The running stitch is the simplest of all the embroidery stitches. The needle ‘runs’ along the ground material, making stitches of more or less equal length and picking up only one to two threads of the ground material in between two stitches. Normally there is more thread visible on the surface of the cloth than on the underside. The running stitch is often used for outlining and as a foundation for other, composite stitches.