Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 86

FEATURE
In the Running
Regarded as the most basic embroidery stitch, running stitch is a versatile
technique used for surface embellishment on textiles and garments. Brinda Gill
delves deeper.
Since ancient times, embroidery—created with
just a needle, a thread, and a piece of cloth—
has flowered in the hands of artisans and the
artistically inclined. The origins of the craft can be
traced back to millennia past, when basic stitches
were made to patch two pieces of cloth together,
create garments, mend and darn torn attire, stitch
a piece of cloth on a base fabric, and strengthen
existing ones. It was surmised that even though
these stitches were known for their functionality,
their visual beauty led them to being worked on
for decorative purposes.
A VERSATILE STITCH
Over time, several different stitches emerged with
variations that allowed embroiderers to express
their creativity and create elaborate and intricately
embroidered textiles. Yet, of the many stitches
done by artisans across the world, the running
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stitch is regarded as the most undemanding of
all. It is created by continually passing a threaded
needle in and out of a cloth, such that straight
stitches are rendered on both of its sides.
A continuous line of running stitches may
be worked upon in varied ways—it may be of
equal or unequal length (long and short stitches),
rendered in horizontal, vertical, diagonal, stepped,
or zigzag lines, and can also be performed in
parallel lines that can be aligned or otherwise.
These stitches may follow a spiral or go around in
a circle and return to the starting point.
Interestingly, the stitch can be done on both
even and uneven fabrics, with the former making
it easier to work out stitches of equal length.
The stitch may be worked on thick opaque cloth
that shows only its stitch-laden main face, or
on transparent cloth that offers a glimpse of the
lower section, which carries the stitch. What