Embroidery Ideas How the patterns are made
Running stitch on cotton: straight rows, waves, a circle and a spiral
Running stitch, generated from the same geometry as the practice sheet

Embroidery stitches / Running stitch

Running stitch

Running stitch is the simplest embroidery stitch: the needle goes up and down along a line, leaving even stitches on the front with small gaps between them. Bring the needle up at the start, go down one stitch length along, come up again a short gap further on, and repeat. Aim for about 3 mm (1/8 in) stitches with 1.5 mm (1/16 in) gaps.

  • Beginner
  • Line stitch
  • 3 mm stitches, 1.5 mm gaps

Free practice sheet

Straight lines, curves, a circle and a spiral, with a dot at each end of every stitch

Print at "Actual size" (100%), then check that the scale bar measures 5 cm, so the marks are true to size. Trace the lines onto fabric. Each stitch runs from one dot to the next; skip the gap to the following dot.

In real thread

A line of running stitch in white floss on yellow cotton
Running stitch in white floss on yellow cotton. Photo: Most Craft (mostcraft.com), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped.

Before you start

  • Needle: an embroidery (crewel) needle, size 7 to 9 for two or three strands. Its long eye takes floss easily.
  • Strands: six-strand floss comes as six thin threads twisted together. Cut about 45 cm (18 in), pull out the strands you need one at a time, then lay them back together.
  • Starting: for the first thread, tie a small knot at the end and come up from the back. For line stitches, a waste knot is neater: knot the end, go down on the front about 5 cm (2 in) away along your line, stitch toward it so your stitches cover the tail on the back, then cut the knot off.
  • Finishing: on the back, slide the needle under three or four stitches, then trim. Once there are stitches on the back, start each new thread by sliding it under them too, without a knot.

Step by step

  1. Running stitch, step 1: Bring the needle up from the back at 1, at the start of the line. Go down at 2, one stitch length along the line.

    Bring the needle up from the back at 1, at the start of the line. Go down at 2, one stitch length along the line.

  2. Running stitch, step 2: Skip a short gap along the line (on the back, the thread carries across it) and come up at 3. Go down at 4, so the second stitch is as long as the first.

    Skip a short gap along the line (on the back, the thread carries across it) and come up at 3. Go down at 4, so the second stitch is as long as the first.

  3. Running stitch, step 3: Keep going along the line, one stitch at a time: needle straight down, then straight up. With the fabric out of the hoop or only loosely hooped, you can instead rock the needle to load two to four stitches before pulling through, the way sashiko is sewn.

    Keep going along the line, one stitch at a time: needle straight down, then straight up. With the fabric out of the hoop or only loosely hooped, you can instead rock the needle to load two to four stitches before pulling through, the way sashiko is sewn.

Filled dot: the needle comes up. Ring: the needle goes down. Arrow: the way the thread lies on the front.

Faster: the sewing method

Running stitch worked with the sewing method: the needle loaded through the cloth in one move

With the fabric in your hand (or loosely hooped), rock the needle down and up along the line to load two or three stitches, 1 to 5 here, then pull the floss through in one go. This is how sashiko is sewn: it is faster and keeps the stitches even. On drum-tight fabric, stitch one at a time instead.

Solid needle: on top of the cloth. Dashed: underneath.

Front and back

Running stitch, front and back of the same stitches

The back is the front with stitches and gaps swapped: a short bridge of floss under each gap. With 3 mm (1/8 in) stitches and 1.5 mm (1/16 in) gaps, the back shows less thread than the front, which is what you want.

The back is drawn as if seen through the cloth, so its holes line up with the front.

Tips

  • Keep every stitch the same length; the gaps can be shorter than the stitches. 3 mm (1/8 in) stitches with 1.5 mm (1/16 in) gaps is the rhythm of sashiko, about two stitches per centimetre.
  • On tight curves, shorten the stitches to about 2 mm (a little over 1/16 in) so the line follows the curve instead of cutting across it.
  • Pull each stitch only until it lies flat. A tight running stitch gathers the fabric.
  • Use two or three strands of six-strand floss for a clear line; one strand gives a fine dotted line.

Common mistakes

  • Stitches that drift in length: mark the holes (the practice sheet does) until the rhythm is in your hand.
  • A line that wanders off the drawing: come up exactly on the traced line, not beside it.
  • Puckered fabric: the thread was pulled too tight. Stitching one at a time in a hoop makes this easier to control.

Patterns to use it on

Sashiko patterns
All six templates are worked in running stitch, with the stitches already drawn.
Hitomezashi
The easiest: one running stitch per grid square.

Questions

What is the difference between running stitch and backstitch?
Running stitch moves forward and leaves gaps, so the line is dashed. Backstitch goes back to close each gap, so the line is solid.
How long should a running stitch be?
For embroidery lines, about 3 mm (1/8 in) with 1.5 mm (1/16 in) gaps. Shorter stitches make a finer, more dotted line; longer ones look bolder but snag more easily.
Is running stitch strong enough for clothes?
For decoration and sashiko, yes. To hold a seam that takes strain, use backstitch instead.

More stitches

Sources

Updated