the back stitch

The lovely, lowly, irreplaceable back stitch. Use this stitch to outline, letter, trace a pattern or take it to the next level and weave some yarn in and out of it's stitches. Its easy and neat. With some practice and a few tips, you'll look like a pro in no time at all.

1. Make a knot at the end of your embroidery thread and bring your first stitch up from the wrong side of the fabric.
Tip- (If you want to keep your line very straight, you can draw a very faint line with pencil, or use a marker that disappears in time or with a splash of water.)

2. As in the name, the back stitch, your stitches start behind and go forward. Insert your need above or in front of where your needle emerged. In one motion, bring the tip of the needle down and up through your line, heading forward, in the direction of your stitches. Gently pull the thread through. If you keep your stitches small, you can go around curves easily and smoothly. If your stitches are too long, they may snag, this is more true of embroidered objects that are functional, such as a pincushion.
Tip- Keep your tension uniform from stitch to stitch. Don't pull it tight. If you leave just a tiny bit slack, you can give your fabric a gentle tug. This will even out your stitches automatically.

3. Simply continue stitching as in step 2. Keep moving down your line until you are finished. When you get to the end of your line, bring the needle to the back of your project. Simple weave the end under a near-by stitch. You can then create a knot at the back. If I am making a functional item, I always knot. If I am creating something decorative, I may just weave the end through a few more stitches. This enables you to keep your project from looking bumpy or thick. You can also replace the knot with some fray stopping product or washable fabric glue.