Sewing a Seam Closed

When hand sewing use a hand-sewing needle, this is different from a machine needle.

When sewing items like a pillow, crafters should sew them with the fabric turned inside out, leaving a small gap in the seam to later flip the pillow right-side out, and to insert polyester fill or down to fluff up the pillow. When this is done, you have to close the seam by sewing a whip stitch. This will secure the filling and give the pillow or other item a finished seamless look.

Things You'll Need

• Hand-sewing needle
• Thread -- must match the color of the fabric being sewn
• Straight pins
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Flip the fabric so that it is right-side out. Push the seam edges into the inside of the pillow or item you are sewing so that there is an even outer edge and no raw fabric edges showing.

2. Put in straight pins horizontally to hold the fabric that you pushed in in place. Thread the hand-sewing needle with thread that matches the color of the fabric. Tie a knot in the end of the thread

3. Sew the edge of the folded in area by hand with a whip stitch. At the left end of the folded edge push the needle into the inner bottom edge of fabric and bring it out through the inner upper edge of fabric 1/4 in. to the right. Continue this until the entire seam is closed.

4. Remove the straight pins and tie off the end of the thread by making a small stitch and pulling the needle through the loop of thread formed by making this stitch. Do this twice to ensure the seam is secure.

5. Cut the excess thread after the end knot and before the knot at the beginning of the seam.

References

• Cyber Seams: How to Sew By Hand -- Basic Stitches