Q1.
Where else can we use running stitches in daily life?
Answer
The running stitch is used almost everywhere cloth has to be held together — for repairs, for hems, for joining pieces, and for decoration.
| Where we use a running stitch | What it does there |
|---|---|
| Mending a torn shirt or a torn pocket | Brings the two torn edges together and holds them |
| Making a hem at the bottom of trousers or a skirt | Holds the folded edge down so it does not fray |
| Joining cloth pieces into a quilt or godhadi | Joins the squares, and also holds the layers together |
| Kantha embroidery of Bengal, Odisha and Tripura | Rows of running stitches make the whole design — the same stitch you just learnt |
| Tacking before machine stitching | Holds two pieces in place loosely, so the tailor can check the fit before the machine sews them |
| Putting a drawstring channel in a pyjama or a bag | Makes a tunnel for the nada or the cord to run through |
| Gathering cloth into folds for a frill | Stitch a line, then pull the thread — the cloth gathers up |
| Closing a pillow cover, a mattress cover or a grain sack | Shuts the open end |
| Sewing a name tag inside a school uniform | Fixes the tag on so it will not be lost |
Why one simple stitch is enough for so much: The running stitch is quick, it uses very little thread, and it can be undone easily if you make a mistake. Where great strength is needed a tailor uses a machine stitch instead — but for everyday joining and mending, this one stitch does most of the work.
Look at Kantha again: the picture on page 142 shows a cream cloth with red flowers and green leaves. Every one of those lines is a row of running stitches. Women in eastern India built a whole art out of the very first stitch a child learns.