About RSN Stitch Bank
Antique hem stitch
- single hem stitch
This is a version of hem stitch, but rather than inserting the needle into the fabric from the back, it is hidden by inserting it into the folded hem. The stitch is worked on the reverse side (shown in the image on the left) and so only a horizontal row of stitching is visible on the front side.
This version of antique hem stitch first appears in print under the name single hem stitch in Thérèse de Dillmont’s 1886 Encyclopedia of needlework.
Antique hem stitch is generously sponsored by Isabella Losinger
Method
Work from left to right. Bring the needle up two to three fabric threads below the withdrawn area.
Pick up three to four vertical fabric threads in the withdrawn area, working from right to left.
Pull the thread through tightly to encircle and gather the group of threads at the bottom.
Starting in the withdrawn area, slip the needle between the layers of the hem. Bring it up two to three threads below, just to the right of the group of threads previously wrapped.
Pull the thread tightly so that the group of threads is gathered into a bunch.
Continue working from left to right until the end. Secure the working thread inside the turned up hem.
The front of antique hem stitch shows only the small horizontal stitches at the base of the withdrawn area.
Antique hem stitch
Common uses
Embroidery Techniques
Related Stitches
Identifying Antique hem stitch
The reverse side of antique hem stitch features horizontal tying stitches around the vertical ground fabric threads plus diagonal straight stitches which link to the tying stitches; the front features just the horizontal tying stitches.
The original version of hem stitch shows the same horizontal tying stitches around the threads of the ground fabric with diagonal stitches on one side of the fabric and and slightly straighter stitches on the other.