The straight or running stitch is the basic
stitch in hand-
sewing and
embroidery, on which all other forms of sewing are based. The stitch is worked by passing the
needle in and out of the
fabric at a regular distance.[2] All other stitches are created by varying the straight stitch in length, spacing, and direction.
Some sources only use the term straight stitch to refer to the individual stitch or its family of related stitches,[3] while others use it interchangeably with or in place of running stitch.[4] Running stitch will never be used to refer to a single stitch since a single running stitch is a straight stitch.
Running stitches are most often not visible as they are used to close
seams.[5]
Running stitches are used in hand-sewing and
tailoring to sew basic seams, hems and
gathers; in hand
patchwork to assemble pieces of light fabrics; and in
quilting to hold the fabric layers and
batting or wadding in place.[7] Loosely spaced rows of short running stitches are used to support
padded satin stitch.
Darning
Darning has two purposes, decorative and functional, though it is often both.[8] Darning for decorative purposes, often referred to as Pattern darning, is an ancient technique in which parallel rows of straight stitches in varying lengths are arranged to form geometric patterns.[9]JapaneseKogin embroidery is a pattern darning style from the island of
Honshū, often worked in white
cottonthread on rough, dark blue
indigo-dyedlinen.[6]
Running stitches are a component of many traditional embroidery styles, including
kantha of
India and
Bangladesh, and
Japanesesashiko quilting and other embroidery styles such as pattern darning and redwork.[10]
Related stitches
The running stitch family includes looped running stitches, laced running stitches, whipped running stitches, and others like the Holbein stitch, seed stitch and more.[11]
Basting stitches, also called "tailor's tack", are long-running stitches used to keep two pieces of fabric or
trim aligned during final sewing, or to otherwise temporarily sew two pieces together.
Darning stitches are closely spaced
parallel rows of running stitches used to fill or reinforce worn areas of a textile, or as decoration.
Holbein or double-running stitches have a second row of running stitches worked in a reverse direction in between the stitches of the first pass, to make a solid line of stitching.
Double darning stitches are closely spaced (but not overlapping) rows of Holbein stitches.[12]
Caulfield, S.F.A., and B.C. Saward, The Dictionary of Needlework, 1885.
Christie, Grace (Mrs. Archibald Christie: Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving, London, John Hogg, 1912
Eaton, Jan. Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, Revised by Jan Eaton. London: Hodder&Stoughton, 1989.
ISBN0-340-51075-7
Enthoven, Jacqueline: The Creative Stitches of Embroidery, Van Norstrand Rheinhold, 1964,
ISBN0-442-22318-8
Reader's Digest, Complete Guide to Needlework. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (March 1992).
ISBN0-89577-059-8
Levey, S. M. and D. King, The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection Vol. 3: Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1993,
ISBN1-85177-126-3