Stoating, sometimes written stoting or stotting, is a type of stitching made to join two pieces of

woven Woven fabric is any textile formed by weaving. Woven fabrics are often created on a loom, and made of many threads woven on a warp and a weft. Technically, a woven fabric is any fabric made by interlacing two or more threads at right angles to on ...

material, with raw edges placed together, such that the resulting stitches are not visible from the right side of the cloth. Stoating is accomplished by passing the needle only halfway through the pieces of material to be stoated, using a very fine needle and thread, such as

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

, or even hair. Stitches would be drawn from side to side across the opening to be sewn closed, in a pattern resembling a zig-zag or the rungs of a ladder. Stoating may be used on heavier fabrics, such as

felt Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...

and some types of

tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

, or fabrics that will not fray easily. Stoating would also be used in place of seaming on heavy

furs Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

. When completed, the join should lie flat and not be visible from the right side of the fabric.

References

Sewing stitches {{Textile-arts-stub