How to Sew
Thread a needle and sew a running stitch, a backstitch, and a slip stitch by hand, then use them to close a ripped seam and hem a pair of pants.
You will end up able to thread and knot a needle, sew three hand stitches, close a ripped seam, and hem a pair of pants. All of it takes only a needle and thread, with no sewing machine.
Each stitch has one job. The running stitch is for seams that take no strain, the backstitch is for seams that do, and the slip stitch is for hems you do not want to see from the outside. Buttons are a short job of their own and have a separate guide.
A pack of hand-sewing needles of the type called sharps, all-purpose polyester thread (start with black, white, and navy), fabric scissors or any sharp scissors, pins for holding fabric in place, and a measuring tape or ruler. For hemming, add an iron, and a thimble if the fabric is heavy.
Thread the needle and secure the end
Cut 18 to 24 inches of thread. A longer piece tangles, and a shorter one runs out mid-repair. Cut the end at an angle, which makes it easier to pass through the eye of the needle. If it still will not go through, use a needle threader, a small wire tool sold with many packets of needles. For more strength, double the thread by pulling it through until both ends meet and knotting them together. For finer work, keep it single and knot one end. To knot the end, wrap the thread around your index finger once, roll it off with your thumb to create a twist, then pull tight. Match your thread color to the fabric as closely as you can. If you cannot find an exact match, pick the next darker shade. Use all-purpose polyester thread for repairs.
Learn the running stitch for basting and light seams
The running stitch is the simplest stitch. Push the needle down through the fabric, then back up a short distance away. Make each stitch about 1/4 inch long with 1/4 inch between stitches. To go faster, weave the needle down and up through the fabric three or four times before you pull the thread through, which is called loading the needle. Use this stitch for basting (temporary stitching), gathering fabric, and seams that take no strain, with longer stitches for basting and shorter ones for sewing that stays in. For anything that has to hold, use the backstitch in step 3. To gather fabric, sew a long running stitch and leave the end unknotted. Pulling the thread bunches the fabric into gathers.
Learn the backstitch for strong seams
The backstitch is the hand stitch for seams that take strain. It leaves a continuous line of thread with no gaps, like the line a sewing machine makes. Make one running stitch forward. Then insert the needle backward into the end of the previous stitch and bring it up one stitch length ahead of where the thread came out. Every stitch goes back to fill the gap before moving forward. Use the backstitch for any repair that will be under stress: split seams on clothes, ripped bag straps, torn pockets, or any seam that needs to hold up to regular use. It is slower than a running stitch, because every stitch doubles back. The rhythm is forward, back, forward, back. Keep the stitch length consistent, because uneven stitches leave a wobbly line that shows.
Good to know: Make each backstitch 1/4 inch long or shorter. Utah State University Extension's backstitch leaflet teaches it at 1/4 inch, and Oregon State University Extension's hand-sewing fact sheet at 1/16 to 1/8 inch. Shorter stitches take longer and put more thread into every inch of the seam.
Learn the slip stitch for invisible hems
The slip stitch holds a hem without showing on the outside of the garment. Fold the hem to the desired length and pin it in place. Working from right to left (or left to right if you are left-handed), pick up one or two threads of the outer fabric without going all the way through, then slide the needle through the fold of the hem edge. Alternate between the outer fabric and the hem edge every 1/4 inch. When you pull the thread, the stitch disappears into the fold. Use it for hemming pants, skirts, or curtains. Check the right side as you go. The thread should not show there or pull a dent into the fabric.
Fix a ripped seam
Turn the garment inside out to reach the seam. Line up the edges of the fabric where the seam has come apart, and pin them if they shift. Start about 1/2 inch before the rip, so the new stitches anchor into the existing ones, and backstitch along the original seam line through both layers of fabric. Continue 1/2 inch past the end of the rip, so the repair does not come undone at its ends. Knot off on the inside with the finishing knot in step 7. Turn the garment right side out and check that the seam looks straight and the fabric lies flat. The repair does not show from the outside, because it follows the original seam line inside the garment. For seams under heavy stress (armpits, crotch seams, pockets that carry weight), sew a second line of backstitching about 1/8 inch from the first, so one line of thread is not carrying all the strain.
