The art of chainstitching or chain stitch.

"The chain stitch, as fine as the finest Aubusson, is not only valuable for the beauty of the stitch, but also for the harmony of the colors; the foliage, garlands and roses are of such a clever nuance that it seems to defy painting."
Augustin Boulard (1926)

The chain stitch lends itself to the shimmering of colors, it makes a tight knit that allows for successful gradients. The technique comes from the depths of history; it was widely used in China and the Orient. Everything that could be embroidered was (silk, organza, tulle, canvas, leather, etc.). First oriented towards costumes, then lingerie, it turned to furnishings, shoes, gloves, curtains, household linen, etc. Madame de Pompadour herself was seduced by this technique and devoted herself to it diligently. Precision, care, dexterity, patience, are the key words of the chain stitch. Today, a few workers continue the tradition and share it with passion, such as Insoumis Clothing.

How to do a chain stitch?

The chain is embroidered from top to bottom. The loop is held on the left for right-handed people and on the right for left-handed people. The stitch must be regular to obtain a clean and harmonious line.

• I bring the needle out at A on the right side of the fabric;
• Hold the thread on the left with your thumb (on the right for left-handers), form a loop by passing the thread under the needle;
• I insert my needle at A and I come out at B in the loop, the thread passes under the needle; The first chain stitch is made;
• I insert the needle into the previous loop at B and bring it out at C, still passing the thread under the needle;
• To finish a row, I stitch in front of the point to hold the last loop.

Where the chainstitch comes from?

The earliest archaeological evidence of chain stitch embroidery dates from 1100 BC in China. Excavated from royal tombs, the embroidery was made using threads of silk . Chain stitch embroidery has also been found dating to the Warring States period . Chain stitch designs spread to Iran through the Silk Road .

Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain -like pattern. ^{[1] [2]} Chain stitch is an ancient craft – examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period (5th – 3rd century BC). Handmade chain stitch embroidery does not require that the needle pass through more than one layer of fabric. For this reason the stitch is an effective surface embellishment near seams on finished fabric. Because chain stitches can form flowing, curved lines, they are used in many surface embroidery styles that mimic "drawing" in thread.