Mattress Stitch Join Tutorial
This join I’m about to show you has to be one of my favorites. It leaves a flat almost invisible seam and is very easy to do. All you will need is a piece of yarnΒ Β (usually in the same color as your project) and slightly longer than the length you are joining, a yarn or tapestry needle and your project pieces. If you would like to see a video tutorial of this technique you can click here.
To begin your mattress join, first you will put the two pieces you want to join together.

Then beginning at the bottom of your seam, you will insert your needle through the outside loop only of your bottom stitch. Come from the outside of your work to the inside when inserting your needle.
Note: It’s not important which side of the project you begin on. You can come in from right to left as shown in the photo below, or start on the left piece and work from left to right.

Now, bring your needle straight across and insert it through the outside loop on the same stitch on the second piece.

You can see when I pull the yarn all the way through I have made a straight line through my outside loops.

The next step is what distinguishes this stitch from others. You will now bring your needle up to the next stitch on the same side you just worked on and insert it in the outside loop only.

Now I will go through the outside loop again on the other piece I am connecting.

You can see when I pull the yarn though this second stitch that this stitch kind of weaves it way back and forth along the stitches.

NowΒ I repeat the pattern, I go up one stitch on the same side I just came out of to insert my needle again.

I continue this pattern all the way to the end of my seam.

Now the magic, take your ends and pull them tight.

From the wrong side you can slightly see the yarn I used to join. If it was in the same color as my project, you wouldn’t even notice it.

Now for the front side, even with the contrasting color, you can’t really see any of the yarn I used to join the seam. And the piece is completely flat, no 3 dimensional seam here.

Once you finish stitching and seaming, just work these tails in as you would any other tail. If it’s the same color as your work you can easily weave it in. If you chose a contrasting color, you can weave in keeping it on the wrong side so it won’t show up through the front.
14 Comments
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Laura @ justsleep
Very useful tips, thanks for this tutorial
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
LP
I was wondering if you have created the video showing the join on the side of the work. Thanks
crocheteverafter
Sorry, not yet. I’m getting settled in to my new house. Trying to find time with unpacking, homeschooling and setting up my video stuff had been a little difficult. π I’m hoping to start taping again by this weekend.
Pingback:
lacey
Hi!!! Love this join, but have a problem getting it to look right when doing it on the side of the work (where there are no little v’s). I would love to see how you do this.
crocheteverafter
You know, I meant to show that and totally forgot when I was making the video. You definitely won’t get the same effect as with the V’s but you can try to mimic the effect if you try to catch one of the top most loops on the outside of the project. I will try to get a video for that as soon as possible (I usually make the videos on weekends and edit during the week), so I’ll try to make one up shortly to show what I mean. π