Ladder Stitch Tutorial

I think this is more commonly called a ladder stitch, but I am not 100% sure...I have always called it an invisible or blind stitch, but I think that is for when it's used on a hem (that tutorial coming soon)...  It's used for closing up seams, such as in pillows, stuffed animals, etc...  You could also use  a whipstitch (probably most of the store bought pillows you have are closed using this stitch),  which I will also show soon, but this looks much nicer, imho. 

 Press your seam allowance towards the inside. 

Cut your thread 2x the length of the seam you want to close + 10"

Thread the needle and tie a knot at the end.  Wrap the tail around about 4 times before you pull it tight...

This makes a big fat knot.

(There is an easier way to do it but I was using outdoor thread and it doesn't work so I couldn't show you)

Put your needle through the fabric right at the fold of the s.a.

Pass your needle straight through the seam allowance fold on the opposite side of the seam.  Try to keep your stitches small...no bigger than one quarter of an inch...it takes a lot more time, but the end result is sooo much nicer.

If you thread is really long, you can use your finger to guide it as you pull it through so it doesn't get tangle...that's really irritating!

Repeat on the other side, starting your stitch exactly even with were your first one ended.  Continue this way, to the end of the seam.

 It should look like this.

When you pull it tight the thread will disappear.  You can pull it tight as you sew, but I like to keep mine open and then every few inches I get sewn, I pull it tight.  This helps especially, if your thread is really long, but I don't like to get too far before pulling the seam closed because sometimes the thread gets stuck for some reason which is also very irritating. It can be fixed by pulling one stitch of your "ladder" at a time, but still annoying...not to mention sometimes when this happens your thread ends up breaking....errrrgghh!  (That's supposed to be me growling...did ya catch it?  lol)

To tie off the stitch, pass the needle through the fabric...

Wrap the thread around the needle 4 times....

and pull it tight.

To hide the knot at the end, insert the needle into the seam and come out somewhere else in the fabric.  Cut the thread, and your done!

And here's what your seam should look like.

And here's a sneak peek of the tutorial I have coming up!

Let me know if you have any questions!