Running Stitch Family

About the Running Stitch Family

The Running Stitch is created by taking the needle up and down the fabric at a consistent distance. You can say it is the placing of Straight Stitches linearly. Running Stitch is used in hand stitching for sewing the seams and gathering fabric. It is a ‘light’ stitch often applied as a temporary stitch to hold layers of fabric together before working a permanent stitch. The Running Stitch is a simple stitch and one of the first basic stitches to be learned by anyone who holds a needle. Even children are taught this stitch first. No wonder it has been adapted so well into hand embroidery!


Running Stitch Family in Embroidery

Running Stitch is the basic stitch in many embroideries and stitch works like the Sashiko, Redwork, Pattern Darning, Indian Kantha work, and the Chikankari work. Running Stitch makes a foundation for a variety of weaving, some of which I have created tutorials for. It will give you an idea of the different ways you can make a variation out of. Then, the rest is up to your imagination!


Running Stitch Family


Learn 306 stitches categorized in 20 Stitch Families from our 600-page eBook. 

30 Responses

  1. Running stitch family sampler

  2. Y
    Yukthi says:

    Hi Sara .. Thanks for such detailed guide .. I have introduced running stitch for my 6 year old . And she’s showing interest in learning. Your posts are very useful

    • Sarah says:

      Hi Yukthi,

      Thank you, so much, for sharing this beautiful work with us. It is absolutely adorable. Your child is very talented and she can slowly take up advanced stitching!

  3. S
    Sajana Ali says:

    It’s awesome 😍 dear.. Loved it 😍

  4. L
    Lizzie says:

    Dear Sarah,

    Writing to you from England, I’m a 23 year old girl just out of university. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed browsing your photos and your exquisite embroidery work. Would love to be able to ask you some questions via email? If you could contact me at lizziepocock@gmail.com I’d be really grateful.

    With many thanks and kind regards,

    Lizzie

  5. A
    Archana Surendranath says:

    Hi Sarah

    It came on 26th September 2013. On the main paper of times of India on page 15.

  6. A
    Archana Surendranath says:

    This site is too good. I appreciate your effort. I came to know about this site through today’s newspaper and am really impressed. Keep going and would love to learn more from you. Thank you.

    • sarah says:

      Dear Archana,

      Thanks. 🙂
      Can you let me know which edition of Times of India carried the information of our website. Also, which supplement/ page? I think we missed it!

  7. Hi…

    I thank u for sharing your experience. I am interested in Kutch work embroidery.

    Please let me know when are u going to upload kutch work tutorials…?

  8. j
    jaya says:

    hi sarah i was really very haapy about this site

  9. j
    jaya says:

    you are super and great i need to ask you one think now im complted go throught all your stitches but how did i know if you post you new stithes

    • sarah says:

      Dear Jaya,
      Thanks for your interest shown. 🙂
      If you want to be updated of all the new posts that I will be posting, just subscribe to our pages using google reader. Check the topmost part of the right hand side panel of this page to help you subscribe.

  10. m
    monique says:

    Thank you for those tutorials. I am a beginner and want to use emb. in my fabric art journal.

  11. D
    Devarpiran Krishnan says:

    Dear Sarah,
    Its quite interesting to see your site!
    How can i learn stitches here..? i am seeing only stitched designs..!! Kindly help me..!
    regards,
    Devarpirankrishnan

    • sarah says:

      Dear Devarpiran,

      Thanks for referring our pages.

      If you look on the right hand side panel, you will see a list of stitch families. Just click on them to get a list of stitches in that family. Click on any of the stitches to get the detailed tutorial.

      What you see here is the general information on the running stitch family. On the right hand side, click on ‘running stitch family’ to get a list of stitches demonstrated in the designs here.

      Hope this helped. 🙂

    • sarah says:

      You can also check the Stitch Dictionary (link on right hand side panel) for stitches in Alphabetical order.

      https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/hand-embroidery/stitch-dictionary

  12. sarah says:

    Hey Marlin, great to see that we share some common interests and your eagerness.
    And wow! your dad also enjoyed stitching/knitting!? Except for real artisans, it was difficult for me to even imagine a man holding a needle. 😀 My appreciations to both of them.
    Yes, am starting with the most basics and will be progressing to the more complicated ones, so you wont fall short of new stitches to learn. And, you may share some tips and techniques, history, or any info and suggestions as well. It will make learning more interesting. 🙂

    • M
      Marlin Binoy says:

      yeah!..when it comes to art and books, i am overly enthusiastic..hehe
      My appa is a persona – great culinary skills, fantastic singer, awesome painter…n many more skills to cite…
      And he completely complements amma…

      Would surely love to share stitching notes with you but I stitch or design as per the imagination that brew in my mind…alas, i get to learn it the apt way from you here….:))

      • sarah says:

        I say, am already a fan your dad and mom 😀 . It is a nice thing to see rare talents like this. ‘Rare’ I say, coz your dad is a sport for all. And in that way, Roxy also is an enthusiast in helping me out in my interests.
        It is always the nature of a true artist to have ideas and ways of her own throwing up in her work. So I appreciate your way of doings. And along the way if you find there is a scope for a suggestion or correction here, do mention it. 🙂

  13. great!…this is a good initiative…we do share some similar interests….i have enjoyed stitching and knitting since school days and have been always experimenting on my wardrobe. My mom and dad also loved doing it, they have made some awesome shawls, curtains, kurtas…
    keep posting, i will be a regular audience now on….:))

  14. p
    priya says:

    nice post sarah. this simple designs really give a temptation to try this. thanks 🙂

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