THE SEED STITCH

So named because they look like scattered sesame seeds. Use for reinforcing worn-out fabrics such as heels in socks

“GET A MUSHROOM, NEEDLE AND THREAD AND YOU’RE READY”

1 Place the worn area over the darning mushroom. Hold it tightly and wrap the elastic cord round the base. Tie the cord once.

2 Take a stitch from about 5mm outside the worn area, starting at the top right corner, 1cm from the right. Pull the thread and leave about 10cm at the end to tidy up later.

3 For the second stitch go back 1–2mm from the first stitch and then stitch from right to left. Stitch about 1cm further. A seed stitch will appear on the front. Continue to do one stitch forward and a seed stitch back until you complete the row.

4 After one row, rotate the darning mushroom 180 degrees and, just above the first row, start sewing the second row from right to left. The second row should not be aligned with the first row but sewn randomly.

5 When the yarn runs out, change the colour. Remove the thread from the needle and change the thread, leaving the end loose. When you start the stitch with the new thread, continue with seed stitch as before. When you sew, follow the worn area and a pattern will naturally form.

6 Pull off the elastic cord and remove the material from the darning mushroom. Tidy the threads from the start of sewing and where the yarn colour was changed. Thread the end through the needle and push it through to the back of the work.

7 Turn the fabric over and weave through four stitches.

8 Splitting the darned threads, weave back through another two stitches.