A few weeks back someone asked me to post directions for Crested Chain Stitch. I have finally got around to doing so and I will make it the stitch of the week for the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge .

I used this stitch in this Fabric postcard and you can find a larger version of it on my flickr site.

Crested chain stitch also known as Spanish coral stitch. For beginners this stitch is easier to work if you are familiar with chain stitch and coral stitch both of which are in my stitch dictionary online. Crested chain is actually a combination of these two stitches.

Work this stitch downwards across two imaginary parallel lines. To keep the stitches evenly spaced you can mark these lines on fabric if you like just use a marker or pen which you can remove.

First work a small chain stitch at the top right-hand side of the fabric.

To do this bring the needle through from the back of the fabric 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 along the line to be stitched. With the thread wrapped under the needle point pull the needle through the fabric. This is the first chain stitch.

Take the needle to the left and enter the fabric on a parallel line to the chain stitch. At first make it quite wide in order to see what you are doing then as you master the stitch close the width if you like.

Bring the needle out of the fabric a short distance from where it entered. Make sure it is angled downwards.

Take the thread ACROSS THE TOP of the needle and wrap it under the needle.

At this stage it should look like the illustration.

Pull the needle through the fabric.

If the thread flips up hold it down flat with your left thumb.

Slide the needle under the centre thread. Do not pierce the fabric at this step you are just going under the thread.

Pull the needle through.

At this stage the partly worked stitch should look like this.

The next stage is to repeat the process. So you are going to make a second chain stitch.

Insert the needle inside the first chain stitch and take the needle through the fabric bringing the point of the needle out a short space below but on the line to be stitched.

With the thread wrapped under the needle point pull the needle through the fabric.

This is the second chain stitch.

At this stage it should look like the illustration

Once again move to the left and make a coral stitch.

Work the coral and chain stitches alternately.

Continue downwards along the line.

When you first learn this stitch a round, twisted thread, such as pearl cotton, is easy to handle and illustrates the stitch well.

Crested chain stitch can be worked on both even weave and plain fabrics. It produces a braided line, which is highly decorative and lends itself to loads of variations. If you work it close together it is extremely braid like but if you spread it out as you work it produces a light, lacy appearance.

I hope you enjoy this stitch as I do! Well that’s it for this week remember to swing by and leave a comment here so that people can follow the link and see what you have done and there is a Take a stitch Tuesday flickr group which you can browse