Feathered Chain Stitch
a member of the chain stitch family
Feathered chain stitch is also known as chained feather stitch.
If evenly spaced and of equal size, feathered chain stitch creates an interesting zigzag line which has many creative possibilities.
If you want to maintain a neat zigzag line some people find it useful to mark the fabric with two parallel guide-lines.
This stitch can also be worked in a free manner wandering over a piece of fabric.
The stitch consists of chain stitches which have a long tie down section.
Each chain is worked on a diagonal slant, alternating from left and right.
Mark two lines on your fabric.
Bring the needle up through the fabric on the right hand line and hold the thread with the left thumb. Insert the needle back into where it first came out.
Take the needle through the fabric bringing the point of the needle out a short space diagonally across the line to be stitched. The needle should point towards the left hand line.
With the thread wrapped under the needle point pull the needle through the fabric. Tie the chain down with a straight stitch that is on the same diagonal. The tie stitch should finish on the left hand line.
To make the second stitch bring the needle up through the fabric on the left hand line, close to the end of the tie stitch, and repeat the process so that the tie stitch is on the right hand line. Continue in this zig-zag motion.
A large variety of threads can be used from the finest thread to ribbon or fine cord, the size of the stitch will be influenced by the weight of the thread used and your spacing.
If you are interested in crazy quilting to make a more decorative line use beads, french knots, colonial knots or embellish with detached chain or three straight stitches can be added to the chain. Threads can also be couched into place using this stitch.
Chain stitch Family:
There are many other stitches in this group. The stitches that I have listed here in the chain stitch family are:
