"1" is where your needle comes up through the fabric
"2" is where it goes down again

Give this simple stitch a try! It’s a total cinch to work. Make a single, straight stitch (1-2) as long or short as you want. (I make mine approx 1/4" or a bit shorter.) Continue along your pattern line, but come up a space ahead (3) and bring your needle back down into the same hole at the end of the last stitch you made. Get it? You are bringing your stitch back to the end of the last one. Now you know what to do to make a neat, clean line. This is also useful to create a crisp corner. For example: make a back stitch whenever your pattern takes a quick turn, even if you’re working in another stitch. Wanna see what it looks like? Here you go!

Ain't nuthin' but back stitches. You don't have to learn any more stitches beyond this one if you don't want to. You could embroider for the rest of your life using only this one sweet stitch.