Basic hand sewing stitches

When I ran a sewing workshop at a hen party, I realised that people are often quite scared of sewing. It really is quite easy and like most things just a matter of practice. With hand sewing, you can sew while you're relaxing doing something else like listening to music or watching TV, so I'd recommend it as a way to get started.

So here are a couple of stitches to try and I'll be posting a simple tutorial on how to use these two to make a simple make-up bag. 

First thread your needle with double thread and knot the end.

BACKSTITCH

•Working from right to left, come up at A

•Take a small backward stitch, go down at B and come up at C

•Move the needle forward beneath the material & come up one stitch length ahead

•Try to keep your stitches even

•Tie a knot at the end

It will look like this  on the right side

…and like this on the reverse

WHIP STITCH

•Pull the needle through at A

•Push it back through the other side of the fabric at B and through both pieces of fabric

•Pull the needle through at C and repeat