Pick Stitch: Tailoring Stitch for Jackets & Lapels
Pick stitch is a fine hand sewing stitch used in tailoring to secure lapels, facings, pockets, and garment edges with small decorative stitches. Often seen on high-end jackets and couture garments, pick stitch creates subtle visible dots along the edge of the fabric that give tailored garments a professional, handmade finish. Pick stitch is commonly used on suit lapels, blazer collars, pocket flaps, waistbands, and luxury tailoring details where precise hand sewing is preferred over visible machine topstitching. This tutorial will show you how to do pick stitch for beginners.
How to Do Pick Stitch (Quick Guide)
Pick stitch is a small decorative hand sewing stitch used in tailoring for lapels, pockets, facings, and garment edges.
- Mark the stitching line
- Hide the knot inside the seam
- Sew a small backstitch
- Bring the needle forward slightly
- Repeat evenly spaced tiny stitches
What is Pick Stitch?
Pick stitch is a small hand sewing stitch worked similarly to backstitch, but with tiny visible stitches spaced along the fabric edge. It is mainly used in tailoring and couture sewing to secure lapels, facings, collars, pockets, and hems while creating a subtle decorative handmade finish.
Pick stitch is also called stab stitch and is commonly found on luxury jackets and tailored garments.
Learn more beginner hand sewing techniques in the complete hand stitching guide.
A pick stitch in a contrasting color or embroidery floss adds variety to the trim of a garment and can decorate hems and necklines.
How to Do Pick Stitch (Step by Step)
1. Preparation
Preparation is very important since this stitch relies on being fairly accurate. If you need to stitch a straight line, mark it with masking tape or fabric tape. This allows accuracy and exactly the right amount of space from the edge. I like to use 1/4 inch (6mm) double-sided fabric tape.
Each stitch that is sewn has to be exactly the right size and distance from the other stitches.
2. Hide the Knot
Thread your needle and secure the end with a knot. For sewing thread, use it doubled over. If you are using embroidery floss you would thread the needle single and knot the end.
Push the needle up from inside the garment into the fabric and through to the upper side. The needle should go through the seam allowance to the top.
Note that pick stitch is sewn right to left.
If you are sewing a facing, then the needle will go through to the top of the facing, which will be the inside of the garment. For lapels and pockets, the needle will be pushed through to the top of the outside of the garment.
3. Take a Back Stitch
- The thread has exited at point (1).
- Return the needle a few threads back at point (2) The needle is inserted behind the point the needle came out of as it is worked like a backstitch.
- Pull the thread carefully through to the right side about 1/4” ahead of the first stitch at point (3).
It is important that the needle passes through the top layer and through the seam allowance but not through the bottom layer of fabric.
4. Repeat
This forms the pick stitching, and you continue along the length of the marked line. You may find it easier to separate the top and bottom layers if possible. Make sure that the seam allowance is pressed towards the side you are stitching on.
If done properly, this delicate stitch should resemble a line of tiny dots along the edge of the fabric. The wrong side will show the longer part of the stitch as your needle goes back on the stitch lines.
Pick Stitch vs Topstitching
Pick stitch and machine topstitching are both used to finish garment edges, but pick stitch creates subtle hand-sewn dots while topstitching creates visible, continuous machine stitching.
| Pick Stitch | Topstitching |
|---|---|
| Hand sewn | Machine sewn |
| Tiny spaced stitches | Continuous stitch line |
| Luxury tailoring finish | More casual appearance |
| Mostly decorative | Decorative and functional |
Pick Stitch FAQs
Pick stitch works best on wool suiting, tailoring fabrics, blazers, jackets, coats, denim, and medium-weight woven fabrics that can hold crisp edge shaping.
Pick stitch is used for jacket lapels, pockets, facings, waistbands, collars, and couture tailoring details where subtle decorative hand stitching is desired.
Yes, traditional pick stitch is sewn by hand using tiny backstitch-style stitches along the garment edge.
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Pick Stitch – In Conclusion
Pick stitch is a classic tailoring hand stitch used for lapels, facings, pockets, and luxury garment finishing. The tiny, evenly spaced stitches create a subtle, handmade detail that gives jackets and tailored garments a professional couture appearance. With practice and careful spacing, pick stitch can add elegant handcrafted detail to blazers, coats, skirts, and tailored sewing projects.
MORE HAND STITCHING
- Blanket Stitch
- Running Stitch
- How to Sew a Seam by Hand
- How to Whip Stitch
- Backstitch
- How to do Ladder Stitch
Tools
- Hand Sewing Needle
- Thread
Materials
- Fabric
Instructions
- Hide the Knot – Push the needle up from inside the garment into the fabric and through to the upper side. The needle should go through the seam allowance to the top.
- The thread has exited at point (1). Return the needle a few threads back at point (2). Pull the thread carefully through to the right side about ¼” ahead of the first stitch at point (3).
- Continue along the marked line.
- Press and flatten the facing or lapel.
Author - Luisa Clare
Luisa Clare is the founder of Treasurie, a sewing and crochet education platform offering step-by-step tutorials and printable patterns. With over 15 years of experience in dressmaking, pattern design, crochet, and craft education, she specialises in teaching beginners through clear, easy-to-follow lessons. Her tutorials and patterns are used by home sewists and crocheters worldwide to build practical skills and confidence. Learn more about Luisa and Treasurie.
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