Buzz
Whether you're embroidering a pillow, mending a shirt, or sewing a blanket, knowing how to finish a stitch is essential. For hand stitching, simply loop the thread through the final stitch, pass the needle through the loop, and pull tightly to secure it. It's even easier with a sewing machine – just sew a few stitches in reverse and trim the thread.
Steps
Hand Sewing
Turn the fabric inside out. Flip the fabric over so the wrong side is facing up. The knots that finish the stitch will be on the wrong side rather than the right. You'll also be able to see the length of the stitches you just made.
Tip: Leave at least 15 cm of thread on the needle to ensure you can finish the stitch without it coming undone.
Insert the needle under the nearest stitch and pull through to form a loop. Insert the needle beneath the stitch closest to the thread and pull across until the thread forms a loop that's at least 2.5 cm wide.
- If the thread left on the needle isn't long enough, it will be difficult to create this loop. In that case, add more thread to the needle, then pass the needle through the newly added thread.
Pass the needle through the loop and pull tight to form a knot. Bring the needle over the loop until it's nearly closed, then pass the needle through the loop and pull to tighten it into a knot.
- If you pull on the thread, you'll see three small strands at the base of the knot.
Make another loop to create a double knot. For thicker fabric or a more secure stitch finish, you can pass the needle through the same stitch again to form another loop, then pass the needle through and tighten it.
- These knots will not be visible on the front of the fabric.
Cut off the excess thread and flip the fabric over. Use sharp scissors to trim close to the knot. If there is a small amount of excess thread, it's fine, as it won't be visible. Finally, turn the fabric over to view your completed stitch.
- Don't worry about cutting too close to the knot; as long as it's tightened properly, the knot won't unravel.
Sewing with a Machine
Sew with a machine until you're about 2cm from the fabric edge. You can choose from different stitch types, such as a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch. Continue sewing until you're near the edge of the fabric and prepare to finish the stitch.
- If you're new to machine sewing and finishing seams, it's recommended to practice with scrap fabric until you become familiar with using the sewing machine.
Press the reverse stitch button. Depending on the type of machine, the reverse stitch button may be located near the stitch selector and usually appears as a small circular button with a U-shaped arrow, indicating that the machine will sew in reverse.
- For some machines, you may need to press and hold the reverse stitch button while sewing. Check if your machine requires you to do this or if just pressing the button once will initiate and stop the reverse stitching.
Sew in reverse for 3 to 5 stitches. After pressing the reverse stitch button, use the handwheel or foot pedal to sew 3 to 5 stitches in reverse. The machine will sew these stitches over the straight or zigzag stitches you made earlier.
- Using the handwheel gives you more control when only sewing a few stitches compared to using the foot pedal.
Tip: To make the finishing stitches more secure, you can adjust the stitch length. Use shorter stitches so they are less likely to unravel or be pulled out, unlike longer stitches.
Sew towards the fabric edge. Release the reverse stitch button and sew straight or zigzag stitches over the previous ones. Continue sewing until you reach the edge of the fabric. The stitches are now securely locked in place.
- At the fabric edge, you will have three layers of stitches overlapping each other to secure the seam.
Lift the needle and cut the thread. Use the handwheel to raise the needle and the presser foot, then slide the finished fabric out and cut the thread close to the last stitch.
- Cut the thread near the fabric, not too close to the needle, to avoid the thread slipping off the needle.
- Some sewing machines have a built-in thread cutter on the side. You just need to press the thread against this cutter to trim it.
Tip
- If you often accidentally prick your fingers with the needle, consider using a thimble to protect your fingers.
- If you can pull the fabric apart without the seam coming undone, then it is securely fastened.
Things You'll Need
Hand Stitching
- Thread
- Needle
- Fabric
- Scissors
Machine Sewing
- Sewing Machine
- Fabric
