How to Sew an Invisible Stitch: Your Ultimate Guide

Want to learn how to sew an invisible or ladder stitch? This detailed tutorial will show you how to sew an invisible stitch with tricks that make this sewing technique easy to master.

The invisible stitch is the most versatile of all stitches, as it can be used to sew just about anything. It’s also one of the most useful for making a seam that cannot be seen from either side.

It’s ideal for sewing on delicate materials and items, as it will not damage the fabric or pucker the seam. It can also be used to fix mistakes, create designs, and create beautiful garments.

Do you know sewing invisible stitches at home is a lot like gambling? You’ll not know if you’ve done it right until later when you try to take the shirt off and all your stitches come undone.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew Invisible stitch and apply it in the right way?

In this article, we will help you learn how to sew an invisible stitch and give you tips and tricks on keeping it looking great.

Let’s get started! 

Introduction to Invisible Stitch Sewing

Before we learn how to sew an invisible stitch, let’s understand some basics of invisible stitch sewing and what you can use it for. 

How to sew an invisible stitch

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What is an Invisible Stitch?

An invisible or ladder stitch is a sewing technique that allows you to mend garments and other materials without the sewing stitches being visible on the right side of the material.

It is a stitch used in sewing to hide the raw edges of a seam. The raw edges are made to overlap so that they appear to be stitched together.

Invisible stitch tutorial

Image Source: Easy Sewing For Beginners

The name “invisible stitch” comes from the fact that no stitches are visible on the surface of your work after you’ve finished using this method

Invisible stitching can also be done by hand or machine.

This versatile hidden sewing technique can be used to sew many different types of fabric

When Can You Use the Invisible Stitch?

When it comes to stitching, there are plenty of ways to go about it. You can always use the regular old running stitch. 

If you want something that looks more professional and doesn’t show on the other side of your project, using an invisible stitch is a great idea.

Here are a few different hidden stitch hand-sewing project ideas where an invisible seam is used.

    • Fabric pieces that need to be joined together, such as a skirt or pant leg.
    • Leather goods and shoes.
    • Fabric items that need to be reinforced, such as a backpack or purse handle.
    • On decorative seams like gathers and pleats
    • Hemming a pair of pants that have gotten too long and need to be taken up
    • Attaching a button to the inside of your shirt so you don’t have to use a visible stitch
    • Sewing a dog bed
    • DIY scrunchies
    • Simple necktie
    • Ruffle baby blanket
    • Quilting 

How to Sew an Invisible Stitch: 7 Easy Steps

An invisible stitch or ladder stitch is a seam that is impossible to see on the finished product. 

This makes it ideal for clothing and other projects where you want your seam to be as invisible as possible. It’s also sturdy, so it’s great for projects that need to withstand a lot of wear and tear.

Ladder stitch sewing

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Learning invisible stitch hand sewing is not complicated, but it requires some practice to get it right. This tutorial will walk you through each step so you can master this easy-to-use seam technique in no time! 

This is also great for beginners and experts alike because it allows them to mend garments without having to learn fancy embroidery techniques.

Many professional tailors use the ladder stitch sewing technique when repairing clothing because it’s quick and strong!

When you’re learning how to sew an invisible stitch, it may seem like a daunting task. Once you get the hang of it, the technique will become second nature—and you’ll wonder why anyone would ever use anything else!

Follow the below steps to learn to sew invisible stitches at home. 

Supplies You’ll Need

Here are few sewing supplies you will need before starting this tutorial:

What you need for invisible stitch sewing

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    • Needle and thread
    • Fabric
    • A flat surface with a pin cushion or something similar on top
    • Pins
    • A pair of scissors
    • Iron
    • Ironing Board 

Step 1: Thread the Needle

Thread the needle with the invisible thread. Make sure to leave at least two or three inches of thread hanging from the eye of the needle. You’ll need this extra length later! 

Invisible sewing

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Step 2: Hide the Knot in the Seam of Your Project

This is a great option for projects where you want to hide the knot. 

The ideal way to do this is by sewing the thread back and forth in a zig-zag pattern through the fabric. This will help disguise any imperfections of your knot and keep it from becoming visible on either side of the fabric. 

Step 3: Bring Your Needle Up Through the First Hole Opposite Where You Will Be Stitching

If you are going to stitch from left to right, bring your needle up through the hole on the right side of your fabric.

If you are going to be stitching from top to bottom, bring your needle up through the bottom hole in front of where you will be sewing. This is critical!

Do not bring your thread up in another place. It will mess up this stitch and cause problems later in this tutorial on how to sew an invisible stitch.

Invisible sewing tutorial

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It’s also important that before putting your garment together, make sure that all of your stitches line up in a proper way with each other. 

There should not be any holes or missed stitches anywhere along any seams between fabrics or seams being sewn together by hand using this method. 

Step 4: Go Down Through the Second Hole

The next step of “how to sew an invisible seam” is to pull a thread. The needle should be at an angle as you go down through the last stitch so that it ends up coming out on top of that same stitch.

Now, pull your thread taut until it’s even with the fabric, then bring it back up through that second hole and pull tight to secure it in place. 

You may have to adjust this hidden stitch sewing by pulling on your thread or pushing down on your fabric if needed. With this step, everything will look tidy even before continuing with the step below. 

Step 5: Repeat for Each Stitch Until Complete

Once you finish the last stitch, knot both ends of your thread and snip off any excess. If you want to keep your sewing project as seamless as possible, make sure you go back over each stitch a few times to secure it further.

