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Glite Dictionary
🪡 A decorative stitch 🪡 To sew decoratively
to hemstitch

to hemstitch

1 9.9
To sew the edge of fabric with a decorative open border
  • verb
  • /ˈhɛmˌstɪtʃ/
  • Specialized
: hacer puntada de ojal
  • The artist hemstitched the napkins to add a decorative flair to the dinner party.

Examples

  • She decided to hemstitch the tablecloth for a beautiful finishing touch.

  • The tour bus had just reached a break in the trees on a Colorado mountainside, sending shafts of sunlight down on a patchwork of green rectangles hemstitched by white-trunked trees and lines of narrow creeks.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • After learning the technique, he hemstitched the edges of the fabric to showcase his skill.

Synonyms

to sew
vsto hemstitch
216 1.0

Join, fix and make clothes and other things made of cloth using a needle and thread or a machine

is a precise decorative edge method that draws threads out rather than general work
to stitch
vsto hemstitch
79 2.5

To join or repair cloth with a needle and thread

is a specific decorative edge method that draws threads out instead of general joining
to embroider
vsto hemstitch
34 4.2

To decorate cloth with thread using a needle to make patterns

creates a delicate openwork border by drawing threads out instead of surface designs
to stitch up
vsto hemstitch
22 3.9

To sew a hole or loose edge to make clothing whole again

focuses on making a decorative open border rather than general mending
to topstitch
vsto hemstitch
1 6.5

To sew a visible line of stitches on the outside of clothing to add decoration or strength

creates a delicate openwork border by drawing threads out
to backstitch
vsto hemstitch
  • Specialized
1 7.3

To sew by putting the needle back into the cloth behind the last hole to make a strong continuous line

focuses on delicate open edge decoration by drawing threads out rather than strength
to whipstitch the hem
vsto hemstitch
  • Specialized
8.7

To sew the folded edge of cloth by hand with small stitches over it

creates a decorative open border by drawing threads out rather than only securing
to overlock
vsto hemstitch
  • UK
6.3

To sew fabric edges with a special stitch to stop them coming apart

creates a delicate open edge by drawing threads out rather than preventing fray
to fell
vsto hemstitch
  • Specialized
9.9

To fold a cloth edge and sew it down so the raw edge is inside

forms a decorative open border by drawing threads out instead of enclosing edges

How Decorative

to embroider
34 4.2
to hemstitch
  • Specialized
1 9.9
to embellish
7 6.3
to hem
4 4.1

Surface Forms

hemstitch infinitive
hemstitched past
hemstitched past participle
hemstitching present participle
hemstitches third person singular

Etymology

Hemstitch as a verb comes from the parts hem 'edge' and stitch 'to sew', and it means to sew a decorative border by pulling threads together to make small open holes along the edge.