Tag Archive | Joining Seams

MATTRESS/WEAVING STITCH

The MATTRESS STITCH or WEAVING STITCH is a very nice joining method especially for garments because it is virtually invisible.  When joining with this stitch, you  have your right sides facing you, side by side. Insert your needle through both loops on both pieces at the bottom edge, leaving about a 4″ tail, repeat again in the same stitch to help secure your thread.  Push your needle through both edge loops on the right side of the seam.  Pull the yarn through loosely.  Now insert the needle through both edge loops of the matching stitch on the left side.  Remember, to always keep your tapestry needle facing to the top of your piece and not to the side.  Continue alternating the joining stitches until you get to the end of your seam.  After completing about 3 stitches, pull your yarn snug and continue joining.

This stitch is a little harder to do with crochet stitches because you don’t have a cross-bar stitch like in knitting.  It is similar to doing a blind stitch in sewing.  As you can see from my pictures though, you form little “x’s” when you pull up your joining stitch snuggly and it is virtually invisible.  I used a very dark contrasting yarn for demonstration purposes but using your matching yarn, the joining seam will disappear.

Inserting needle from left to right under both loops on both sides

 

Pulling mattress stitch snuggly to join

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joining seams for your crochet projects is really a simple procedure.  Take your time and decide upon which joining method you prefer and will work the best for your finished piece.  Remember to weave in all your loose yarn tails too!

Spend some time with a youngster who might be interested in making crochet squares, and work together joining them into a cute baby doll blanket or a small coverlet to curl up with in the car or for reading books.  Who doesn’t like something handmade!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Preparing Crochet Edges

Depending upon my project, here’s a little crochet tip that I like to do which helps to prepare my piece for seaming or joining.

I like to finish off my crochet piece by bordering it with one row of single crochet stitches around the entire square or garment.  I even like to do this when not joining because it gives a nice, clean, professional look to your piece.

Basically, when you get to the end of your pattern, don’t fasten off, just continue around making a single crochet into every stitch within your project.  That border row of single crochet will be where you will place your joining stitches to form your seam.   Here are a few examples showing how to single crochet an edge.  Complete your single crochet on working edge, when you get to the corner,  complete three single crochet stitches in corner to keep edge from curling.  Continue with single crochet on next edge by inserting your needle along the edge stitches.  Keep them spaced fairly even so that your piece doesn’t curl and keep track of how many single crochet stitches you do so that you can do the same amount on the other side edge for a square, rectangle match the east/west sides with same number and the north/south sides with the same amount of stitches.  Next corner do your three single crochet and do one single crochet in each chain stitch so you have the same amount of single crochet stitches across the bottom edge as you do the top edge.  Continue with this pattern until you get back to the beginning corner of your top edge and fasten off.

Working sc along side edge

Showing how I insert hook along side edge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showing 3 sc in corner stitch

How sc look along your finished piece

If making a garment, you might only want to single crochet along the places that need to be seamed; along sleeve and side seams.  Take into consideration the design and what works best for your particular pattern or design.

 

*TIP FOR JOINING:    Make sure that you use the same type of yarn as your project.  You can use a different color if you want contrast but if your project called for acrylic yarn, then use acrylic yarn for stitching seams or if you used merino wool yarn, then join using merino wool yarn, etc.  You get the picture.

 

HAPPY CREATING!!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links – “small commission earned”