Dog breed

Beagle embroidery pattern: stitch your own beagle from a photo

To embroider a beagle, back stitch the long, low-set drop ears and the edges of the white blaze first, because they carry the likeness. Then satin stitch the big, soft eyes and the nose, and mark the tricolor patches with light outlines instead of fills. Use 2 strands of black floss on oatmeal linen in a 6-inch hoop.

By Stitch Your Dog · Updated November 1, 2026

Coat Short, most often tricolor: black, tan and white
Ears Long, low-set drop ears
Look for Long ears, white blaze, soft hound eyes
Line-art fit great

The real pattern: Hazel, our sample beagle

Our pattern maker made this from a photo of Hazel, a tricolor beagle and one of the sample dogs we use to test it. The photo is an AI-made sample image. The drawing, the dots and the stitched preview are its real output.

Sample photo of Hazel, a beagle, made with AI for testing — Hazel is one of our sample dogs: the photo is an AI-made image we use to test the pattern maker. The drawing, the pattern and the counts are its real output for that photo, and yours is made the same way from your own dog's photo. The time is a rough guide at a beginner’s 2.5 to 4 stitches a minute. See the real print sheet.

The pattern maker's line drawing of Hazel — Hazel is one of our sample dogs: the photo is an AI-made image we use to test the pattern maker. The drawing, the pattern and the counts are its real output for that photo, and yours is made the same way from your own dog's photo. The time is a rough guide at a beginner’s 2.5 to 4 stitches a minute. See the real print sheet.

Two lines run down the middle of Hazel's face: the edges of her white blaze. With the long ears on either side, they're what make the face a beagle's. Everything else is the outline, the eyes, the nose and a few strokes of fur on the ears and chest.

Hazel the beagle stitched in black thread on linen in a wooden hoop, in the 3D Stitch Simulator — Hazel's pattern stitched out in the free 3D Stitch Simulator: black thread on linen, nothing added.

What makes a beagle look like a beagle in thread

The beagle standard describes ears set on moderately low that reach nearly to the end of the nose, and large eyes with a gentle, pleading expression. Most beagles are tricolor, with a white blaze down the face. In black thread the color patches become a few edges, and the ears and blaze do the rest.

The ears start low. Begin each ear outline about level with the eyes, not up on top of the head. High ears make a beagle look like a terrier.
The blaze is two lines. Stitch the edges of the white blaze as two clean lines from the forehead down to the muzzle, and leave the middle bare.
Patches are light outlines. Where the black or tan meets the white, a short broken line is plenty. Never fill a patch with satin stitch.
The eyes are big and soft. Satin stitch the pupils from the middle out and leave a clear highlight. Round, soft eyes are the beagle look.

Getting a good photo of your beagle

Get both ears in the frame, all the way to the tips. A beagle's ears hang below the jaw, so leave room at the bottom.
Shoot at eye level in daylight. A photo from above shortens the muzzle and hides the ears.
Wait for a calm moment with the mouth closed. A panting beagle adds a tongue and a lot of extra lines.
Keep it to one dog. The pattern maker works from one dog per photo. Stitching a beagle puppy from a litter photo? Crop it to one pup first. The new puppy gift page has more puppy photo tips.

More in how to choose a photo for a pet portrait.

Stitching order for a beagle

Head and ears. Back stitch the top of the head, then each long ear from where it starts down to the rounded tip.
The blaze. Stitch the two edges of the white blaze down the face, each one as a single steady run.
Eyes and nose. Satin stitch the pupils from the middle out, leaving the highlight bare, then fill the nose around the nostrils.
Muzzle and chest. Stitch the mouth line, the jaw and the outline of the chest.
Patch edges and fur, then stop. Add any patch edges as short, light lines, then the few fur strokes. Prop the hoop up across the room and squint.

Common beagle mistakes

The ears look stiff.: Dots got skipped on the curve. Follow every dot down the ear, so the edge stays soft.
The face looks patchy.: The patch borders went in as heavy lines. Keep them short and broken, or leave them out.
The blaze looks crooked.: Each blaze line should be one smooth run. Unpick the wobbly one and re-stitch it dot to dot, top to bottom.

Questions people ask

Can I turn a photo of my Beagle into an embroidery pattern?

Yes. The Stitch Your Dog course turns a photo of your own beagle into a pattern with a dot at every stitch, the way it made Hazel's here. A clear photo with both ears in the frame and both eyes in focus works best.

What stitches work best for a Beagle?

Back stitch for the outline, the ears, the blaze and the fur lines, and satin stitch for the eyes and nose. Both are beginner stitches, and they're the two the course teaches.

How do I show a Beagle's long ears in thread?

Start each ear low, about level with the eyes, and stitch its outline as one smooth curve down to a rounded tip. Add a line or two inside to show the fold. Let them hang long: a beagle's ears reach nearly to the end of the nose.

How long does a Beagle portrait take to stitch?

Hazel's pattern has 658 stitches in all: 557 backstitches and 101 small satin stitches. At an easy beginner pace of 2.5 to 4 stitches a minute, that's roughly 2.5 to 4.5 hours, over a few evenings.

Do I need to stitch a beagle's tricolor markings?

No. Black thread can't show color, so a beagle reads from its ears and its blaze. If you want a hint of the patches, add short, light lines where one color meets the next, and don't fill them.

Sources: Stitch Your Dog pattern maker: its photo checks and its real output on our sample dogs (1 Nov 2026) · American Kennel Club: the official Beagle breed standard · Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: Back stitch · Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: Satin stitch