Schematic drawing of the back stitch.
Drawing by Martin Hense.
The back stitch belongs to a class of individual stitches that are made backwards to the general direction of sewing. Back stitches are normally worked from right to left. The needle is brought out a short distance from the beginning of the line to be covered. It is then inserted again at the beginning of the line, thus taking a step backwards. The needle emerges beyond the point where it first started.
The back stitch is often used for outlining shapes or adding fine details.
Variations of the back stitch include: half back stitch; outline stitch; Pekinese stitch; prick stitch; split stitch; stem stitch; threaded back stitch. See also the backstitched chain stitch.
Also known as: point de sable; stitching.
Source: THOMAS, Mary (1934). Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, London: Hodder and Stoughton, p. 3, fig. 5.
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