Also known as : straight stitch
This stitch is done by running the needle and thread up and down the cloth at a regular distance.
The length of the stitch on the upperside can vary than that on the underside. Usually, there is more thread shown on the upperside than the underside in a running stitch. Yet, to get the beauty of the stitch, I would suggest to try to keep the length of the stitches on the upperside and underside as same as possible.
Tags: embroidery, running stitch, stitches, straight stitch
[...] Thread your needle with 3 strands of your floss and sew on some buttons. Use a backstitch or running stitch to embroider your [...]
Sarah, I found your blog a few weeks ago and I am so excited to learn from you! I love the way you have organized your tutorials. I am just finishing up a sampler of all of the running stitches you have posted (I experimented with the stitches in the bottom left corner), just wanted to share what I am learning and thank you!
- Caren
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Dear Caren,
What a delight to see your wonderful sampler!
Thank you so much for sharing it with us. It is sure going to be an inspiration to many beginners.
We are so happy to see that you have been learning good from our pages and we want to encourage you to keep learning, posting more of your works and even keep experimenting with the stitches, like you have done here.
Thank you, Sarah. I enjoy seeing my progress, and hope to continue for a long time!
Thank you very much, it’s very easy to follow!!! greetings,Caroline
How do you gather a running stitch?
Dear Sandra
Did you mean how do you gather the fabric using runnin stitch? If so, then, do a row of running stitch and pull back the fabric towards the point you began from (towards the point A, in the illustration). You can see that the fabric is gathered. Keep the fabric gathered to your desired density and tie a knot at the other end to finish the stitch and to avoid the fabric from straightening out.
Hope this has helped.
Hello! I LOVE your tutorials!
I was wondering if you have any tips and tricks to space your stitches evenly. I always have trouble with that.
THank you!
Dear Ana,
Thanks.
Spacing your stitches evenly comes with practice…sometimes a lot, especially if you are a beginner. So, don’t worry of you not getting it so well now.
One thing you can do is try to use your needle to scale the space. That is, try to bring the needle in and out to only a certain length everytime before you go in and out of the fabric again. I hope you followed me and it helps. Let me know.
Dear Sarah,
I have such a basic question. Should I always use two strands of the Sashiko thread? It is so thick that way and I have a hard time with the thread twisting.
Thank you for your help.
Barb Flory
Dear Barb,
You don’t have follow any rule of taking 2 strands of sashiko thread always. Keep yourself flexible and inventive in embroidery. If you feel the thread is too thick to stitch with, use just 1 strand. Generally, the thickness is of that of perle cotton #5, but that is not a rule, ‘coz a lot depends on how thick your fabric is too.
I hope this helped.
Hi, lovely tutorials.
I note you say running stitch normally shows more on the top than the underside. That would be true of running stitch used as a decorative stitch, but used as a construction stitch the aim is usually to have more on the underside than the right side to minimise the stitch showing. I know you’re doing a sampler of decorative stitches, so this doesn’t apply to you, but I think the dictinction that big stitch on top only applies to decorative stitches is an important one to make.
Suggestion of more decorative stitches to add: long armed (aka asymmetrical) cross stitch
Dear Teffania,
Thanks for indicating this difference. It should be useful to many.
Hi sarah ,
You have done a very good job
, actually i was wondering wat to do , coz i just got married and was with my hubby outside India … ,I always wanted to learn embriodery .. but here i dine know where and it was far from my place … was going through the website,,, found very useful …. learning all the stitches .. very informative … i would like to thank you with my soul and heart … thank god i am not wasting my time .. i am making it useful ….