A thread chain has lots of uses. It can be a delicate button loop, it can take the place of the metal loop in a hook-and-eye closure, it can be used as a French tack to attach a lining to a garment near the hem, and it can make a subtle belt loop on a dress. Thread loops are crocheted, but they can easily be made without a crochet hook. I’ll show you how.
Start with a thread at least three times the length of the finished loop, plus extra for working. Begin by anchoring your thread in the garment at the location where you want the loop to start.
Take a small stitch next to the anchored thread, and don’t pull the resulting loop all the way closed.
Drop the needle and the end of the thread, and reach through the loop to pull the center of the extending thread through the loop, forming a new loop in the process. Don’t pull the end of the thread through the loop because the goal is to form a second loop.
Tighten the first loop, and proceed in the same manner, forming new loops.
Once the thread chain has reached the desired length, finish by pulling the needle and thread through the final loop to end it.
Finish by taking a stitch into the garment to anchor the end of the loop. Knot the end of the thread, and you’re finished!
If you’re using this technique to make a button loop for the School Photo Dress (View A), make the loop just inside the fold line for the collar (closer to the neck seam than the outside edge of the collar). Once the button and loop are fastened, the rest of the collar will fold over to partially cover them.
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