Chain Stitch

One of the most versatile stitches you can use is Chain Stitch. It can be used to trace the outline of a pattern, or anywhere that a line is needed; or it can be worked around and around in a circular or oval coil to fill in a shape.

I have seen whole scenes embroidered of men and horses and other animals in a forest where the bodies of the men and animals have been worked in tightly spaced chain stitch. It gives the bodies solidity.

Here are a series of pictures illustrating how to make chain stitches.
Firstly, the thread is drawn up through the fabric and then reinserted into the same hole to make a loop.

1. The needle is then brought up a mm or so further on inside the loop to catch it, as in picture No. 3.
2. In pictures 4 and 5 I have given you a choice. Some people work the chains by placing the needle outside the loop, but I prefer to place it inside as in picture No. 5.
3. If you chose my preferred option, the needle is then reinserted into the same hole to make another loop.
4. Picture Nol 6 illustrates the thread being drawn up to catch that loop.
5. By continuing in this manner you will soon have a chain of loops.
6. Finally the last loop is secured with a small stitch, as in the last picture. If you do not do this then the whole chain could be easily unravelled by pulling on the thread.

That is the only downside of chain stitch. When it wears as the garment or article gets older, the thread can sometimes break in the middle and from that point on a whole line of stitches can be unravelled easily.