Cavalier King Charles spaniel embroidery pattern: stitch your own Cavalier from a photo

The real pattern: Rosie, our sample Cavalier

Our pattern maker made this from a photo of Rosie, a Blenheim (chestnut and white) Cavalier and one of the sample dogs we use to test it. The photo is an AI-made sample image. Everything after it is the pattern maker's real output.

Rosie's ears are full of long, wavy lines, which makes this the busiest pattern on our breed pages. The pattern maker needed two tries at the drawing to get one that passed its own checks. Her face is simple by comparison: two big satin eyes, the nose and the edges of the blaze.

What makes a Cavalier look like a Cavalier in thread

The Cavalier standard asks for large, round, very dark eyes with a sweet, gentle, melting expression, and long ears with plenty of feathering that frame the face. Blenheims and tricolors have a white blaze between the eyes. In black thread, the eyes and the frame of the ears are the whole likeness.

• Eyes first, and big. Satin stitch each eye from the middle out and leave a generous highlight. Don't shrink them. A Cavalier's eyes really are that large.
• Ears are wavy outlines. Stitch the outer edge of each ear as one loose, wavy line, then the longest waves inside. You don't need every curl. Want more texture later? A few bullion knots along the longest waves add real curl. They're an extra, not part of the pattern.
• The blaze centers the face. Two lines up the forehead, where the white meets the chestnut or black.
• Keep the muzzle short. A short nose, a small mouth line and a little cushion under each eye.

Long feathering makes a long pattern. If yours looks busy, stitch the Simple version the course gives you: it keeps the face and only the longest ear lines. Or stop on the ears as soon as they read as feathered. For a quick gift, a 3-inch ornament keeps the big eyes, the nose and the outline of the ears, and leaves most of the waves out.

Getting a good photo of your Cavalier

• Get both eyes sharp and both ears in the frame. A Cavalier's ears hang down to the chest, so leave room.
• Brush the ears first. Tangled feathering becomes lots of little lines.
• Use soft daylight. Bright sun on a white blaze washes out its edges.
• Ruby and black-and-tan Cavaliers are darker all over. Shoot by a big window or outdoors in open shade, so the eyes and the edges of the ears show.

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

Stitching order for a Cavalier King Charles spaniel

1. Eyes first. Satin stitch both eyes from the middle out, leaving a round highlight in each. Everything else is built around them.
2. Face and blaze. Back stitch the outline of the face, the short muzzle and the two edges of the blaze.
3. The nose. Fill the nose with satin stitch around the nostrils.
4. Ear outlines. Stitch the outer edge of each ear as one loose, wavy line, top to bottom.
5. Feathering, then stop. Add the longest waves inside the ears and a few fur lines on the chest. Stop as soon as the ears read as soft.

Common Cavalier mistakes

The eyes look small and beady.

The satin stopped short of the outline. Fill out to every edge and keep the highlight round.

The ears are a dark tangle.

Too many curl lines, too close together. Keep the outer edge and the longest waves, and let the linen show.

The waves look choppy.

Long stitches cut across the curves. Land on every dot so each wave stays round.

Questions people ask

Keep going

• How-to guideHow to embroider eyes for a pet portraitSatin-stitched pupils with a bare highlight: the step that gives a stitched pet its expression.
• How-to guideHow to embroider fur in one color of threadLine-art fur in black thread, stitched root to tip, and when to switch to long and short stitch for realistic fur.
• How-to guideHow to choose the right photo for a pet portraitThe light, angle and framing that make a photo stitch well, and the checks a photo has to pass.
• Stitch guideHow to do a satin stitchStraight stitches laid side by side to fill small shapes, like eyes and noses.
• Stitch guideHow to do a back stitchA solid, unbroken line for outlines, lettering and fine details.
• Dog breedGolden retriever embroidery pattern: stitch your own golden from a photoA real golden retriever pattern from our pattern maker, and how to stitch the feathering, eyes and coat in black thread.
• Dog breedBeagle embroidery pattern: stitch your own beagle from a photoA real beagle pattern from our pattern maker, and how to stitch the long ears, the blaze and the patch edges in black thread.
• Free toolThe free 3D Stitch SimulatorPractice back stitch and satin stitch on a 3D hoop you can turn, zoom and flip.