The first seaming technique that most crocheters learn is the whipstitch. While whipstitching has a time and a place, the Mattress Stitch Seam has become my go-to technique when seaming panels of crocheted fabric together. Below, I’ll share with you why!
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Here are a few of the reasons I love the mattress stitch seam:
- The seam is nearly invisible!
- The seam is flat (as opposed to a slip stitch seam which creates a ridge).
- You can seam two pieces of crocheted fabric that may not be the same exact length simply by evenly distributing the slack over the length of the seam. The result is a seam without a pucker (as long as there isn’t a huge difference in length between the two pieces). This is the main reason I used this technique for my Urban Crossover Pullover (click here to see the design).
- The edges you seam do not have to be the bottom or tops of stitches. You can seam raw edges of the sides of rows.
While there are many tutorials out there for the mattress stitch seam, I wanted to share with you my version. It differs a little from most others you’ll find in that I work on the Right Side of the fabric and I insert my yarn needle differently. This is a personal preference, and in my opinion, makes the most invisible seam.
The most recent design that I used the mattress stitch seam on is my Cool Stripes Bag, shown below. You can find the Free Crochet Pattern here: Cool Stripes Bag
Mattress Stitch Seam Tutorial
The mattress stitch is the most common technique used to sew panels together. It’s a simple technique and I’ll give you a couple of tips to help make it easier. This is my favorite technique to use to seam crocheted pieces together because the finished seam is nearly invisible!
TIP #1: As you’re sewing your seams, make sure to stop every couple inches and pull both ends of your yarn to tighten the seam. If you wait until you’re done sewing and then try to pull the ends through the entire length of the seam, you may end up with gaps or puckers.
TIP #2: Use several stitch markers when suggested. The stitch markers not only hold pieces together temporarily, they also help guide you to seam things, such as sleeves, evenly.
Tip #3: The most important thing to remember about this technique is to insert your yarn needle the same direction on both panels that you’re seaming. If you insert from bottom to top on the left side, make sure to insert bottom to top on the right side and vice versa (I prefer to insert my yarn needle from bottom to top). See photos and instructions below.
Tip #4: Insert your yarn needle through the middle of the stitch, not around it. By working in the middle of stitches, you can conceal the seam much more than working around stitches. Working around stitches may create small gaps.
Let’s Try working a Mattress Stitch Seam!
Using a piece of yarn, 2 – 3 times the length of the seam to be made, and a yarn needle, use the mattress stitch technique to sew a seam in your next crocheted project!
Insert your yarn needle from bottom to top, through a stitch on the left. Insert your yarn needle from bottom to top, through a stitch on the right. Insert your yarn needle from bottom to top, through a stitch on the left.
Continue working back and forth creating a zig zag with the yarn between the panels. After you’ve created a zig zag about an inch long, pull on both ends of your yarn to tighten the seam.
Once you have worked the entire length of the seam to be made, pull both ends of the yarn to make sure your seam is tight, fasten off, and weave in all ends.
Voila, your seam is complete!
Seaming, no matter which technique you are using, takes a little practice and maybe a tad more patience, but this skill is an excellent one to add to your crochet toolbox! And I hope it quickly becomes your favorite. 😉
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Happy Crocheting!
I was so excited to see you had a tutorial but I cannot tell what you are doing in the pictures. A video tutorial would be so helpful.