• Tutorials

Hey guys, I’ve been working on a tutorial on how to shorten a belt without punching holes in it, but before I post that, I want to share a step-by-step illustration for beginners on how to sew a backstitch. I’ve made two versions, one for right-handers and one for left-handers!!!

I’m a lefty, and there is nothing harder than trying to learn hand-sewing from a right-handed tutorial because you have to figure out how to mirror the instructions you’re given. So, I’ve made a version for lefties that shows you how to do a backstitch in your direction.

What’s a backstitch?

A backstitch is a very strong stitch used to sew seams by hand; before the invention of sewing machines, people used it for sturdy seams in clothing. Nowadays it’s a great stitch to have in your repertoire for when you can’t get at a seam with a machine. For instance, if you’re doing repair where you’d have to rip out extra seams to get to the repair with a sewing machine, it can be faster to the just repair by hand. Or, say, if you want to sew through thick belt leather, which most home sewing machines can’t handle, you can use a backstitch to do this by hand.

I hope you get a chance to read through this and try it out. I hope it helps you, and if anything is unclear or you have a suggestion to improve this guide, please share it with me in the comments below and I’ll get right back to you.

Happy sewing 🙂