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Just for Kids?  Chain Stitch Basting Basics

6/15/2013

3 Comments

 
PictureSingle-thread chain stitch basting.
If you've every played with a toy sewing machine, you know what chain stitch looks like. 


So maybe you think it's kid stuff. 

But did you know that Singer made full-size "grown-up" machines that also sew chain stitch. 

What exactly is chain stitch? Is it useful? Which Singer models have a chain stitch feature? 

Good questions! Let's answer them.


First let's briefly review how a sewing machine works.  

A sewing machine typically has two threads.  The top thread passes through the needle and the bottom thread is wound on a bobbin.  When the needle point pierces through the fabric it draws the top thread down to where a hook grabs the thread and wraps it around the bobbin thread before releasing the top thread.  When the needle raises back up through the fabric the two threads are "locked" together to form a complete stitch. 

Chain stitch is different because it uses a single thread.  When the needle pierces through the fabric, the machine loops the top thread around itself, forming a series of interlocking loops.  From the top it looks like a normal straight stitch, but from the bottom it looks like a chain.   

The beauty of chain stitch can also be its fatal flaw, because chain stitched seams can be removed with a single tug on the end thread.  

Which is great if you WANT to sew a temporary seam, but a real frustration if need a permanent seam.  You can lose an hour's work in seconds if you pull on the wrong thread.  

Which is why chain stitch is typically reserved for toys or handheld "quick repair" sewing tools.  But there are situations when a temporary stitch is a desirable tool for dressmaking or quilting. 

Which is why Singer included chain stitch as a feature on some Slant-o-Matic and Touch & Sew Models.  

Which ones? Let's take a look:

411G, 600E, and 603E are notable examples of chain-stitch capability along with steel gears and a slant needle.  Most Touch & Sew models have chain stitch capability, but beware of plastic gears!  

So if you're looking for a heavy duty machine or quilting machine with the added bonus of chain-stitch basting keep an eye out for one of these remarkable machines! 

Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.
3 Comments
Richard Beman
8/3/2014 01:07:33 pm

The # 600 "Slant-O-Matic" with "Auto-Reel" ( or Touch and sew- after March, 1964) did have an optional "chain stitch" kit available for separate sale ( with the 1963 booklet). Just a bit of information, it can be used to sew knits. I sew over the first row of stitching in the opposite direction for safety and of course overcast the edges...

Reply
simon
12/14/2016 07:09:08 pm

Dear Barbara
Thanks so much for the wonderful blog on vintage sewing machines. I caught the bug a couple of years ago and collected a few machines, I'm especially fond of the 401G and 411G. I have two of each. In Australia they are pretty cheap still...maybe thats why I keep buying them.

Reply
Tim Porter
8/18/2018 09:28:44 am

I enjoyed reading your bit about the chain stitch. I purchased a kit for the 600 auto reel. After instaling these parts, it doesn't work for me. The thread is hanging up on something under the throat plate and I can't see just what it is hanging up on. Do you have any insight to this problem?

Reply



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