Slip Stitch

Intermediate Hemming

A nearly invisible stitch that catches just a thread or two of fabric at a time, used to close hems and openings without visible stitching.

Fold the hem or edge under to where you want it to sit, and press or pin it in place.
Bring the needle up through the folded edge, hiding the knot inside the fold.
Pick up just a thread or two of the main fabric directly behind where the thread emerged.
Slide the needle inside the fold for a short distance — about 1/4 to 3/8 inch — then bring it back out through the fold and repeat, picking up another tiny thread of the main fabric.
Continue along the hem, keeping the stitches on the main fabric as tiny and shallow as possible so they stay hidden.

The name comes from how the needle "slips" through the inside of the fold for most of its travel, only surfacing briefly to catch the main fabric.
Matching your thread color closely to the fabric makes any stitches that do show far less noticeable.
This stitch is often confused with ladder stitch — slip stitch hems a folded edge to a flat fabric, while ladder stitch joins two folded edges to each other.