Stitch Your Dogby Make It Yours

Stitch guide · Outlines

How to do a chain stitch

Chain stitch makes a bold line of linked loops, like a little chain. Each loop is held in place by the next one. Use it for thick outlines, lettering, borders and anything you want to stand out. It follows curves well, and rows of it side by side can fill a shape with a braided texture.

  • Level Easy

Use it in a pet portrait for…

  • A collar or a leash that looks like real braided cord.
  • Your dog's name in bold, easy-to-read letters.
  • A border around the portrait.

How to do it, step by step

Chain stitch: where the needle goesCome up at 1 and go back down in the same hole (2), leaving a loop. Come up at 3, inside the loop, then go down in that same hole (4) to make the next loop. Each new loop holds the last one.1·23·45·67

Come up at 1 and go back down in the same hole (2), leaving a loop. Come up at 3, inside the loop, then go down in that same hole (4) to make the next loop. Each new loop holds the last one.

Odd numbers: come up from the back Even numbers: go down Dashed: the next stitch

  1. Come up at the start of your line.
  2. Go back down in the same hole, leaving a loop on the front.
  3. Come up one stitch length along the line, inside the loop.
  4. Pull gently so the loop sits snug around the thread. Don't pull too hard, or the loop gets thin.
  5. Go back down in the hole you just came up through, leaving a new loop, and come up a stitch length ahead, inside it.
  6. At the end of the line, make a tiny stitch over the last loop to hold it down.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Thin, pinched loops.
Ease off. Snug the loop around the thread, then stop pulling.
Uneven loops.
Keep every stitch the same length. A marked line helps.
The last loop flops open.
Anchor it with a tiny stitch over the end of the loop.
A loop pulls out.
Make sure the needle comes up inside the loop every time.

How many strands?

Two or three strands. Chain is a bold stitch, so it can take a little more thread than back stitch.

Embroidery floss comes as six thin strands twisted together. Cut a length from your fingertips to your elbow, pull out the strands you need one at a time, and lay them back together (DMC’s guide to stranded floss).

Questions people ask

What's the difference between chain stitch and lazy daisy?

A lazy daisy is a single chain loop held down with a tiny stitch. Chain stitch is a row of loops, each one holding the last.

How do I end a line of chain stitch?

Make a small straight stitch over the far end of the last loop, then finish on the back.

Can I use chain stitch on curves?

Yes. Make the loops a little smaller where the curve gets tight.

Sources: Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: Chain stitch