Back stitch- Learn to sew Back stitch

Back stitch is also known as point de sable. It is an old and very adaptable stitch which can be used as a delicate outline or as a foundation in composite stitches, such as Pekinese stitch and herringbone ladder filling stitch. Backstitch is the strongest hand stitch and is used to imitate machine stitches. Work backstitch from right to left.

Back stitch is yet another stitch that can be used for outlining. Not much else to say about it, except that it’s pretty simple to do. Another simple hand-embroidery stitch, the backstitch is useful in many applications. It’s commonly seen in counted-thread embroidery, like counted cross stitch, but it’s also used often in free-style surface embroidery.

You can use backstitch to make bold lines or delicate lines, depending on the fabric, thread, and needle you decide to use. There are several variations of backstitch, including the whipped backstitch and Holbein stitch (or running backstitch). You can find more detailed written instructions on this stitch here.

How to do Back stitch:
Bring the thread through on the stitch line and then take a small backward stitch through the fabric. Bring the needle through again a little in front of the first stitch, then take another stitch, inserting the needle at the point where it first came through. In blackwork, a single back stitch is usually worked over one block on aida, over two threads on a single-thread evenweave, or over one pair of threads on 22 count Hardanger fabric.

However, when working on aida, a single stitch may need to be longer to avoid having to pierce through the centre of a block.