Hand Piecing – Flatback Stitch

La Pass pieces basted
La Pass pieces basted

I have changed several techniques as I work on La Passacaglia. I am trying out glue basting, for one. One thing I have not changed is using the flatback stitch. It requires keeping the basted fabric pieces butted up against each other.

This is difficult to achieve, thus I use a combination of WonderClips** and Sew Tites**. I use tons of WonderClips and never seem to have enough, so if you are going to buy them, get more than a few. I put the rainbow pack on my wishlist every year, which means I usually get another 10 every year.

I also have a lot of Sew Tites, but I don’t use them quite as much, so a small pack is good. I am a bit of a sucker for their new shapes. I bought a small pack of Tula Pink Sew Tite hearts**. I saw they have skulls, but I don’t plan on buying those. I can think of someone who might enjoy them as a gift. I find the bars, pictured above to be the most useful for EPP. I use a variety of Sew Tites for bag making.

La Pass pieces basted - detail
La Pass pieces basted – detail

The flatback stitch it is a kind of whip stitch. I put the needle in very close to where the two basted papers meet and come up the same distance on the other side, then pull taut, but not tight.

I have a hard time sewing the stitch when I get too close to the Sew Tite, so I move it over towards the end as I sew. When I am more than halfway through sewing the seam, I remove the Sew Tite and just use the WonderClip to hold everything in place.

I like the way this stitch does not show on the front. I have also changed the thread colors I use. After watching the Tula Pink EPP video, I decided to try using thread colors that match my fabric. This helps in hiding the stitching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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