Hand-stitching may come as second nature to some, but that person is definitely not me. I can hand-stitch, no problem! But the question is how pretty?
As a beginner it can be overwhelming what with all the stitching jargons. What’s the difference between a French seam and a blind stitch.
Fun fact: The only hand-stitching I used to know before learning to sew was for cross-stitch stitch projects. I didn’t even know how to mend the side buckle of my skirt or fix the buttons should it have fallen off. And to me these are basic knowledge!
Hand-stitching you will realized can be very crucial. It also elevates the entire look if you have a hem nicely done. I wouldn’t say I’ve superb skills now, but I can get by and I’m slowly picking up new skills/new stitches too.
So if you are like me, or have just picked up sewing and would like to practice some hand-stitching, read on to learn more about the 2 types of hand-stitching I really live by. I hope to make it less nerdy, let’s go….
Running Stitch:
When do you use this – I use this when I do tacking of my fabric before I sew using the sewing machine. This is extremely useful as a beginner as I am very sure my fabric would not miss-align once I run it through the sewing machine. The other use for this is when I am making a gathered skirt, by sewing a running stitch I can ruffle the fabric up before running it by the sewing machine. Thereafter all I need to do is snip these running stitches away.
Running stitch is simple to handle and goes from left to right / right to left.
Blind Catch-Stitch:
When do you use this – I use this when I want to hem my skirt or dresses yet not wanting to see the thread. It is almost invisible from the right side of the garment. And on the inside, it makes small little crosses that is neat and tidy.
The stitches are worked from left to right creating a cross as you go. The technique is pretty similar to cross stitch.
Hand-stitching requires a lot of practice to perfect it so I’m off to practice it more..
