Hand Sewing Tutorial: Back Stitch For CM Families

Did you know that hand sewing is just as strong as machine? The back stitch is the strongest of the hand sewing stitches and is so versatile for your Charlotte Mason inspired handicrafts lessons. Today’s tutorial is for the back stitch for beginners. This tutorial is so simple to follow, many children will be able to follow along without your help so you can be free to fold laundry or sneak a chocolate while hiding in the bathroom. I’m not the only one who does this right?

It is easy to learn the back stitch with this hand sewing tutorial!

Wait, hold on, go back to where you said hand sewing is just as strong as machine sewing. That can’t possibly be true!

But, it is true!

“How do you know?”, you might be saying with skepticism in your voice. But that’s okay, I use to think so too until Bernadette Banner taught me otherwise in her course that can be found on skill share. Sign up for a month free here and search “Bernadette Banner” to watch her course. She also has a YouTube channel. Here is a video sample. (I do like her older videos better than her newer ones, for the most part.)

She also says that garments have been found where the fabric is all but gone while those buff stitches remain. Name a super hero that can out live natural fabric, I bet you can’t! 😉

Not only is hand sewing just as strong as machine sewing, but it is much cheaper and works so well for multiple children households. I have 6 children and we can only fit 1 sewing machine within reason in our home. (Our living books take up a lot of space after all.) But hand sewing supplies can fit in a jar, basket, or small drawer with ease!

A Living Book Hand Sewing Example

Speaking of living books, if you are familiar with the Little House On The Prairie serious then you might remember Laura Ingles grumbling about sewing 20 stitches per inch. If you get out a ruler, try and picture 20 stiches in a tiny inch, you will go cross eyed!

This practice was only used for a period of time and actually larger stitches have been used for hundreds of years before. So you do NOT need to sew 20 back stitches per inch! Though it might be fun to try so that you can empathize with poor Laura.

Supplies Needed For The Back Stitch Tutorial

Thankfully sewing supplies are not expensive and can be purchased at most craft stores. If you would like to have an easy shopping guide to take with you you may download mine here!

Today you will need for ages approximately 8 plus:

  • White cotton or board cloth cut in a 10″ by 7″ rectangle
  • Pencil
  • Red or black thread
  • Size ___needle
  • Fabric scissors

Today you will need for ages 3-7:

  • Burlap fabric brown cut 10″ by 5″
  • Bright color yarn
  • Size ______ needle
  • Fabric scissors

For ages 3-5, just let them go up and down as they please. For ages 6 and up they can follow along with your older children following the already, easy to follow lines that burlap naturally has which is why I recommend burlap for younger ones. Of course my age recommendation are for the average child so please change as needed.

Hand Sewing Tutorial For The Back Stitch Begins!

Cut your thread the length of the tip of your middle finger, to the bottom of your elbow. Then thread and knot your beginner knot. For this tutorial please click here!

Come up from underneath. Go back down a little ways a head. It doesn’t matter much the size of the stiches, this is just for practice.

Come back up, but a stitch length a head of the first stitch you made.

needle going back down following a practice line
This needle is going down next to the first stitch. Go down a little closer to the first stitch then I did here.
Coming up again with the needle next to the previous stitch
Here the needle is coming up to begin again.

Now your needle looks back and says, “Oh dear, I forgot a stitch” and then go back down very close to the top of the first stitch.

That’s it!

Start again very close to the last stitch, move ahead, go back down, skip a stitch length, go back to fill in the blank spot and so forth. Hence why the name “Back Stitch”

Hand Sewing Tutorial: Back Stitch Summary

Congratulations you have made it to the end of the blog! This means you have learned:

  • a brief history of hand sewing
  • the amazing fact that hand sewing is just as strong as machine sewing
  • found empathy for Laura Ingles
  • Plus you have gone through a tutorial on how to make the strongest stitch, back stitch, so your children can go off and create all sorts of wonderful creations!

Pretty cool eh?

Please come back and benefit from the easy to follow along tutorials to teach your children hand sewing skills with as little work on your part as possible.

The perfect way to get started is to click here for my free Shopping Guide so you can easily buy the supplies you need for your children to practice hand sewing skills. Great for ages 3-18!

Once you have done that come back for all the fun tutorials!

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