Fashion Designing Class Note 37 (Types of Seams)

Types of Stitches

• Types of Stitches by Machine
  • Straight Stitch
  • Zig Zag Stitch
  • Overcast Stitch
  • Buttonhole Stitch
  • Blind Hem Stitch
  • Decorative Stitches
• Types of Stitches by Hand
  • Running Stitch
  • Backstitch
  • Blanket Stitch
  • Buttonhole Stitch
  • Catch Stitch
  • Chain Stitch
  • Chevron Stitch
  • Couching Stitch
  • Cross Stitch
  • Faggoting
  • Feather Stitch
  • Fern Stitch
  • Fishbone Stitch
  • Fly Stitch
  • French Knots
  • Herringbone Stitch
  • Invisible Stitch (ladder Stitch)
  • Lazy Daisy
  • Long and Short Stitch
  • Sashiko Stitch
  • Satin stitch
  • Seed Stitch
  • Slip Stitch
  • Smocking
  • Split Stitch
  • Stem Stitch
  • Straight Stitch
  • Web Stitch
  • Whip Stitch
• Types of Stitches – In Conclusion

TYPES OF STITCHES

I have broken this article into machine stitches and hand sewing stitches as people usually have a preference for one or the other. Of course machine types of stitches are quicker but there are many decorative effects that you can only get with hand stitching. Hand stitching can still give you great results even if you don’t have a sewing machine

Types of Stitches

• Machine stitches
• Hand stitches

TYPES OF STITCHES BY MACHINE

While modern sewing machines may have many or even dozens of fancy stitches available, the most common types of stitches are straight stitch, zig-zag, buttonhole stitch and an overcast stitch.

Here is an overview of the stitches we will cover.

Types of Stitches with a Sewing Machine (1) Straight Stitch (2) Zig-Zag (3) Overcast Stitch (4) Buttonhole Stitch (5) Blind Stitch (6) Decorative Stitch

STRAIGHT STITCH

We all know straight stitch. Lovely little stitches all in a row. You can vary the stitch length to suit different fabrics or decorative looks. This will be the most used types of stitches on your sewing machine. Use it to sew seams, hems, topstitch and even finish edges.

Here are some straight stitches in varying lengths. For most projects in light to medium weight cotton fabric, start with a test on a scrap of fabric at 2.5 lengths. See how it looks and adjust it accordingly. Like all sewing machine stitches, you will need to make sure you check your sewing machine tension. This means that the stitches should look nice and even and not loopy on both the back and front of the fabric.

Further Reading: How to Use a Sewing Machine

ZIG ZAG STITCH

Zigzag stitch goes from side to side in varying widths and lengths. It can be used for seam finishes, applique and stretch seams. If you are sewing leotards or swimwear, then zig-zag is essential for sewing elastic in the legs and neck.

Further Reading: Zig-zag stitch

OVERCAST STITCH

Overcast or overlock stitch is used primarily for finishing seams. Unlike a serger, it does not cut the raw edge of the fabric. For this reason, it is important that your edge is pre-cut nice and neat. Most machines will come with a special presser foot to sew this stitch which prevents the edge from rolling and gives your fabric a guide.

Further Reading: Overcast Stitch

BUTTONHOLE STITCH

A buttonhole stitch is very similar to a zig-zag stitch but many modern machines have a special function for this. It is an extremely close stitch with very few gaps.

Further Reading: How to Sew a Buttonhole

BLIND HEM STITCH

Blind hem stitch is used for invisible wide hems on skirts and pants. It uses a varying width zig-zag stitch and is a preset on most machines.

Further Reading: How to Sew a Blind Hem

DECORATIVE STITCHES

These are not used for everyday sewing but rather for decorating your sewing projects. They are a bit of fun that can individualize anything you make. The number of decorative stitches will vary wildly between machines and brands.

As a general rule, the more expensive the machine the more decorative stitches you will have to choose from. Don’t feel bad if your machine hardly has any. My main machine only has about 8 of them and I only use them once in a blue moon. Probably less!

TYPES OF STITCHES BY HAND

If you are new to hand stitching, you may want to read a couple of these articles to get you started.

oidery Basics

Tools

How to Thread a Needle

• Hand Sewing Needles
• Embroidery Tools
• How to Embroider
• Hand Stitching
• Embroidery Flowers
• Embroidery Leaves

RUNNING STITCH

I put this stitch first even though the rest of the list is alphabetical because out of all the hand stitches, this is the one that gets used the most. It is quick, super easy and even beginners can do this stitch.

Running stitch is a simple up and down stitch that can be used for decorative embroidery and simple seams. The stitches can be large or small but the closer the stitches the stronger any seams will be. If you are using the running stitch for embroidery, keep in mind that longer stitches can be prone to catching.

Most of the time the running stitches are kept fairly even, but interesting effects can be achieved by varying the stitch and gap lengths.

Full Article: Running Stitch

Running Stitch