Hem a pair of pants
Put the pants on and fold the excess length up to where you want the hem to fall. Pin it in place. Take the pants off and measure to make sure the fold is even all the way around the leg. Fold the raw edge under by 1/2 inch to hide it, then fold the whole hem up to your pinned line. Pin every few inches. Use the slip stitch from step 4, catching only one or two threads of the outer fabric with each stitch so the stitching does not show on the outside. Work all the way around the leg, keeping your stitches even and removing the pins as you go. Knot off inside the hem (step 7), then press the hem flat with an iron. For heavier fabrics like denim or wool, use a larger needle (a lower size number, as FAQ 2 explains) and push it through the layers with a thimble.
Finish and secure your stitching
When you reach the end of your sewing, check the tension along the whole line before you knot. The thread should not be so tight that it puckers the fabric or so loose that loops show on the right side. Then make a knot on the wrong side (the inside) of the fabric. Take a tiny stitch in place and, before pulling the thread all the way through, pass the needle through the loop. Pull tight. Make two or three of these knots in the same spot. Cut the thread about 1/4 inch from the knot. If you run out of thread mid-repair, tie off where you are with the same knot, rethread your needle, and start again about 1/4 inch before where you stopped, so the new stitches overlap the old ones and leave no gap.
If the fabric puckers along your stitches, the thread is too tight. Snip the knot, pull the stitches out, and sew the line again with less pull. If the thread tangles or knots as you sew, cut a shorter piece next time and stay inside the 18 to 24 inches from step 1. If a repaired seam opens again, it needs the backstitch, plus the second line of stitching from step 5 if it sits at a stress point. Practice the three stitches on scrap fabric, then use them on the next thing that rips. FAQ 2 below covers needle sizes, FAQ 3 stretchy fabric, and FAQ 4 uneven stitches.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Hand sewing is slower but requires no equipment beyond a needle and thread. It is ideal for repairs, small alterations, and situations where precision matters more than speed. Machine sewing is faster, produces more uniform stitches, and is the practical choice for making garments from scratch. For everyday repairs like fixing seams, hemming, replacing buttons, and closing holes, hand sewing is all you need. In practice the two go together. A machine handles projects, and hand sewing handles repairs.
For general hand sewing on regular-weight fabric like cotton, linen, or polyester, use a sharps needle, the general-purpose type. Sharps come in sizes 1 to 12, and the numbering runs backward, so a higher number means a smaller needle. Start with a middle size, 7 or 8. Go to a lower number for heavy fabrics like denim or canvas and a higher number for fine fabrics like silk. A variety pack of sharps gives you the whole range. The test is the one Oregon State University Extension gives. The needle should slip easily through the fabric and not leave holes that the thread does not fill.
Stretchy fabrics like jersey and other knits need a stitch that gives with the fabric. For a hem, use the catch stitch, which Oregon State University Extension's hand-sewing fact sheet gives for stretchy fabrics. Work from left to right, taking a small stitch in the hem, then moving diagonally to take the next one in the garment, so the thread zigzags between the two. Keep the stitches loose so the hem edge stays flexible. For a seam, sew a backstitch with a little slack in each stitch. A tight stitch on stretch fabric pops the moment the fabric is stretched. Test your stitch on a scrap of the same fabric before the real repair, and stretch the sample gently to make sure the stitches hold.
Watch two things, stitch length and tension. Make each stitch the same length as the one before it, about 1/4 inch for a running stitch. To keep a line straight and evenly spaced, draw it on the fabric first with tailor's chalk and a ruler, then sew along it. For tension, pull the thread snug but not tight after each stitch. Pulled too hard, the fabric puckers. Left too loose, the stitches gap. Practice on a scrap of fabric before you work on something that matters.
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How to Sew
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