Thursday, January 7, 2010

Running Stitch How To + Uses

The Running Stitch or baste stitch is a sewers basic friend. It is used for a home style decorative look on the outside of fabric for that home made feel. It is also used to gather and ruffle fabric if you don't have a sewing machine or the project is too small to use a machine. A running stitch is perfect for beginners because it just "runs" forward simply weaving in an out of the fabric.
Step 1: Start with your basic knot and a needle that has been double threaded (see basic easy sewing knot tutorial ) Place needle in wrong side of fabric (the fabric does not need to be folded as picture below. For yo-yo making it does).
Step 2: Pull needle and thread all the way through fabric until the knot makes you stop (do this gently. If it is too firm then the knot will rip through the fabric)
Step 3: repeat steps by going down the fabricand up.Your stitches should look like the photo below. Try ti make them as even as possible. The stitches can be smaller and closer together for a decorative look on the outside or this size and slightly larger for hand gathering and ruffling.***Note: To speed up this process, try loading your needle with fabric like pictured below. Simply guide your needle in and out of the fabric and push fabric through.
If you need the fabric ruffled or gathered then keep tension on the fabric and needle.If you need the fabric smooth then gently pull the fabric smooth over the thread.

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