Pick Stitch – How to do it & where to use it beautifully

Pick Stitch is a widely spaced small back stitch. When done repeatedly, it looks like a stitching line of small running stitches with a wider gap in between than normal. It is used as a basting stitch, so it needs to penetrate all layers of fabric. 

The stitches are all even, and the repetitive stitches look uniform on the top resembling a dotted line. In the back of the fabric, there is a continuous line of backstitches.

Hand or machine pick stitch? – It is possible to do a stitching line that resembles a hand-stitched pick stitching line on some sewing machines. But the handmade pick stitch is unique, and the custom look of a handmade pick stitch is highly valued in fashion tailoring.

Uses of pick stitch in Dressmaking

The stitch is used in a number of ways in sewing – but the most prevalent use is in men’s tailored clothing.

In suits, it is used on lapels  (collar of the jacket) to prevent the edge from rolling during wear. All the leading tailors making high-end tailored suits will say that handmade pick stitching is the hallmark of quality in their suits.

Other than the lapels, the handmade pick stitch is also found around the pocket flaps and sometimes the breast pocket detail.

Pick stitches are also found on fine-quality shirts & jeans as embellishments. You can use pick stitches to embellish your clothes and accessories, especially with embroidery floss in contrasting colors.

When used as a strengthening stitch, it is mostly done in the same color as the background fabric.

It is also used for making hems in garments. You can use pick stitching for attaching facings by hand, for inserting zips in clothes.

On Quilts, pick stitching refers to the basting stitches used to sandwich the quilt layers – basically long running stitches . Checkout the post on basting stitch for more details

Steps to do a Pick stitch

The most important things to take care of when making pick stitches are that stitch length and alignment with each adjacent stitch are even and uniform. It is not possible to get this 100% right when you are hand sewing (after all, you are human, not a machine) but you can always try. One benchmark to aim for is that the pick stitch you make is barely visible from the outside. You will have to Practise a lot before you achieve this feat.

Wear a thimble, especially if you are making lots of this stitch and you have the habit of holding your finger under the stitches. After it is called the prick stitch – oops pick stitch.

Step 1

Draw the stitching line. This is important – you have to do it accurately. No winging it. Mark the line or use masking tape to get the stitching line correct. You can also use the edge of your garment as a guideline if you have already finished it.

Step 2

This stitch is made from the bottom to the top or away from you like back stitch. Come up from the back with the knot on the underside of the fabric – at A.

Step 3

Insert the needle at B two threads below where you came up at A

Step 4

Come back up at C some 1/4 inch from where the first stitch started.

Continue doing small back stitches like this and you will have a running stitch like pattern with small stitches showing on the top in regular intervals.

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