There are several basic types of stitches used in sewing including the running stitch, backstitch, blanket stitch, and whipstitch. The running stitch is made with evenly spaced straight stitches and is used for seaming and topstitching. The backstitch is made with stitches that overlap and look like a row of X's from the front, making it very strong. The blanket stitch is a looped stitch that looks the same from both sides and is commonly used for finishing raw edges.