I was today days old when I found out some household sewing machines can do a chain stitch!

I was going through the owner's Manuel for a Singer Touchtronic 2010 and in the index my eye caught the word "chainstitching." What? I eagerly went to page 54 and it apparently really was exactly that. It needs three special pieces, for which I did a quick search online and didn't see any for sale for this model. I didn't think this machine came with any accessories, as I had to borrow a slant foot from my 401a accessories to use it when I got it. I decided to recheck the large cabinet the machine came in. It was quite a mess with lots of thread, bindings, lace, random papers, a video game cartridge, a book on golf, a coupon for 25c off a 32oz. or larger bottle of Heinz ketchup that expired in November of 1986, and other stuff piled in all the shelves and drawers. Surprisingly, I found the original accessories box full of neat accessories. My first winged needle, first "dressweight tailor tack foot," a really fancy buttonhole foot that automatically sizes the buttonhole by placing a sample button in it, among others. But especially it had the chainstitch needle plate, chainstitch thread guide, and bobbin case insert!

I put the pieces in as the manual instructed and it works! It's an interesting system. It seems to be a bit persnickety about thread tension in the limited testing so far. If it's too tight it can miss stitches, and if it's too loose it seems to double up the loops some. Missed stitches are a big deal, much more so than in a lockstitch because a missed stitch here causes the same situation as a loose end. If it is pulled, the seam from there back will unravel. Doubled up loops look bad, but would still work if the stitch was made to be temporary and will be pulled out later.

I don't know why, but I find this unbelievably cool. I guess I like options and versatility. And I like to tinker. Now I'm curious about this "dressweight tailor tack" thing...

Oh my, I just found this post.

Is there any chance of seeing this chain stitch in action? Which side of the fabric does the looping show up on? The bobbin side? Or the top side?

I've seen chain stitch used as embroidery, especially on imported clothing items. I knew there had to be a machine out there doing it somewhere. Knowing that it could be done at home on a home machine? That is *very* curious, and I'm wondering what other machines might do it.

I do know that almost any machine that can do a zigzag can do a double needle stitch, but I've never actually tried it myself.

The chain is formed on the bottom, so in operation it looks no different than usual. It looks like the hook wraps the thread around the wire you see on the bottom of the needle plate in the picture to form the loops. This could be a good thing; you could freely draw the design you want to stitch on the wrong side of the fabric without having to worry about washing it out so it isn't visible.

I don't know of list of all possible machines that can do this. I know some of the Touch-N-Sew line can. I think some sergers can do a chain stitch. There's also a different chainstitch I've seen that uses more than one thread. Maybe some people here know of more machines they can list.

Most zigzag machines can use a double needle. The better ones have enough room in the needle holder to hold two needles, and a lesser system in my opinion is ones that require a special double needle with a single shank. The better machines have two separate paths for the threads to travel, while the older ones did not. The machine shown above also has a special double needle setting where all pattern widths are adjusted to prevent the needles from striking the needle plate.

A friend loaned me a book which had all sorts of neat pictures of creative clothing in it, many of which were embellished with chain stitch. I guess I need to review my own machine manual and see if it can. Possibly not, as I specifically tried to get a basic, sturdy machine, rather than one with tons of stitches I'd never use and a computer that would stale-date itself before my own stale-date.

Jay, I think this is a really neat machine. The electronics are still sound (I think they built them tougher in the 80's) but by that time the gears had gone to plastic, sadly. This one had stripped gears that I had to replace, but I felt it was neat enough to fix it.

Here's the old commercial, lol:

Another interesting tidbit I just remembered is that in the early days of sewing machines, many designs used a chainstitch, but it fell by the wayside due to using more thread (50% more than a lockstitch, which itself used twice as much as a running stitch). It seems silly today, but back then a spool of thread could equal a week's wages.

Jordan Holland wrote:... back then a spool of thread could equal a week's wages.

And because of that, people mended, restyled, upcycled or handed down clothing instead of it going to the land-fill after an average of 6 wearings!

Jay Angler wrote:

Jordan Holland wrote:... back then a spool of thread could equal a week's wages.

And because of that, people mended, restyled, upcycled or handed down clothing instead of it going to the land-fill after an average of 6 wearings!

