How to Slip Stitch

I hate to say it but I almost let the dress get me down. Promising to make Butterfly's Halloween costume might not have been the best idea I thought as I realized that it required me to do pleats. Am I the only one who hates pleats or are there others out there too?  Trying to force a slippery fabric to fold just so and then pin it to another mark all the while hoping it stays together long enough for you to baste it. 

I finally mustered up the courage to start on her dress again after a week and thought I could find a nice tutorial on Pinterest for an easy way to do pleats. So not the case. No problem, I fumbled my way through it only to find that now I need to slip stitch the bodice lining over the seam for the waist. If there is one thing I hate as much as pleats it's hand sewing. 

Maybe because I was never properly taught how to sew, I never learned how to do basic hand stitching. Therefore whenever I have to hand stitch anything my brow scrunches up, my lips crease into a frown and a huge sigh escapes my mouth. 

A slip stitch is used to sew two edges of fabric together so that the stitches can't be seen. It can be used to close a seam say for a stuffed animal or the ending seam left over when you have to turn your fabric right side out. In my case I will be using it to hide the inner waist seam inside a dress. 

Honestly I don't even remember how to do a slip stitch so I look up a pin again on how to do it. The instructions were okay, but I hate how they always assume you know basic things like how to start your thread so it doesn't just come right out. I've, therefore, decided to write this pin with instructions for people like me who just have no clue. Because honestly if I knew how to make a basic knot, I would probably know how to slip stitch too. Am I right?  

How to Slip Stitch

Prepare the fabric by ironing or creasing the top edge or bodice lining in my case. I have also ironed the waist seem towards the bodice. This will hide the waist seem beneath the bodice lining. 

Step 1:  Thread the needle by pulling one end slightly through the eye. Then tie a knot in it.  Next pull your needle through the edge of the fabric but stop with about an inch of thread left. Then carefully push your needle back through the fabric close to your starting point. 

Pull the thread through leaving a small loop. You will then pull your needle and thread through the loop creating a knot that will hold your starting thread in place. I did this a couple of times to make sure it would hold. 

Step 2:  Push the needle through the top piece of fabric (the bodice lining in my case) and into the bottom edge of fabric (the waist seam in my case). Try to catch just a few fibers of the bottom fabric so the stitches are completely hidden unless you are stitching into the seam allowance as I'm doing here. 

Step 3:  Again insert the needle into the crease of the top fabric of lining exiting about 1/4" further down. Be sure you keep the needle in the crease until you exit. 

Step 4:  Catch a small bit if the bottom fabric with your needle just below where you exited and pull the thread through. 

Step 5:  Repeat, repeat, repeat until you have reached the end of your fabric or side seam. 

Step 6:  Tie off your thread similar to how we started by catching a few threads of fabric and pulling your thread through, creating a loop at the end. 

Do this a couple of times to secure your thread. Clip off the excess and voila, you have a nice finished seam. 

I smile with pride, I've finally done it and it doesn't look half bad. My head pounds on the table however when I see what's next. The dreaded invisible zipper. Wish me luck.