Van Dyke Stitch with Reverse Chain Start

Van Dyke stitch is best worked in metal threads or tightly twisted cotton or silks.

For this tutorial, #371 gold wire was used to create a leaf motif.

It could also be used to create veins on a leaf worked in silk, as shown below.

Start out with a few Reverse Chain stitches (reference Reverse Chain tutorial if you aren't already familiar with this stitch).

For Reverse Chain, the working thread is brought to fabric surface, looped around the previous chain stitch, and then plunged to the back of the fabric through the same hole.  To create the legs in Van Dyke, the working thread is brought to fabric surface slightly to the left of the chain stitched row (working towards your body), looped around the previous chain stitch, and then returned to the back of the fabric, slightly to the right of the chain stitches.  See photo, left.




As you create each loop or chain, increase the distance between the legs as shown here.

Keep a firm, but not tight, tension.  Pull only enough to keep the "legs" straight.

If creating a shape such as this one, you will begin to reduce the length of the legs as you come to the final point and the last stitch will be a Reverse Chain.

Reverse Chain Stitch Instructions

This stitch can be worked in cotton, silk, or metal threads.
For cotton or silk, use a waste knot to start your thread and after completing the embroidery, cut the knot off and wrap the beginning tail under 4 or 5 stitches on the back of your work.


This demonstration will be worked in gold metal "thread" (#371 wire), threaded in a size 11 Japanese needle.  For goldwork, tie a double knot to start the thread.  This double knot is not cut off later, but left on the back of the work.  To tie a double knot, first tie a single knot as shown in the first photo....

then wrap the loose end, or tail, through the loop again as shown at left.






Pull the knot closed.  As it's closing it will begin to look like a figure 8 as seen here   >

This is a good indication that it was tied correctly.






Reverse Chain Stitch is begun by making a small back stitch at the beginning of the line that is to be covered.   Do this by bringing the needle up through the fabric about 1/8" in from the beginning of the line.  Pull the thread up through the fabric until the double knotted end is firmly against the back of the fabric.


Plunge the needle back down through the fabric at the starting point of the line as shown at left.  This produces a small straight stitch on the fabric surface, called a back stitch.

Next, bring the needle back up through the fabric about 1/4" away from the backstitch and run it under the back stitch.

Return the needle back down through the fabric in the same hole.
This creates a small loop on the fabric surface as shown below.













Next, bring the needle back up through the fabric,  about 1/4" away from the first loop.











Run the needle under the first loop....

and back down through the fabric in the same hole, creating a second loop.

Continue to fill the remainder of the line by bringing the needle to fabric surface 1/4" from last loop, running the needle under the last loop and plunging it back down through the fabric at the same point.

 At the end of the line, finish the last loop, taking the needle to the back of the fabric.













The surface of your work will look like a chain laid on the fabric >












To finish off the thread, turn fabric over so the back is facing you.  You will see a series of straight stitches creating a line...











Run the needle under 5 or 6 stitches, wrapping the thread around them.









Trim the tail close to the fabric.

The back of the work after thread has been tied off.

Note:

When turning a sharp corner it’s necessary to begin a new row of chain stitches.  To do this finish off the last chain stitch, taking the needle down through the fabric.  Turn the corner and start with a backstitch, as before, running the first chain stitch under the backstitch.