For my very first official tutorial post, I’ve decided to do a guide for the very basic and simple running stitch that you will most likely see plenty of times in future tutorials. I plan to do other guides like this one to compile somewhat of a reference library for all kinds of sewing and crafting techniques that can be linked back to so readers can have a more in-depth reference for any sewing or crafting techniques I plan on using in my tutorials. I hope this can be helpful to those of you who read this.
In this guide I will show you:
- The running stitch itself
- How to sew two layers together
- How to attach an applique
- Using the running stitch to gather material
- Examples of variations of the running stitch
The Running Stitch
The running stitch is super easy to do. I think for most people learning to sew, it’s the first stitch they learn. At least, that’s how it was for me anyway.
To make the most basic version of this stitch, simply stitch back and forth through your fabric at even intervals to make what looks like a dashed line.
Your stitch will look the same on both the front and back of your fabric, which can be useful if you are working on a project where the stitches are visible on both sides. As far as stitch length, you can make them as long or as short as you want, although the smaller your stitches, the more secure they will be.
Sewing Two Layers Using the Running Stitch
The running stitch can be used to sew two layers of fabric together as a seam. Because of the gaps in between each stitch, it isn’t quite as secure as some other stitches, like the backstitch. However, I find it works well as a seam on small projects made of felt or other similar material. It adds a neat look to the edges while still being able to hold up as a functional seam.
To start, knot your thread and push your needle through only one of your layers, going inside to outside.
Then you can pull your thread through and your knot will be on the inside of your two layers. I prefer to start with the back layer, but you could start on either side.
The next stitch will go through both layers and from there you will continue stitching as normal.
If you’d like to stitch a little faster, you can weave your needle back and forth a few times into the fabric before pulling it through. It does make your stitching go faster, but I find it harder for the stitches to look uniform.
Continue stitching all the way around until you get back to your first stitch.
Push your needle through only one layer. In this case it is the front piece.
Gently pull apart your fabric pieces just enough so you can see the stitches on the inside and put your needle under the nearest inner stitch and make a knot (or two if you want to make it a bit more secure).
To hide the tail of your thread push it down between your layers and pop your needle out somewhere in the middle. Pull your thread tight and cut your thread close to the fabric.
Pull your fabric layers apart and the end of the thread will disappear into the middle of the layers. The stitching should look the same on both sides of the fabric and you won’t even be able to tell where the stitching began or ended.
Attaching Appliques Using the Running Stitch
For those who don’t know, an applique is a smaller piece of fabric that is attached to a larger piece of fabric. In this case, I have a small felt heart shape that I will be attaching to a larger rectangle of white felt using the running stitch.
Like in the previous example, we are sewing two pieces of fabric together, but this time after knotting our thread we are going to start our stitch by going through both layers from back to front.
Now you can flip your project over to position your next stitch.
From there, continue stitching all the way around your applique.
When you reach the point where you started, make your very last stitch going from front to back. Then flip your project over so you are looking at the back side again. Pass your needle under the nearest stitch and make one or two knots.
Cut your excess thread near your finishing knot and you are done!
Cinching and Gathering with the Running Stitch
Another really neat use for the running stitch is for cinching and gathering fabric together. In this first example we are going to stitch all the way around a circle.
Once you get back to the beginning, pull the tail of your thread and the piece will begin to cinch together.
Keep pulling your thread until it is pulled tight and the fabric has gathered together.
From here you can stuff it to make an easy ball shape.
As you can see in these example pictures, the smaller you make your stitches, the more gathering you have when you pull it together.
You can also do a running stitch across a long piece of fabric and it will gather together and make a ruffle when you pull the tail of your thread.
Like with the circle, the smaller your stitches, the more your ruffle will gather together.
Using the Running Stitch for Decorative Stitching/Embroidery
Aside from using it as a seam or an edging, the running stitch is also good for simple embroidery. In this example I used the running stitch to embroider several different size hearts in various colors onto a piece of felt.
Variations of the Running Stitch
Here you can see some different variations you can do with the running stitch. You can use different stitch lengths and stitch spacing, or variations of the two. As you can see in the last line, you can even do color variations. Play around and find out what will work best for your project.
(Edit: I now have the corresponding video available for this guide, for those of you who might be interested)
I hope this guide was helpful in showing some of the different uses of the running stitch. I hope you come visit again for more guides and tutorials. Thank you for stopping by and happy crafting!
