How to End a Stitch by Hand or With a Machine

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Professional tailor Andrea Beaulieu shares how to neatly & securely end your stitches with invisible knots

Co-authored by Andrea Moore Beaulieu and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: October 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Hand Stitches
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• Machine Stitches
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• Double-Threaded Stitch
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• Single-Threaded Stitch
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• Hiding Knots
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• How Do You End a Stitch?
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• Video
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• Expert Q&A
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• Tips

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Whether you've embroidered a pillow, mended a shirt, or sewn a blanket, you'll need to know how to end your stitching. In this article, we explain how to end a stitch by hand and on a sewing machine with help from professional tailor Andrea Beaulieu. Read on for expert advice on how to end your stitches.

How do you end a sewing stitch?

Professional tailor Andrea Beaulieu says to slide the needle through the last stitch and pull on it to make a loop. Then, feed your needle and thread through the loop and pull tightly to secure the loop. Repeat to form another loop to reinforce the knot and end the stitch. Trim your thread close to the fabric.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Ending a Standard Hand-Stitch

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1. 
   1
   Flip the fabric over. Turn the material over so the wrong side is facing you. Any knots you make will be visible on this side, but not on the right side of the fabric. You should also be able to see the length of the nearby stitches you just made.

   • Try to leave at least 6 inches (15 cm) of thread on your needle so that you can secure a stitch without losing the end of the thread.
   • For extra security, Beaulieu recommends sewing 2 to 3 small stitches back over your last stitches to help reinforce the seam.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Andrea Beaulieu is a Professional Tailor & Fashion Designer with over 20 years in fashion design and marketing. She specializes in pattern making, draping, and the construction of garments.
2. 
   2
   Slide the needle under the nearest stitch and pull it to make a loop. Beaulieu says to “bring your needle close to the fabric surface” and then “slide the needle under the last stitch to form a small loop.” Just ensure the loop is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.

   • If you don't leave enough thread on the needle, it might be difficult to make the loop. To make it easier, tie more thread to the end of the thread on your needle. Then, slide the needle onto the extended thread.
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3. 
   3
   Insert the needle through the loop and pull it tightly to make a knot. Bring the needle over the loop so the loop looks like a closed circle. Then, Beaulieu says to “pass the needle through the loop and pull tight to create a knot.”

   • If you pull the thread up at this point, you should see 3 small threads at the base of your knot.
4. 
   4
   Tie the thread through another loop to double-knot the stitch. To ensure the stitches are secure, Beaulieu recommends creating another knot. Simply insert your needle through the same stitch to make another loop. Then, pull the needle through the loop and pull it tightly.

   • Remember that these knots won't be visible on the right side of your fabric.
   • You may want to create an extra knot if you’re working with thick fabric, too.
5. 
   5
   Trim the excess thread and turn your fabric over. Take a pair of sharp scissors and cut close to the knot you just made. It's fine if a little thread sticks out from the stitch since you won't see this side of the fabric. Then, flip the fabric over to see the stitches you made.

   • Beaulieu says not to worry if you trim close to the knot; as long as you pull the knot tight, it won't loosen over time.
   • To completely hide the thread tail, Beaulieu says to “insert the needle into the fabric right next to the knot and run it under the fabric” for about 1 inch (2.5 cm), either between the layers or along the seam. Then, “snip off the excess thread,” she says.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Ending a Machine Stitch

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1. 
   1
   Machine stitch your fabric until you're 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) from an edge. You can use any type of stitch you like, such as straight or zigzag. Use your machine to sew until you almost reach the end of your fabric and you're ready to finish.

   • If you're not used to sewing and ending stitches on a machine, practice with a few scraps of fabric until you feel comfortable handling the machine.
2. 
   2
   Press the reverse button. “When you reach the end of your seam,” Beaulieu says, “keep the needle down.” Then, hold down the reverse button or lever. Depending on the type of sewing machine you're using, the reverse button should be close to your stitch dial. It may look like a small circle with a U-turning arrow which indicates that the machine will make stitches in the reverse direction.

   • Some machines require you to hold down the reverse button while you're making the stitches. Check to see if you need to do this or if you only have to press the button to start and stop reverse stitching.
3. 
   3
   Make 2 to 3 backstitches. Once you've pressed the reverse button, Beaulieu recommends that you sew at least 2 to 3 backward stitches. Simply use the hand wheel or foot pedal to make the stitches. The machine will work these stitches directly over the straight or zigzag stitches that you already made. According to Beaulieu, this will secure what you've just sewn.

   • The hand dial will give you more control than the foot pedal when making just a few stitches.
   • Beaulieu says, “You should always back stitch before ending [your thread] so it secures what you have just sewn.” Then, “trim your threads close to the fabric, not the needle,” she adds.

   Tip: To make your end stitches even more secure, you can adjust your stitch length. Make them shorter so they don't pull out or unravel as easily as long ones.
4. 
   4
   Forward stitch to the end of the fabric. To lock the thread ends in place and prevent any unraveling, Beaulieu says to “sew forward again over the same area.” Let go of the reverse button and straight or zigzag stitch over the stitches you just made. Just keep stitching until you reach the edge of the fabric.

   • The end of your fabric will now have 3 lines of thread that overlap to end the stitch.
5. 
   5
   Lift the needle and cut the thread. To cut the ends, Beaulieu says to “raise the needle and presser foot.” Then, “pull the fabric gently toward the back of the machine” and “cut both threads.” Beaulieu adds that some machines have an automatic thread cutter.

