STITCH

The stitch is the smallest, basic unit of sewing: a single pass of the needle and thread through the fabric, of which every seam and every embroidery is composed. It seems a trifle, but it is from stitches that all tailoring and embroidery mastery is built. The type of stitch determines both the strength of the join and its look: straight, zigzag, overcast, blind, decorative. In embroidery different stitches (cross, satin, chain, herringbone) give entirely different patterns and textures. The evenness, uniformity and tension of stitches are the chief indicator of neatness in hand and machine work: the level of the maker is immediately visible in the stitches. The stitch is the invisible 'brick' from which all clothing and all textile art is woven.