Somehow, in my sewing and quilting life, I’ve never gotten very far with hand stitching. (This is funny, right? Isn’t this all how we learn to sew in the first place? I remember my very first cross-stitch project, with acrylic yarn and a pink “needle” the size of a ballpoint pen. Ah, memories.) Like many of us, I returned to sewing after childhood with a machine and a pedal. It’s what all the cool kids were doing, and I liked it. Technology and efficiency and household appliances I can understand. Embroidery scares the bejeezus out of me.
But as quilters, it’s actually pretty important to know several hand stitches and what they’re good for. Hand quilting is now de rigeur in the modern quilt world, but there are so many other uses for a simple needle and thread. I don’t claim to be good at hand-stitching myself, but I do a fair amount of it out of necessity and aesthetics; I’ve started English paper piecing now, I hand-bind my quilts, and I’m getting into appliqué.
It’s been a while since I’ve offered up an infographic, so I thought this might be a good one. For more on how to create these stitches, I really recommend the following tutorials:
Running stitch: Craftsy
Ladder stitch: Turning Turning
Backstitch: Threads
Whipstitch: Make It & Love It
Blanket Stitch: Oliver Rabbit
Chantal
May 7, 2015 at 12:05 pm (7 years ago)Thank you, I’ll keep that for reference (I’m French-speaking, I’m always looking for the proper terms in English).