   • Some machines have a small thread cutter built into the side of the machine. To use this cutter, press the thread down on the blade to trim it.
   • If you’re sewing something delicate, Beaulieu notes that you may want to tie the thread off by hand. To do this, she says to “pull the thread tails to the back side of the fabric” and then “tie them together in a small double knot for an invisible, secure finish.”
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Tying Off a Double-Threaded Stitch

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1. 
   1
   Cut the thread right below the needle after finishing your stitches. Grab your scissors, put them to the end of your thread that is threaded in the needle, and cut it. Leave about 2-3 inches (5-7.6 cm) of thread so you have an easier time tying the two ends of thread together.
2. 
   2
   Grab the two ends of the thread, pull them out into a loop, and tie them. Gently pull the ends of the thread out, holding them at their ends to form a big loop. Pull a small portion of those ends together to form an X. Feed one of the ends into the loop, then pull them both until the loop reaches the base of the fabric. Be careful not to pull on this loop, as you don’t want the fabric to pucker.

   • Fabric puckering is when the fabric bunches around the threads from being pulled too tightly.
3. 
   3
   Form another loop and thread the ends of fabric through to reinforce the closure. Grab the remaining ends of the thread, pull them back out into a loop, make that little X at the top of the ends, and loop one of the ends through that X-topped loop. Then, pull both ends as tightly as you’d like until the loop reaches the base of the last knot.

   • Repeat this step 1-2 more times for added reinforcement.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Ending a Single-Threaded Stitch

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1. 
   1
   Save 2-3 inches (5-7.6 cm) of thread for a loop when you’re done stitching. Once you reach your final set of stitches, make sure you have about 2-3 inches (5-7.6 cm) of thread left. Use this remaining thread to form a loop by pulling your needle out and using it to loop the thread back into itself.
2. 
   2
   Place your finger on top of the loop where you want the knot, then pull the thread through. Hold your finger on the spot where you want the knot to end up, then feed the needle through the loop and pull while keeping your finger on the spot. Continue to pull until the knot forms at your finger’s spot, using your finger to guide said knot if it moves.

   • Repeat this step 1-2 times to reinforce your knot.
3. 
   3
   Cut the excess thread. After your knot has been formed and the end of your stitch is secure, grab a pair of scissors and trim the excess thread as close to the knot as you can. This will keep any of the threads from hanging out, potentially weighing on the knot, and/or causing you discomfort at the spot where you made the stitch.
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Ending a Stitch Without a Visible Knot

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1. 
   1
   Make a small stitch that goes through both layers of fabric. Keep this stitch smaller than your other stitches. Start by poking the needle end through both layers of fabric, then pull said end (and the thread attached to it) through your new stitch.
2. 
   2
   Come back to the first hole of the stitch and pull the needle back through to form a loop. After making the small stitch, trace back to the first hole of the stitch and put the needle through. Pull on the needle until the thread comes through and forms a small loop. This loop will help secure your stitch without forming a visible knot. After making the loop, put the needle back through the second hole to bring it back to the loop side.
3. 
   3
   Feed the needle and thread through the loop twice, pull to tighten, and cut the excess. Grab your needle and feed it through the small loop that you made in the previous step twice. Pull on the needle to get all the thread through, and continue pulling until the loop starts to hug the fabric. Once you’ve got the loop secured, grab your scissors and cut off the excess thread to finish things off.

   • This method will still be visible, especially if you use colored thread, so use it on areas that aren’t inherently visible, like arm or leg seams.
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How Do You End a Stitch?

Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How do you end a stitch on a sewing machine?

  

  Andrea Moore Beaulieu
  Professional Tailor & Fashion Designer

  Andrea Moore Beaulieu is a Professional Tailor, Fashion Designer, and the Owner of MOORE, a Brooklyn, New York based storefront and apparel workshop for gender-neutral, contemporary streetwear as well as custom-tailored products. Andrea has over 20 years in the fashion design and marketing industries and specializes in pattern making, draping, and the construction of garments. She holds a BS in Fashion Design and Merchandising from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

  

  Andrea Moore Beaulieu

  Professional Tailor & Fashion Designer

  Expert Answer

  Cut your thread close to the fabric, not the needle. That way, your machine will still be set up to stitch. If you cut too close to the needle, you could pull out the thread.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
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  Yes No

  Not Helpful 3 Helpful 9
• Question

  Why do my ending stitches keep coming loose when I'm using a machine?

  

  Andrea Moore Beaulieu
  Professional Tailor & Fashion Designer

  Andrea Moore Beaulieu is a Professional Tailor, Fashion Designer, and the Owner of MOORE, a Brooklyn, New York based storefront and apparel workshop for gender-neutral, contemporary streetwear as well as custom-tailored products. Andrea has over 20 years in the fashion design and marketing industries and specializes in pattern making, draping, and the construction of garments. She holds a BS in Fashion Design and Merchandising from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

  

  Andrea Moore Beaulieu

  Professional Tailor & Fashion Designer

  Expert Answer

  Before you end your stitches, back stitch a few times, then go forward to the end of the fabric again. This will secure your thread so it won't unravel.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 9 Helpful 8
• Question

  I'm confused. When I make the loop, do I pull through both pieces of fabric or just the one? Like when I make it a loop, do I just do one layer of fabric? I'm used to a sewing machine.

  

  Cathy Mackenzie

  Community Answer

  Loop? As in back stitch loop to end a stitch? Both pieces of fabric for strength, in my opinion.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 8 Helpful 17

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Tips

• To test if the stitches are secure, you should be able to pull the fabric apart without the stitches unraveling.
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• If you accidentally poke your fingers with the needle, consider using a thimble to protect your fingertip.
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