PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
Once you have inserted the needle in the goods do not remove it until the needle has all the material on it that it will hold.
Running stitches for ordinary purposes are made usually about one-eighth of an inch long. However, an old rule which always holds true is "The finer the material, the shorter the stitch."
Keep in mind two things in practicing to make running stitches. Make them as evenly as possible and keep them in a straight line. A crooked seam is an acknowledgment of the lack of practice.
It is a good idea for the beginner to mark the exact stitching line with a tracing wheel run along the edge of a ruler.
Back Stitch.—One might almost call this a stay stitch for that is its purpose. If you want hand sewing that is firm use back stitches. See Fig. 41.
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Fig. (41) Back stitches hold the goods firmly.
They are formed by inserting the needle as for a running stitch, bringing it out on the right side of the goods and inserting it a second time at the point where it was first
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