105),
which somewhat resembles it.

[Illustration: 17. CHAIN-STITCH SAMPLER.]

[Illustration: 18. CHAIN-STITCH SAMPLER (BACK).]

[Sidenote: TO WORK A.]

To work chain-stitch (A on the sampler, Illustration 17) bring the
needle out, hold the thread down with the left thumb, put the needle
in again at the hole through which you brought it out, take up 1/4 of an
inch of stuff, and draw the thread through: that gives you the first
link of the chain. The back of the work (18) looks like back-stitch. In
fact, in the quilted coverlet, Illustration 69 (as in much similar work
of the period), the outline pattern, which you might take for
back-stitching, proves to have been worked from the back in
chain-stitch. The same thing occurs in the case of the Persian quilt in
Illustration 70.

[Sidenote: TO WORK B.]

A playful variation upon chain-stitch (B on the sampler, Illustration
17) is effected by the use of two threads of different colour. Take in
your needle a dark and a light thread, say the dark one to the left, and
bring them out at the point at which your work begins. Hold the dark
thread under your thumb, and, keeping the light one to the right, well
out of the way, draw both threads through; this makes a dark link; the
light thread disappears, and comes out again to the left of the dark
one, ready to be held under the thumb while you make a light link. This
"magic stitch," as it has been called, is no new invention. It is to be
found in Persian, Indian, and Italian Renaissance work. An instance of
it occurs in Illustration 64.

[Sidenote: TO WORK C.]

A variety of chain-stitch (C on the sampler, Illustration 17) used often
in church work, more solid in appearance, the links not being so open,
is rather differently done. Begin a little in advance of the starting
point of your work, hold the thread under your thumb, put the needle in
again at the starting point slightly to the left, bring your needle out
about 1/8th of an inch below where it first went in but precisely on the
same line, and you have the first link of your chain.

[Sidenote: TO WORK D.]

To work what is known as cable-chain (D on the sampler, Illustration 17)
keep your thread to the right, put in your needle, pointing downwards, a
little below the starting point, and bring it out about 1/4th of an inch
below where you put it in; then put it through the little stitch just
formed, from right to left, hold your thread towards the left under your
t