Paragraph 106. The running stitch consists of very short even stitches, always the same length on the right and wrong sides of the material. To make this stitch, tie a knot in the thread, bring the needle through from the underside of the cloth (to place the knot on the under side); take a very short stitch on the upper side of the cloth, then one of equal length on the under side. See Figure 7. Continue this process keeping the stitches even and straight.

Instead of using a knot in the thread you may begin this stitch by taking two or three small stitches one over another.

Before the days of machines the running stitch was in common use for many of the seams now made with machine stitching. This stitch is still used to fasten two pieces of material together in a seam where great strength is not required. It is used for the first row of stitching in a French seam; it is also used in gathering.