The felling stitch is very commonly used in tailoring, and is perfect for securing linings to fabric, facings, and various other tasks. There are actually three different variations of the stitch, each only slightly different from the other, that are important to learn so that you can choose the best one for your particular situation.

When choosing a thread, choose one that matches the lining to make the stitches nearly invisible.

Felling Stitch I

For each variation, I like to tie a knot first, burying it between the two layers of fabric, and then make a small stitch in place to secure the layers.

The stitch should be very small, catching only a few threads of the lining fabric at most, and perpendicular to the seam.

To form the first stitch, place your needle directly above the first stitch, angling the needle diagonally. Pass the needle through the fashion fabric, being very careful not to let the stitches show to the right side, and out the lining, about 1/8″ to 1/4″ away as shown.

Again bring the needle immediately above this stitch to form the next one.

Here is what the stitches should look like after finishing the seam. I’m using a very thick thread here for demonstration purposes, but if you use a matching thread and a small stitch, these stitches should be almost invisible.

From the right side, you shouldn’t see any of the stitches, ideally. I’m using a thin linen here for the photographs so they did show through a little.

Felling Stitch II

The second variation is basically the same, except the needle passes through the lining, directly above the first stitch, and into the fashion fabric below.

I’ll switch to this variation when sewing on linings in particular. It makes regulating the tension a little easier and helps to avoid puckering of the lining. It also depends a lot on the position of the fabric and hands that determines which variation I will use — sometimes it’s just easier to come from one direction than the other.

Felling Stitch III

This third and final variation of the felling stitch is often used when felling down a seam or facing in a thinner fabric such as linen in which you need the right sides to look nicer but can’t avoid the stitches showing through.

I see this stitch used often in original military garments as well.

Begin with the knot and a stitch in place as usual. Then, move the needle 1/8″ to 3/8″ away from the first stitch and make a small stitch perpendicular to the seam through all layers.

The result will be a diagonal stitch on the wrong side.

And on the right (out) side you’ll see just a row of small stitches.

The back and fore stitch combines the strength of the back stitch with the speed of the running stitch. It’s not quite as fast or as strong as either, but it’s a good compromise for seams that do not take a lot of stress, such as trouser legs, skirt seams, and so on.

Start with a couple of stitches in place.

Form the beginning of the stitch as if you were going to make a back stitch, but do not pull the needle through yet.

Instead of pulling the needle through, form a couple of running stitches by rocking your wrist and needle back and forth. Depending on what you’re sewing and the strength you need, you could do from one to three running stitches at this point.

Bring the needle back to form another backstitch followed by the running stitches and continue on through the end of the seam.

Here’s the finished seam from the right side. It leaves a pattern of two stitches followed by a space, single stitch, etc.

This second version of tacking is similar to the first, except it is meant to mark a single point on your cloth, such as a pocket position or a balance mark.

Begin by making a single stitch with a doubled piece of basting thread.

Make another stitch in place, forming a loop about an inch or so tall. Keep the ends of the thread slightly longer than the loop to avoid them pulling out later.

Pull the layers of fabric apart until the threads are taut.

Finally, trim the threads between the layers, completing the tailor’s tacks. These are very durable and should hold throughout the construction process.

This first type of tailor’s tack is very useful for marking seams along inlays, darts, and other areas where a chalk mark may wear away too quickly, and for transferring these areas to the other half of the cloth when laying out your pattern. You typically need two layers of fabric to make this stitch useful.

Take a doubled strand of basting thread on your needle and make a stitch similar to a straight basting stitch along the seam – only keep the stitches further apart depending upon what you are basting.

For straight seams, you can make the stitches up to 3″ or so apart from each other, pulling the thread snug between each stitch.

For curved seams, you’ll want to keep the stitches closer together, an inch or so apart or even closer, leaving a good bit of slack between each of the stitches.

Here’s my seam marked with the stitches kept loose for demonstration purposes.

Next, you’ll want to trim the threads in between each stitch. You can see now why we left the slack in the stitches that were spaced closer together.

Now, carefully open up the two layers of fabric, being sure not to open it so wide that the stitches pull out of the top layer.

Finally, snip the threads between the layers.

And here are the resulting tailor’s tacks. You’ll find that the top layer will come out a bit more easily than the lower, but they still last a lot longer than the chalk marks do.

Straight basting is one of the most basic of stitches yet one of the most useful. It’s used when basting two or more layers of fabric together that you want to be able to remove easily later on. The straight basting stitch is quite similar to a running stitch, only the spacing is different. Each stitch is made rather small with a larger space between the stitches.

When doing any basting, it’s very helpful to use a specialized basting thread. This is usually made of cotton, and in such a way that the fibers help grip the fabric. You can get very large rolls that will last for years and years.

Begin by making a stitch in place.

Skip about 3/4″ to 1″ down the seam to make your first stitch. Depending on the fabric thickness, this can be between roughly 1/8″ to 3/8″ in length.

Continue making stitches in such a manner down the seam or area to be basted. The length between stitches will also vary depending on what you are sewing and how securely you need the stitches to hold, something that mainly comes with practice and experience.