The overcast stitch for hand embroidery is very different than the stitch with the same name on a sewing machine or serger. In hand embroidery, it covers and secures a base thread, giving more texture to a line. It is also referred to as the trailing stitch. The stitches are made upright over another thread and resemble a fine cord. It is used for outlines or delicate stems.
Warning! This is not a stitch for a beginner! Picking up only one or two threads of the foundation fabric at a time can be tedious and requires good lighting! It’s important to use a hoop for this stitch, keeping your design lines straight and taut. This makes it easier to take the tip of your needle and gently prick the fabric, picking up only one or two stitches, as you wrap your top thread around the base thread.
How to Embroider the Overcast Stitch
The overcast stitch is an outline embroidery stitch that is perfect for when you are looking for texture in your line, such as monograms.
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Note: This stitch is not for very beginner stitchers. It is quite tedious and requires to be slow and patient. 🙂 Having a bit of experience will help with even stitches.
Materials
- Embroidery thread or floss
- Fabric to embroider
- Design of your choice
Tools
- Embroidery needle suitable for your thread or floss
- Embroidery hoop
- Embroidery scissors
Instructions
- Start by hooping your fabric. Using a hoop makes it easier to keep your stitches even and taut, which is especially important with this stitch. Gather your other supplies you will need for your project.
- Mark your design on your fabric with your favorite method. Not sure how to transfer your design? We've got tutorials on a variety of different ways to transfer your designs to fabric. For this sampler, I wanted a straight line to follow.
- This embroidery stitch uses two (2) threads. Thread one needle with the base thread. It can be the same thread or a different thread. If you choose a different thread, it is good to keep it in similar colors so that it blends with the thread you'll use to sew it on your design. If you want to make a large line, use a much larger thread or a small yarn for the base thread.
Bring the threaded needle with your base thread up at the beginning of your stitching line.
- Next, bring the threaded needle that you will be using to attach this to your fabric up at the beginning of the stitching line.
- Begin by taking the thread you'll be using for stitching and try to only pick up one or two threads from your fabric on your design line, taking your needle to the other side of your base thread.
- Wrap your thread around to the first side and catch another one or two threads, laying down your base thread along the line as you stitch.
- Continue doing this along your line.
- When you get to the end of your design line, take the bottom thread to the backside of your work and tie off.
- Then make sure the base thread is all covered with your main thread and take it to the back of your work
- Here is what the back of your work looks like. You can tell there are very few stitches that show on the back.
- Here is the finished overcast stitch.
- See how it provides great texture?
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What do you use the overcast stitch for?
This stitch is a great outline stitch, perfect for monograms, stems or whenever you want a significant outline to a design.
How is this different than an overcast stitch by machine?
Oh, it is very different! By hand, this stitch creates a hefty design line. By machine the stitch is used to finish a seam edge. Sometime this is done by a serger or overlocker, but most sewing machines have a built in overcast stitch.
This doesn’t look like the overcast stitch I’ve seen. Is there more than two references to this stitch?
Yes! Embroidery stitches can be so confusing! Because embroidery is a craft that has been around a very long time, the names of specific stitches have shifted over time. Some people refer to the whip stitch as the overcast stitch – but it is a very different stitch.
Check out all of the embroidery projects on Create Whimsy.
