Chain Stitch

I said that I would let you know how I got on with the ‘One Stitch’ afternoon at our local Embroiderers Guild meeting. Everyone there is so nice and also knows that I do not do hand stitching. Well that is a lie as I do running stitch very often in the form of quilting and I also do very acceptable French knots, which I scatter around occasionally. But apart from the rare counted cross-stitch (and I haven’t done any of those for many years) I don’t really do – hand stitching.

So when these days come up I do like to ‘join in’, and hope to extend my knowledge in about 2 hours and become the best hand stitcher in our guild…….. some hope!

The day’s stitch this time was ‘Chain stitch’. Now I have come across this stitch before in fact when I was a young girl (many moons ago) I remember using this stitch on a tray cloth to make daisies. I never did finish the tray cloth as my embroidery threads pulled up the fabric and it always looked Suffolk puffs. I always thought it was inferior fabric but after our afternoon yesterday I maybe think it was an enthusiastic and inspirational young girl producing artwork that could have been good enough for an abstract exhibition. The thing is I can still do it !

After expert tuition from one of our members I found I was making chain stitches like everyone else. Well, there may have been many that were much better than me but I kept at it.

Try a row of stitches and a daisy, I was told. You don’t have to look.



It might have looked better with a different coloured thread.

Next was try a random chain stitch…………..what is this mess I have made?

The next was two rows of chain stitch and should be whipped together (hope that’s next times lesson). I am not sure how to whip stitches !

Ladder or open chain stitch, supposed to be good for pattern and filling, so I filled some of mine with ribbon.

Raised Chain band looked a challenge and I am never against a challenge.

But the best of the lot and the one that I think is the furthest away from the correct use of the ‘chain stitch’ is my flower. I love it.



It is not perfect, has no stalk or leaves and may never get any. But this is a lovely flower and so again I say thank you to my local embroiderers guild. I may not ever become a ‘hand stitcher’ but there are bits I can do and just love at the end of it so it is always worth ‘joining in’.

And just for good measure I filled the centre with French Knots !!