Running stitch is the first one most people learn. It really couldn't be easier. You just load your needle with thread, then run it in and out of the fabric at regular intervals. You can do each stitch individually, or you can stack several stitches at a time on the needle. The resulting sewing looks like a dashed line on both the front and the back. This was a very common construction stitch in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, just as it is today.
If when you get to the end of the line you turn your work around and stitch back to the beginning, putting your needle through the same holes but going in where you came out and out where you came in, you'll be doing a double running stitch. You'll be filling in the spaces between the dashes, and creating a solid line.
This can produce a strong join if used as a construction stitch. It can also make nice, smooth lines of embroidery (if your stitches are regular and you keep your tension even). It's a particularly effective way to put simple linear designs on fabric.
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