No kidding! If anyone hasn't seen it, the used clothing market of the Victorian Era was simply mind boggling. If only we could go back and see the legendary skill of the workers back then. They didn't just fix things, they fixed it perfectly so people couldn't even tell. There was apparently a lot of swindling going on as well, lol. If unrepairable, they were stripped down into pieces of cloth and reused in newer garments. Even the nastiest rags discarded from the dregs of society would have been recycled by running through machines that shredded the wool into fibers to be mixed in with new wool. A rich person's new suit could literally have contained parts from a homeless beggar's discarded clothing. That's something to think about.

"Speak of the Devil and he shall appear!" A few days after the last post I was at the local auction again and there happened to be a bit of sewing stuff there. There was a sewing machine and a serger with their respective factory accessories AND OWNERS MANUALS! The serger I would have bought anyway since it went so cheap, but thumbing through the manual for the sewing machine, I saw it listed a chainstitch, and I saw the required accessories, so both went home with me. I finally got around to trying them out.

The serger seems to work properly. The Touch-N-Sew seemed to do a straight stitch and zigzag stitch fine. I then put in the cam for the duck stitch, and no cigar. Or no duck, rather. The cam track that controls the needle bar worked, but the one that changes the direction of the feed dogs did not. I oiled the levers hoping they were just gummed up and let it set overnight. The next day, it would not work at all. There was some resistance when turning the handwheel at certain points and the hook timing changed each revolution, soooo...I guess the belt had stretched after some use after sitting so long without use. I looked it up and according to a repairman on YouTube, replacing the belt in one of these is possibly the most difficult task since Hercules last felt guilty. He said he's had heart surgeons and rocket mechanics come crawling to him with boxes of parts willing to pay the $300 fee to put them back together, and everytime a repairman does it, they swear to themselves they will raise their price next time. Apparently, virtually the entire machine has to come apart, both top end and bottom. I ordered a belt to attempt it, but I won't hold my breath. In any case, the manual, bobbins, and accessories were worth the $5, so I don't consider it a loss in any case, and we can add the models 558 and 578 to the list of machines that can do a chainstitch.

On to the serger...it is a Singer Quantumlock 5. I guess it must serge at the subatomic level or something. Maybe that's why it needs five threads at a time--String Theory and all that. It seems like a solid machine. It does a chainstitch with two threads. The stitch does not have the nice appearance of the single thread chainstitch; it is more a stitch for security. The needle thread on the top side looks just like a lockstitch, while the looper thread on bottom leaves quite a bulkier stitch. I tried a few samples below.

The first on the left is with a navy needle thread and a green looper thread. It is quite neatly done with a hint of the chain pattern showing.

The next stitch is with black wooly nylon thread in the looper. I hoped the unspun wooly thread would flatten out, but it did not. Instead it did the opposite. There are some small loops sticking up in this stitch and it appears to me to actually be the needle thread. I guessed the wooly thread resulted in much less tension and that really threw things off.

I increased the tension on the wooly thread and it cleaned up the stitch notably, but you can't tell wooly thread was even used.

The next two stitches were done replacing the wooly thread with a very heavy embroidery thread that would barely fit through the eyes in the looper. I hoped the massive thread would clearly show the chain pattern, but it did not want to work at all. You can see many missed stitches and other gnarliness in the first one, and a bit better after loosening the tension completely in the second, but still not the desired effect. I may retry it sometime by rerouting the heavy thread, skipping the first hole to get even less tension, but I don't have high hopes. It's just not meant to be a decorative stitch.

On the opposite edge of the test cloth (folded over) is an example of running all five threads in all their seam-holding glory in what surely would have given those Victorians a heart attack.

Also included is an example of a chain of the chainstitch without cloth. It is more complex than I expected.

Nice finds! I didn't know one can do chainstitches with special parts on a regular sewing machine. Have you made garments with it such as jeans or sweaters?

May Lotito wrote:Nice finds! I didn't know one can do chainstitches with special parts on a regular sewing machine. Have you made garments with it such as jeans or sweaters?

