Couture Hand-Sewing Stitches Every Tailor Should Know

The slip stitch joins a folded edge to a flat surface almost invisibly, catching a thread of the under fabric and then running inside the fold for a short distance. It is the workhorse of hand-finishing, used to close linings, attach bindings and finish hems where no stitch should show.

The closely related ladder, or slip-ladder, stitch closes a seam from the right side by taking small bites alternately from each folded edge, so the thread is hidden when drawn up. It is ideal for closing the openings left in bagged linings.

The catch stitch, worked in a crisscross over an edge, holds hems and facings while allowing them to flex. Because the thread crosses back and forth rather than running straight, it gives a hem a degree of stretch and keeps the raw edge controlled without a rigid line.

It is the classic hem stitch for tailored garments and for holding the raw edge of a faced or interfaced hem to the garment, where flexibility and a soft hold matter more than a tight, invisible finish.

The pick, or prick, stitch is a tiny hand backstitch that shows only a small dot of thread on the surface. It is used to set zippers by hand on fine garments, where the subtle hand-stitched line is more refined than machine topstitching, and to edge-stitch lapels and front edges almost invisibly.

Worked with a single small bite and a long underside stitch, it secures firmly while remaining discreet. On couture jackets the hand-picked edge is a quiet signature of quality.

Pad-stitching is the structural hand stitch of tailoring, rows of small diagonal stitches that attach canvas to a lapel or under-collar while curving them. Because the work is held over the fingers as it is stitched, the canvas takes a permanent roll, shaping the lapel and collar in a way no fusing achieves.

Tighter, denser rows give a firmer roll; looser rows a softer one. It is slow, rhythmic work and one of the clearest hallmarks of a hand-tailored garment.

Hand basting holds layers together for fitting and accurate machine stitching, with long, easily removed stitches that grip better than pins on slippery or thick fabric. Diagonal basting, in particular, holds collars and facings flat while they are shaped.

Tailor's tacks transfer pattern markings, dots, notches and placement points, by taking a loose looped stitch through both layers and snipping them apart, leaving thread tufts on each piece. On fine fabrics that cannot take chalk or a tracing wheel, tailor's tacks are the accurate way to mark.

Good hand-sewing depends on small habits as much as on the stitches themselves. Use a thread length you can manage without tangling, run it through beeswax for strength and to prevent knotting on structural stitches, and choose a needle suited to the fabric and stitch.

Keep tension even and the stitches consistent in size; the beauty of hand-sewing lies in regularity. Practise on scraps until the rhythm is automatic, then the hand-work becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.

• Slip and ladder stitch: invisible hems, closing linings and openings.
• Catch stitch: flexible tailored hems and securing faced edges.
• Pick and prick stitch: hand-set zippers and discreet edge-stitching.
• Pad-stitch: shaping lapels and under-collars over canvas.
• Basting and tailor's tacks: holding layers and marking fine fabrics.