Tomato... Tomaaato (Slip Stitch vs. Blind Hem Stitch)

A Slip Stitch is a general term for a nearly invisible hand stitch where the needle passes through the fabric's folded edge, while a Blind Hem is a specific application of the slip stitch technique used primarily to create an invisible hem on garments, meaning the stitches are hidden within the folded fabric edge, making it the most common use for a slip stitch when referring to hemming.

Hand Sewn Binding Option 1 ~ Small Invisible Stitches using a slip stitch:
Use a slip stitch to create small invisible stitches along the back securing the binding in place. Start by coming up from the seam allowance with your needle, then insert through the backing directly below where you came up earlier. Glide your needle through the backing about an 1/8″ – 1/4″ away from your current stitch and start a new one. Come up through the binding, grabbing just a tiny bit of the edge, and go straight down into the backing.

When you start, you need to secure the thread under the binding. Bring the needle through the quilt edge, on the outside of the seam, as shown. Don’t poke through to the front!

Hand Sewn Binding Option 2 ~ Blind Hem Stitch (‘ode to my mom—this is what I do):
My mother was an incredible seamstress and also somebody who loved to master and foster good technique. My childhood was spent making my own clothing—especially if we needed a fancy dress or a good wool blazer. As with most clothing construction, you needed a good "hemming" technique. In comes the good ‘old blind hem stitch. So, this is what I use to this day to do my binding.

Thread a sewing needle with thread and tie a knot in the other end. Working on the wrong side of the fabric, bring the needle up through the top folded edge.Take a very small stitch horizontally through the main part of the fabric. Keep the stitch very close to the folded hem and try to catch only a few threads of the fabric. Next, go through the edge of the folded hem close to the first stitch. Bring the needle back out through the fold about 1/2" away.

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