch is the strongest hand stitch. On top it looks like a neat line of machine stitching. Use it for seams, for repairs and anywhere a machine can't reach.

Backstitch: on the front the stitches touch end to end; on the back they are twice as long and overlap.

You'll need

needle and knotted thread
two fabric scraps
pins

Step by step

Tick each step as you go if you like; ticks stay on this device.

Pin the layersPut two pieces right sides together and pin them. Mark the stitching line if you like.
Come up one stitch aheadBring the needle up from the back about 1/8 inch ahead of where the seam begins.
Go backPush the needle down 1/16 to 1/8 inch behind where the thread came out, at the start of the line.
Come up ahead againBring the needle up the same distance ahead of the last stitch.
RepeatEach time, go back into the end of the stitch you just made and come out one stitch ahead. The stitches touch end to end on top and overlap on the back.
Fasten offTake two tiny stitches on top of each other on the back, or tie a finishing knot.

Tips

Small, even stitches make the strongest seam.
The back looks different from the front. The stitches there are longer and overlap.

If something goes wrong

Problem	Fix
There are gaps between the stitches on top.	Go back into the exact hole where the last stitch ended.

See it in the old books

Pictures and lessons from sewing and knitting books published more than a hundred years ago, free at the Internet Archive.

📖 The Mary Frances Sewing Book: stitching (backstitch) on canvas (1913) ↗

Sources

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