2. TAILORING
It is the craft of fastening or attaching objects
using stitches made with a needle and thread.
Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts,
arising in the Paleolithic era ( stone age).
3. TAILORING
Before the invention of spinning yarn
or weaving fabric, archaeologists believe Stone Age
people across Europe and Asia sewed fur and skin
clothing using bone, antler or ivory needles and
"thread" made of various animal body parts
including sinew, catgut, and veins.
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For thousands of years, all sewing was done by
hand.
The invention of the sewing machine in the 19th
century and the rise of computerization in the 20th
century led to mass production and export of sewn
objects, but hand sewing is still practiced around the
world.
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Fine hand sewing is a characteristic of high-
quality tailoring, haute couture fashion, and
custom dressmaking, and is pursued by both textile
artists and hobbyists as a means of creative
expression.
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Modern sewing machines have all but eliminated
the need for hand sewing.
Gone are the days of constructing a garment by
hand with a needle and thread.
That being said, there are still many places where
hand-sewing stitches are necessary for a high-
quality finish.
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Moreover, there is something satisfying about
adding the smooth finish of a hand-stitched hem or
crocheted button loop, for instance.
The joy of constructing something with your hands
never gets old.
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In order to do any hand stitching, you’re going to
need sewing tools like need high-quality needles,
thread, and scissors.
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In addition, you may want to invest in a small ruler,
tailor’s chalk or marking pencil, and straight pins.
And depending on the types of finishing, you will
also need both narrow and wide bias tape, hem
tape, narrow stretch lace, and pinking shears.
10. HAND SEWING STITCHES-
RUNNING STITCH
The running stitch is the most basic of
the hand sewing stitches, and has many variations.
It’s used for gathering, mending, and tucking.
Depending on its use, you an either knot your
thread or take a couple of back stitches to lock it
into place.
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In its longer form, it becomes a basting stitch.
Bring your needle through the fabric from the back
(wrong side).
Once the knot hits the fabric, make a stitch to the
left or right. Bring the thread back up and repeat.
12. BASTING STITCH
Use the same technique as the running stitch, but
make longer stitches (between 1/4 inch and a 1/2
inch).
Today, we tend to pin baste more than hand baste
our garments and projects, but hand basting can
still be useful, especially with both lightweight (silk
and chiffon) and heavyweight (leather and Melton)
wools.
13. BACKSTITCH
Before sewing machines, all clothes were built by
layer upon layer of backstitches.
Working from left to right, take a small stitch, then
insert the needle at the end of the previous stitch,
bringing it out beyond the point where the thread
emerges.
Continue, always inserting the needle in the end of
the previous stitch.
14. CATCH STITCH (CROSS-STITCH)
You can use this stitch to to finish hems with fabric
that doesn’t fray, and to tack facing invisibly.
Working from left to right, take tiny stitches on the
hem, and then on the garment. Keep the stitches
loose and even. They will appear as crosses on the
wrong side and small stitches on the right.
15. SLIP STITCH
This is my go-to stitch when it comes to hems and
other finishes. It’s tidy and almost invisible, when
it’s done right, and with care on both sides.
Bring the needle through the fold of the hem and
pick up a thread of fabric at the same point. Make
the stitches about a 1/2 inch apart and fairly loose.
16. BLANKET STITCH (BUTTONHOLE
STITCH)
If you want to sew eyelets or buttonholes by hand,
learn the buttonhole stitch.
Secure the thread on the wrong side of the fabric,
then with the right side facing upward, insert the
needle from back to front through the fabric 1/8
inch from the edge.
Wrap the working head around behind the eye end
of the needle, then behind the point.
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Pull the needle through, bringing the knot to the
fabric edge.
Continue, making closely spaced stitches and knot.
The eyelet version is worked in a circle, with the
wrapped edge to the inside; the blanket stitch
variation has at least a 1/4 inch spacing between
stitches.
18. SEWING MACHINE STITCHES
Standard Forward / Backward Stitching
Begin straight stitching 1/8-3/8 inch from the fabric edge. Backstitch
the forward stitch over the pinned or basted seam. Repeat the
reverse stitch to finish.
You can use the straight stitch for seams, under stitching, stay
stitching, and simple top stitching.
19. ZIGZAG STITCH
The zigzag stitch provides a clean finish to raw
edges, and you can use it as a finish technique in
combination with a stay stitching line.
You can adjust both the width and length of this
stitch.
20. BUTTONHOLES
The good news is that most sewing machines can make
buttonholes, either with a fully-automatic buttonhole
foot attachment, or in the case of some mechanical and
most computerized machines, a pre-programmed
buttonhole.
Check your machine’s manual for these details.
21. BLIND HEM STITCH
This sewing machine stitch consists of two or three
straight stitches, and then one wide zigzag / catch
stitch.
Just as in the hand-stitched version of the blind
hem, the fabric is folded under and away with the
hem edge just projecting.
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The stitches show as a small dot on the right side.
There is a special machine foot that keeps the fabric
folded away.
This technique requires a lot of practice, and I
recommend learning on lots of scrap fabric.
23. BIAS TAPE
This is mostly used on unlined jackets and skirts.
Using purchased 5/8 inch bias tape, enclose the raw
edge with the tape and stitch through all layers.
Commercial bias tape
is slightly wider on one side; that side should be on the
underneath the fabric.
You can also make your own bias tape in contrasting or
matching fabric.
24. PINKED SEAMS
Pinked seams are the simplest of seam finishes.
Using pinking shears, trim away as little of the
seam allowance as possible.
This version is best used on wools and polyester
fleece and is not very hard wearing.
25. PINKED SEAMS
A better version of this finish is to machine stitch
1/4 inch from the seam, then trim the edges with
pinking shears.
26. HAND OVERCAST
The hand overcast seam finish is used as an
alternative to the zigzag stitch in small areas or on
very thick fabrics.
27. TOP STITCH
The top stitch creates a hard hem line, and can
be used to strengthen a seam or as a decorative
finish.
Press the seams opens and then stitch in place from
the wrong side.
The seam are often pinked beforehand,
sometimes with a contrasting bobbin thread.
