Stitching

Stitching is the act of joining two or more pieces of fabric, leather, or other materials using a stitch. It can be done by hand or by sewing machine and is foundational in clothing, upholstery, and crafts. The term also covers suturing wounds in medicine and the process of combining multiple images into a panorama in digital imaging.

In sewing, stitches are chosen for strength, elasticity, and appearance. Common hand stitches include running stitch, backstitch, whipstitch, slip stitch, and cross-stitch. Machine stitches cover straight, zigzag, lockstitch, and overlock/overcasting seams. Finishing techniques such as hemming and topstitching complete a garment.

In medicine, stitching refers to suturing wounds to promote healing and prevent infection. Sutures may be absorbable (e.g., polyglycolic acid, polydioxanone) or non-absorbable (e.g., nylon, polypropylene). Techniques include interrupted and continuous sutures, selected by wound type and location.

Image stitching, or panorama stitching, is a computational process that aligns and blends overlapping photographs to form a single wide view. It relies on feature detection, geometric correction, and blending; challenges include parallax, exposure differences, and seam artifacts.

Stitching also appears in leatherwork, upholstery, and embroidery, where stitches join pieces and create decorative patterns.