1 Helpful Stitch for Home Sewing

Slip Stitch or Steps Stitch

There are many amazing DIY projects that require a bit of sewing, but that doesn't mean you have to run right out and buy a sewing machine! Much can be done yourself, so we've rounded up six common stitches which you can use on a myriad of projects for home decor, complete with step-by-step photo tutorials.

What you need

Materials

Needle

Thread

Scissors

Instructions

This stitch is perfectly for closing up a handmade pillow. It's undetectable, rendering it suitable for finishing hems. Use a thread that matches your fabric and all you'll see is a tiny amount of ticking.

1. Thread your needle and tie a knot in the end of the thread. Bring the needle out through the fabric from the inside of the crease of the hem which means your end knot stays hidden.

2. Position the needle directly across from the exit point of the first stitch so that it extends back through to the inside of the opposite crease. The point is to bring the two sides of fabric together at exactly the same points on each side to hide the stitch.

3. To progress, move your needle an 1/8 of an inch or so forward, and bring it back up along that same side.

4. Pull the thread through that stitch and move the needle across to the other side of fabric, entering at the exact same point you did on the other side.

5. Pull the thread through and repeat step 4, moving to the opposite side of fabric.

6. When you have closed the gap, the thread closing your seam will resemble rungs of a steps.

7. To make the stitch undetectable, pull the tail of your thread taut, while smoothing out your seam.

Don't forget to always use a matching thread to make your stitch truly undetectable!