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Hi! I haven't really been able to find a clear answer on this on da interwebz, so I was hoping someone here might be able to give me a hand. I know the standard way to secure your stitches at the end of a thread is to slide it under other stitches in the back, but when you are doing just backstitching (i.e. stitching letters) is it really secure just to slip it through the backstitching on the back? I mean, it's not usually like a straight line of stitches that the needle can just simply slip through in that situation. How many stitches does it take to really secure a thread? Thanks!

I run the thread under and over several stitches on the back if there aren't any full crosses that are near enough to secure back stitching. And I usually will go backwards on one or two (hope this makes sense). I have no idea if it does secure the back stitch more, but it makes me feel better about it.

Carole

I do the same thing as Carole and it seems to hold. The reason i know is because I've to to undo some stitching after doing this and it was fairly difficult to undo

calico wrote:I do the same thing as Carole and it seems to hold. The reason i know is because I've to to undo some stitching after doing this and it was fairly difficult to undo

Oh I can really relate to that, and I also secure mine this way

Yep. Me three
I sort of weave back and forth under other stitches. Switching direction. Then when I end, I sort of make a loop, slip needle through and pull tight if I am not near any full crosses

I will agree with all of the others. That is what I do.

Me is it five or six ?

And yes can't get mine undone when I need to either lol.

hey, thanks for all the advice! i'll feel more secure about my stitches from now on.

It depends on the count I'm working on. For 14 ct, I do as others suggest and often loop round a stitch on the back to hold the backstitch thread. For high counts like working over 1 on 25ct or 28ct, the stitches are usually so tight at the back that it's fine just to run under a few stitches and that feels secure especially once you've got the first few backstitches in.