How to Backstitch
If you enjoy embroidery or cross-stitching, it's important to know how to backstitch. A good backstitch can help you outline a picture or make neat letters.
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Instructions
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Separate your floss into at least two strands. The more strands you have, the thicker and neater the backstitch looks.
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2
Thread the needle and decide where you want to place your line or border on your fabric.
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3
Starting from behind the fabric, push the needle through the fabric and pull toward you.
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4
Push the needle back down through the fabric. For a smaller project, push it back in a short distance from where it came out. For a larger project, or a longer straight line, you can lengthen the distance. Don't make the stitch too long, or the backstitch will be hard to make turn a corner or curve.
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Find the middle of the stitch you just made. Push the needle back up through the fabric, through the center of the stitch. The needle should come in between the two strands of floss (or four, or six, depending on how thick you made the stitch).
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Push the needle back down in a spot approximately the same length as the half-stitch you just made. In other words, if you started with a 1-inch stich, then split the floss at the half-inch point. Start the next stitch a half-inch beyond where the last one ended.
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Continue this process until you have created the line you need.
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If you need the line to curve or turn a corner, shorten the stitches at the point where the curve or turn takes place. Shorter stitches will make the turn look neater. Then, instead of pushing the needle between the floss, you may want to place the needle just under the point where you would normally split it.
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Tips & Warnings
The key to making a curve or turn in backstitch is shortening up the stitches and keeping things gradual.
To make a sharp corner or turn, you may want to place the backwards stitch just under or over the previous stitch, instead of splitting it.
Longer stitches often look awkward or messy. The shorter, the better.
- Photo Credit Public domain, from Wikipedia
