Run
stitches are the heart of any design. You could, with patience, create virtually
any design with run stitches. There are a lot of variations to them as well.Run
stitches are the heart of any design. You could, with patience, create virtually
any design with run stitches. There are a lot of variations to them as well.
A basic single run is how your stitches travel from one point to another. The run has a length for each step. With curves, however, the stitch length may shorten when needed to go around a tight turn. This is described as “chord gapping” in math parlance. It creates a run that is more faithful to the shape.
When runs encounter curved nodes on the path they are following, they do not need to cause a needle penetration, but with cusps and straight lines, they do, otherwise the stitches would not match the outline. So if you see a needle penetration that makes the stitches look uneven in length in your run, go back and check for an inadvertent line or cusp point.
A double run is one that makes its path like a single run, but then reverses its steps to return to the starting point. For this reason, when you switch a single run to a double, the Exit point will be reset to match the starting point for you automatically.
A Bean stitch is like a traditional sewing machine’s triple-stitch. The needle makes two steps forward, and one back. This provides a heavier stitch that stands out better against a pile fabric. The bean stitch also has an option to repeat the stitch (in place) up to 9 times, which can make a heavy hand-sewn look. If you use this option, we recommend a longer stitch length so that the fabric/stabilizer can support the tension created by that many stitches.
The chain stitch is homage to heirloom hand sewing and forms a pretty effect that looks nice when combined with traditional design, especially floral.
Like the chain stitch, the Back stitch and Stem stitch are also traditional heirloom stitches. As you select these stitches, you will see properties appear for them.
The Sashiko stitch attempts to emulate the Japanese hand sewing look. The word Sashiko translates to “Little Stabs” and describes the short interval between stitches. To accomplish the look, this run creates a small step forward, followed by a multiple-pass stitch that is a little bit thicker. At arm’s length, the effect is rewarding. Used in the traditional colors of white thread on indigo fabric, the stitches resemble grains of rice laid end-to-end.