Explore guide
Use chain and detached chain
Linked loops make a chain line; individually anchored loops make detached-chain shapes. Control loop size with placement rather than pulling every loop tight.
Related lessons and tools
Linked loops make a chain line; individually anchored loops make detached-chain shapes. Control loop size with placement rather than pulling every loop tight.
Before you start
Prepare a small offcut of the intended ground with the intended needle and thread. Mark the practice area lightly and support the fabric without stretching its grain.
How to do it
- Bring the needle up at the start. Return beside the same hole, leave a loop on the surface, and come up one stitch length ahead inside that loop. Pull gently until the loop rests around the new exit point.
- Start the next loop inside the previous tip. To finish, make a tiny straight anchor just outside the last tip. One loop with that anchor makes a detached-chain petal; it should remain open, not cinched into a straight line.
Try this example
Stitch a five-loop chain beside five detached petals. Use a short anchoring stitch over each petal tip and compare whether the loops keep the intended open shape.
Check your result
- Release the frame and inspect front and reverse. The thread should lie as intended without distorting the ground; shorten a stitch or change the sample before pulling harder.
- Coverage and tension depend on the actual ground, thread and stitch length. A diagram shows the route, not a universal thread quantity or tension setting.
Sources
