There are varieties of detached chain stitch in the video clip on this page. They are listed in the table below, in the order is which they appear, with the starting time for each variety in the right-hand column.
| Basic detached chain stitch | 3 seconds |
| Double detached chain stitch | 55 seconds |
| Triple detached chain stitch | 2 minutes 49 seconds |
In the video clip on the tuition page, the small samples were worked with perle no. 5 thread around a central French knot. If you want experiment with the stitch before you work it onto your project, work with similar thread.
The stitch instructions and diagrams appear below, with the video clip at the bottom of the page. If you would like a printable version, click here.
Single Detached Chain Stitch (basic)
Bring the needle up at the base of the stitch and pull through. Take the needle back into the same hole and come up again where you want the stitch to end, loop the thread under the needle and pull through. Catch the loop with a small couching stitch.
Double and Triple Detached Chain Stitch
When working double and triple detached chain stitches, work the first (single) detached chain stitch by starting a little higher than you would if you were working it on its own.
To work the double detached chain stitch, work the first detached chain using the darker thread. Place a tapestry needle under the two sides of the main part of the stitch as indicated in the diagram. Using the lighter thread, came up below the first detached chain. Take the needle back into the same hole and manipulate it so that it comes out where you will want to catch the loop with the small couching stitch. Make the threads of the loop lie under both sides of the horizontal needle and, also, the needle that will catch it. Tighten the stitch, work the small couching stitch to catch the loop and remove the horizontal needle, making sure that the inner detached chain remains slightly raised in the middle.
To work the triple detached chain stitch, work the first two as indicated above. Remove the horizontal tapestry needle that guided the threads of the second stitch. Place it under both stitches that you have worked, as indicated in the illustration on the right, above. Come up below the start of the second stitch, work a detached chain around the second stitch, catching the loop under the horizontal tapestry needle on both sides and again at the top, finishing off with a small couching stitch that catches the loop. Pull reasonably tight so that the stitches in the centre pop up a little bit.
And now for the video clip that covers all of the above.
(Don’t forget to click the icon in the bottom right-hand corner to get it to full screen).