Invisible stitch sewing guide

Image Source: Happiest Camper

The ladder stitch is easy to finish a seam or repair a hole or tear in the fabric! 

Step 6: Always Knot Both Ends of Your Thread Before You Sew to Prevent Unraveling!

The last step of how to sew a ladder stitch and before you start sewing, it’s important to note that any time you’re going to be putting your needle through the same hole twice, you should knot both ends of your thread.

It’s an easy step but one that can save a lot of frustration later on when a project starts unraveling. There are several different ways to tie knots in your thread, and they all work well—the choice is yours!

One thing to remember is don’t tie off at the end of your thread. This can make it difficult for you or someone else trying to undo those knots later on. 

Knot them in the middle of all other stitches so that unwinding won’t pull too hard on them. With this, you have just learned how to sew a hidden stitch. 

Hidden stitch sewing

Image Source: Instructables

Now you are ready to apply it on your next sewing project to make it look more beautiful. 

Step 7: Leverage Clothing Labels to Give Professional Touch

You can also use customized labels along with invisible stitches to make your sewing project more professional.

Head to Super Label Store and place your order for high-end,

Our easy-to-use online designing tool will help you design and create unique clothing labels that meet your every need. Try it today and create your own label in seconds! 

Clothing label tags custom

Tips for Professional Seamless Sewing

The invisible stitch is more complicated than the standard invisible stitch. It’s also a lot stronger and more durable. 

How to sew an invisible seam

Image Source: Laura Radniecki

If you want to learn how to sew something closed in a proper way, then here are some tips so you can take your skills to the next level:

    • Use a thread that matches your fabric, and hold it taut while sewing.
    • Use a thicker thread if you’re sewing through multiple layers of fabric or a thinner one if you’re going through one layer.
    • Practice! Practice makes perfect, and this is true when it comes to learning how to sew hidden stitch. The more you practice, the better your stitches will be and the easier they’ll be to do. 
    • Don’t pull too hard on your fabric while sewing. Be gentle and guide it through with your fingers as you go along so that there aren’t any wrinkles in your finished product!
    • Be sure to keep your tension even as you sew. If too much thread is pulled through at once, you’ll get an uneven stitch that’s difficult to pull out later! 
    • If you’re having trouble with the stitches not being even, try changing the width of your stitches. They should be about 1 mm apart from each other.
    • Begin with a knot at the end of your thread so that it can be done as you sew. 

4 Best Invisible Sewing Stitches

If you know how to make clothes, then you know that there are many ways to sew a seam.

One of the most basic and essential parts of sewing is knowing how to sew invisible stitches. This method is essential for ensuring that the inside of your clothing doesn’t have any loose threads or uneven seams. 

This allows you to have an even more professional look when wearing your handmade garments. Here are the four best invisible stitches to choose from: 

How to sew a hidden stitch

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Hemming

Hemming is a seam that is stitched along the edge of the fabric. Hemming stitches are used in garments, curtains, and other home décor items.

Hemming stitches can be categorized into two types based on their position on a garment:

Inside-Out Stitches: These are used on seams that will be visible when wearing or using an item of clothing. The hem is turned inside out before stitching it down to prevent showing any raw edges when worn by the wearer. 

Seamless sewing

Image Source: Craftsy

These types of hems include inverted box stitch, blind stitch (also known as French seam), zigzag stitch, etc.

Outside In Stitches– This type of seam does not create a finished edge and can be seen when looking at the top side surface. For example, the inner side when worn by a wearer. These hidden stitches do not require turning one layer over another layer. 

Slip Stitch

Invisible stitch handsewing

Image Source: Historical Sewing

The slip stitch is a tiny stitch used to hold two pieces of fabric together. It is also known as the blind stitch because the stitches are hidden inside the garment. 

This makes it ideal for sewing hems in delicate fabrics that would be damaged by machine stitching.

The slip stitch can be worked with one hand or both hands, depending on how much tension you want in your seam and how thick it is. 

Lock Stitch

Hidden stitch handsewing

Image Source: The Spruce Crafts

A lock stitch is a type of stitch used to sew two pieces of fabric together. This is the most common type of invisible stitch and can be used for sewing leather or suede. 

It’s also the least expensive type of invisible stitch (which is why it’s great for beginners).

This stitch works by creating loops on both sides of your fabric, which makes it easy to see where you’ve stitched both pieces together. The stitches are also strong, making them ideal for sewing thick materials together like denim jeans or leather jackets! 

Pick Stitch

Pick stitch tutorial

Image Source: Stacy Risenmay

The pick stitch is a unique technique that can be used in almost any sewing project. This stitch creates a small row of loops on the edge of your fabric, which can be beneficial in many ways. 

The main purpose of this stitch is to make your edges more durable and to protect them against fraying or unraveling.

To create a pick stitch, you need to start by making two parallel lines. Then take your needle through all three layers at once. Once done, pull the thread until it comes out on the same side where you started from. 

When you’re done stitching, cut off any excess thread with scissors so that no extra threads are hanging around anywhere else but what’s supposed to be stitched together! Repeat this process three times for every loop created by this technique. 

Conclusion

The invisible stitch is used to finish off edges and seams in an attractive and durable manner. It is not difficult to execute, and it produces excellent results.

Invisible stitches are also easy to learn and can be used in a variety of sewing projects. They’re great for reinforcing seams that are already sewn, so they don’t rip out.

With the above information on how to sew an invisible stitch, you can now secure your fabric and create a beautiful finish on almost any project.

Give invisible stitch a try, and let us know how it goes.

Happy sewing!