The Back Stitch is Super Easy!
Table of Contents
Just like the running stitch, the back stitch one of the most basic of basic stitches and you'll undoubtedly use it quite often. Just imagine the running stitch which is like those dashed lines you see on the highway with gaps, except with the back stitch you'll remove those gaps and bring the stitches together. They can be straight or curved and can be made in any direction.
The back stitch is used for outlines, filling in spaces, and things like lettering. When you fill in space, just create your row of back stitches then create another row right next to it. You can make the stitch lengths all the same, or you lay them in a way that gives them a brick layer effect, or you can be random with their lengths for an organic approach. However you use it to fill a space it will add some lovely texture to your work.
As the name suggests, the back stitch is created by going back one stitch length to the end of the previous stitch. It's a bit easier to explain if you pop down to the visual tutorial below. You'll see what I mean shortly. I'll pass along some helpful tips in the end so your stitches will look as perfect as can be. If you need a bit more visual I've also included a video.
If you're interested in learning a few other variation to this stitch I have a whole blog post with 5 easy tutorials. And yup, there's a video tutorial to go with it!
Step by step Back Stitch Tutorial
Here’s a comparison of the running stitch and back stitch. The back stitch looks somewhat similar to the running stitch, but without the gaps.
- Start the back stitch the same way you would a running stitch, by adding one simple stitch.
- Come up one stitch length away, then go back to the end of your first stitch and return to the back. Then repeat this step until you’re happy.
Tips & Tidbits
Here are some tips to help you make your back stitch look as perfect as possible.
- When you enter through a hole that already has thread in it, be careful that you don't pierce through the thread which will separate it a bit and create a little bulb.
- Each time to you create a new stitch try your best to line it up with the previous stitch. If it's even slightly off it'll be noticeable. You can push your needle partly through then pull it back out. You'll be able to see the needle hole to tell if you're off to the side or on center.
- When using the back stitch for curves use smaller stitches which will make things much smoother.
- Take the time to correct any stitch that looks a bit wonky right away. Trying to fix it later will be difficult since you'll have to remove stitches to do so. It's easy to get a bit lazy about this, and I've been guilty of it at times, but it'll make a different.
Take a few minutes to watch my video tutorial if you'd like, then take a peek at my stitches library for more lessons.
Back Stitch Video Tutorial