No, I've just played around with it a little so far. I'm not sure I would use it for main stitches that might see a lot of abuse since it can unravel. I have read it does serve as a stretch stitch, and one way it is handy on garments is in growth pleats (which I don't need, lol). I guess the stitch tucked in underneath the pleats would protect it from wear, and it's a stitch that is fully intended to be removed some day. That's where it shines: removability. A lockstitch can be sewn loosely and be more removable than a tight one, but even then it would still be more difficult to remove than a chainstitch. Basting would be another use, though the Touchtronic actually has a special basting stitch already. I am not sure the basting stitch  would be strong enough to actually test a garment or even try it on. And of course, it can be used for embroidery.

Being removable would be very helpful when making a mockup. I use longest stitches without back tacking so I can remove when altering. A chainstitch will make it even easier. Seam ripping just leave behind lots of loose threads.

Did I mention "speak of the Devil and he shall appear?" My aunt asked me the other day if I could take a look at her first sewing machine from when she was a child. It was frozen up, but I suspected it was just the old oil. Luckily it was, and it was not difficult to get back in operation. It turns out it it is a Singer SewHandy child's sewing machine, and it uses a chainstitch. I was able to get some pics and video of this beautifully simple mechanism that uses a rotary hook to form and release the loops into a simple chainstitch. I did a bit of research and it appears to be based on a Singer model 24, which was apparently popular at one time with milliner's especially, and now I want one! Even with this "toy," I was impressed by the solid quality. Though basic, it could truly create real clothing, and I imagine longevity would likely be better than many modern plastic machines.

The quality in that machine is incredible. Considering how frustrated we get nowadays with not being able buy anything that lasts, that's a pretty impressive machine! Do you have an age estimate for it?

Jay Angler wrote:The quality in that machine is incredible. Considering how frustrated we get nowadays with not being able buy anything that lasts, that's a pretty impressive machine! Do you have an age estimate for it?

I think they switched to that color finish in the 50's, which would be about right for her age. Maybe 1960. The first version (Model 20) was made in 1910. Work used to be play back then, and kids started early. I did see a video that showed the best instruction manual (the pinkish one with the girl holding up a doll on the cover) and it showed many different techniques. I think it even showed shirring, so I guess maybe different feet were available. They were serious back then.

Jordan Holland wrote: Work used to be play back then, and kids started early...  They were serious back then.

And I think children were in many ways better off for that fact. If done well, they had genuine self-esteem and confidence and pride in contributing to the family.

Now the attitude is that we should pay children to do chores - preparing them for the "Industrial Life" of being dependent on money for everything. Add to that the Social Media pressures, and we wonder why mental health issues with our teens are so prevalent.

But that's sliding off topic, so I'll end with my understanding why you covet your own version of that "toy" and I'm sure if I had one, I'd find a good use for it! My son doesn't like most electric tools, and the hand crank on this machine might *really* appeal to him!

Jordan Holland wrote:Did I mention "speak of the Devil and he shall appear?" My aunt asked me the other day if I could take a look
]

Holey cradolie, I want one.

Nancy Graven wrote:

Jordan Holland wrote:Did I mention "speak of the Devil and he shall appear?" My aunt asked me the other day if I could take a look
]

Holey cradolie, I want one.

I may have been perusing eBay ever since looking for something similar, lol. There apparently are a lot more chainstitch machines out there than I was previously led to believe.

OK, I won an auction on eBay! Circa 1885 Willcox and GibbsNot cheap but I found one in REALLY good shape and best of all, it has several nice accessories. Now I just have to hope it makes it here safely. Sadly, the seller had the original treadle cabinet, but it simply wouldn't be practical to ship. I need to figure out how to power it. Maybe handcrank, but I doubt I  will ever find an original one. I could cobble something up. I could put it on a spare treadle cabinet I already have. Maybe a cordless drill could serve as a foundation for a wireless electric one. The idea of a portable treadle seems really cool to me. Since it is so small, maybe a skinny treadle cabinet that turns into a storage box.

This is incredible! I imagine this blog post is pretty old but still applicable, in that sewing is a timeless activity. Now I'm going to go through my sewing machine collection and see what I can find.

I already demonstrate  how to do chainstitch  in kenmore ,Janome, singer ..sew without bobbin..see you in my Youtube Channel :
@luzbrillante7090