Embroidery How To: Chain Stitch

Welcome back everyone! Here is another great embroidery stitch for you to try out, Chain Stitch! This stitch is great for outlining when you want a more decorative look than a straight or back stitch. It's also really easy to do, and once you practice a little it isn't too difficult to get a chain stitch that looks quite uniform.

I was feeling a little fancy for this tutorial and wanted to try out some metallic thread. This is a very fine braid metallic thread from Kreinik Threads, and it great for hand embroidery (but it would also work in a machine).

Next, I traced a curvy line onto my fabric. Chain stitch is great because it easily goes around curves as well as straight lines, while still looking uniform and flowing well in your work. If you are just starting out, you may just want to try a straight line as a stitch sample, but I would definitely recommend trying out some curves as well.

Start your stitch by pulling your thread through your fabric back to front, as shown in the image above.

Next, you will complete a single chain "loop" by pushing your needle back through the fabric at your initial starting point (or very close to it), and bringing the needle back up through the fabric at point 3- a little farther down your pattern or practice line. Pull your thread taught, but not too tight, to create a nice little loop! Now step 3 in the diagram above becomes the beginning of your next loop. Continue on until you have finished your practice line.

On the final chain loop, you will pass your needle back through the fabric from front to back securing your chain "loop" and be able to tie off the thread or weave it in neatly.

What stitches would you like to see next?


Threads for this post were provided by Kreinik Threads. Manufactured in Parkersburg, WV.