Backstitch Definition | Apparel Search

Backstitch, or back stitch, and its variants stem stitch, outline stitch and split stitch form a class of embroidery and sewing stitches in which individual stitches are made backward to the general direction of sewing. The stitches form lines, so they are used most often to outline shapes and add fine detail to an embroidered picture. Basic backstitch outlines shapes in modern cross-stitch, Assisi embroidery and occasionally blackwork, follows smooth and complicated outlines equally well, and serves as a foundation row for more complex stitches such as herringbone ladder filling stitch.

Backstitch or back stitch and its variants stem stitch, outline stitch and split stitch are a class of embroidery and sewing stitches in which individual stitches are made backward to the general direction of sewing. These stitches form lines and are most often used to outline shapes or to add fine detail to an embroidered picture.

Applications for this type of stitching:

Basic backstitch is used to outline shapes in modern cross-stitch, in Assisi embroidery and occasionally in blackwork.

A versatile and easy to work stitch, backstitch is ideal for following both smooth and complicated outlines and as a foundation row for more complex embroidery stitches such as Herringbone ladder filling stitch. Although superficially similar to Holbein stitch, commonly used in Blackwork embroidery, backstitch differs in the way it is worked, requiring a single journey only to complete a line of stitching.

Stem stitch is an ancient technique; surviving mantles embroidered with stem stitch by the Paracas people of Peru are dated to the first century BCE. Stem stitch is used in the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth probably dating to the later 1070s, for lettering and to outline areas filled with couching or laid-work.

Split stitch in silk is characteristic of Opus Anglicanum, an embroidery style of Medieval England.

Description of the technique

Backstitch is most easily worked on an even-weave fabric, where the threads can be counted to ensure regularity, and is generally executed from right to left. The stitches are worked in a 'two steps forward, one step back' fashion, along the line to be filled, as shown in the diagram.

back-stitch-sewing-technique

Neatly worked in a straight line this stitch resembles machine stitching.

The back stitch can also be used as a hand-sewing sewing utility stitch to attach two pieces of fabric together.

Variants

Variants of backstitch include:

Basic backstitch or point de sable.
Threaded backstitch
Pekinese stitch, a looped interlaced backstitch
Stem stitch, in which each stitch overlaps the previous stitch to one side, forming a twisted line of stitching, with the thread passing below the needle. It is generally used for outlining shapes and for stitching flower stems and tendrils.
Whipped stem stitch
Outline stitch, sometimes distinguished from stem stitch in that the thread passes above rather than below the needle.
Split stitch, in which the needle pierces the thread rather than returning to one side.

A Line Stitch That Goes Back to Go Forward

Backstitch earns its name from its movement. The needle comes up ahead of the previous stitch and goes back down into the end of it, so each new stitch overlaps backward before the thread travels forward again. The result on the surface is a continuous, unbroken line with no gaps, quite different from the dashed line of a running stitch. That continuity is why backstitch is the default outlining stitch in so many embroidery traditions: lettering, stems, facial features and the edges of motifs all need a line that reads as solid at normal viewing distance.

Worked by hand as a utility sewing stitch, the same backward movement makes backstitch the strongest of the common hand stitches. Each stitch locks against the one before it, so a hand-sewn seam in backstitch resists pulling apart far better than a seam in running stitch. Before sewing machines, backstitch was the stitch of strong seams, and it is still the hand stitch chosen for small repairs, for sewing where a machine cannot reach, and for attaching two pieces of fabric together firmly by hand.

Stem, Outline and Split: One Family, Three Lines

The variants differ in how the thread is handled, and each produces a visibly different line. In stem stitch each stitch overlaps the previous one to one side, forming a twisted, rope-like line, with the thread passing below the needle; it is the classic choice for flower stems and tendrils. Outline stitch is sometimes distinguished from stem stitch only by the thread passing above rather than below the needle, a small change that reverses the direction of the twist. In split stitch the needle pierces the thread of the previous stitch rather than returning beside it, splitting the fibres and giving a fine, slightly textured line that suits smooth shading and the silk work characteristic of Opus Anglicanum, the embroidery style of medieval England.

The family's age is considerable. Stem stitch is an ancient technique: surviving mantles embroidered with it by the Paracas people of Peru date to the first century BCE, and stem stitch in the Bayeux Tapestry, probably dating to the later 1070s, is used for lettering and to outline areas filled with couching or laid-work. Threaded backstitch and Pekinese stitch extend the family further, lacing or looping a second thread through a foundation row of backstitch to build a heavier, decorative line.

Backstitch and Holbein Stitch

Backstitch is superficially similar to Holbein stitch, commonly used in blackwork embroidery, but the two differ in the way they are worked. Holbein stitch requires a return journey to fill the gaps of the first pass, while backstitch completes its line in a single journey. For the embroiderer the practical difference is speed and thread path; for the viewer, a well-worked line of either is a clean outline. In modern cross-stitch, backstitch is added last, over completed crosses, to define edges and details, and its regularity depends on counting the even-weave fabric so every stitch covers the same number of threads.

Common Questions

What is backstitch?

Backstitch is a class of embroidery and sewing stitch in which individual stitches are made backward to the general direction of sewing. It forms lines used to outline shapes and add fine detail.

How is backstitch worked?

Backstitch is worked in a “two steps forward, one step back” fashion along the line to be filled, most easily on even-weave fabric where threads can be counted. Neatly worked in a straight line it resembles machine stitching.

What are the main variants of backstitch?

Variants include basic backstitch, threaded backstitch, Pekinese stitch, stem stitch, whipped stem stitch, outline stitch and split stitch, in which the needle pierces the thread rather than returning to one side.

Backstitch