Chapter 26 Basic Sewing Skills 463 Hand-Stitched Hems To secure a hem with hand stitches, use a fi ne needle with a single thread. Hold the garment so the hem is on top and facing you. Stitch from right to left if you are right-handed or left to right if you are left-handed. Space the stitches evenly for a neat look. Keep the stitches slightly loose so the fabric does not pucker. You can use several types of hand stitches for securing hems. These include the hemming stitch, slip stitch, blind stitch, and catch stitch. See 26-34 for illustrations of these stitches. • Hemming stitch. The hemming stitch is a strong hand-sewing stitch. You can use it for hems with almost any type of fi nish. Secure the thread in the hem edge with a knot or small backstitch. Pick up a yarn from the garment. Then bring the needle straight up or at an angle through the hem allowance. Move about ¼ inch to the left, and pick up another yarn from the garment. Repeat this process making stitches across the hem edge. When you reach the end of the thread, secure it with a backstitch in the hem edge and begin again. • Slip stitch. The slip stitch hardly shows on either side of the fabric. The thread is hidden under a fold along the edge of the hem allowance. Since a fold is needed, this stitch is used for hems with a turned- and-stitched fi nish or a bias tape fi nish. Secure the thread in the hem edge. Pick up a yarn from the garment. Bring the needle straight up and into the fold on the hem edge, then across about ¼ inch inside the fold. Next, bring the needle straight down, and pick up another yarn from the garment. Repeat this process around hem. • Blind stitch. The blind stitch shows even less than the slip stitch. The thread is hidden from view because it lies between the hem allowance and the garment. This is an advantage because it prevents the thread from wearing and snagging. The stitches are loose to allow the two layers of fabric to move slightly without pulling. Secure the thread in the hem edge. Fold the hem edge up, away from the garment. Pick up a yarn from the garment. Move the needle diagonally up and to the left about ¼ inch. Pick up a yarn from the hem allowance. Move the needle diagonally down and to the left, and pick up a yarn from the garment. Make the stitches loose, repeating them around the hem. • Catch stitch. This stitch is good to use with knits and fabrics that stretch because it gives. It can also be used to attach facings at seams. Work from left to right with the needle pointing to the left. Take a stitch through the edge of the hem. Take a tiny stitch in the garment ¼ inch to Hemming stitchch Slip stitch Catch Blind stitch Hemming stit Sli p stitch Catch ststitchchit 26-34 Use one of these stitches to secure the hem. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher