Corgi embroidery pattern: stitch your own corgi from a photo

The real pattern: Waffles, our sample corgi

Our pattern maker made this from a photo of Waffles, a red-and-white Pembroke Welsh corgi 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.

This is the shortest pattern on our breed pages. The ears, one line for the edge of the blaze, the eyes, the nose and a few whiskers say corgi straight away. Our pattern maker draws the head and the top of the chest, which gives those ears room in a 6-inch hoop. A face this simple also makes a good 3-inch tree ornament.

What makes a corgi look like a corgi in thread

The Pembroke standard calls for a foxy head, erect ears that taper to a slightly rounded point, and a coat of red, sable, fawn, or black and tan, with or without white on the muzzle, chest and a narrow blaze. The standard says the ears are medium-sized, but on that small fox face they look enormous, and that's the likeness.

• The ears carry it. Stitch each one from the wide base up to the point and back down. Add three or four fur lines inside, fanning out from the base.
• A fox face. The muzzle tapers to a small nose. Keep the line from each cheek to the nose smooth and unbroken.
• One line for the blaze. Where the white runs up the forehead, a single clean line is enough.
• A few whiskers. Short, light strokes from the muzzle, two or three on each side.

A Cardigan Welsh corgi, the one with the long tail, has big upright ears too. Stitch it the same way.

Getting a good photo of your corgi

• Get the ears up and in the frame, tips included. Say your corgi's name, or crinkle a treat bag.
• Shoot at eye level. Corgis are low, so sit on the floor.
• Use soft daylight, so the white blaze and chest keep their edges.
• One dog per photo, with both eyes sharp.

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

Stitching order for a corgi

1. Ears first. Back stitch both ears from the base to the point and back, then the top of the head between them.
2. Face and blaze. Stitch the cheeks, the tapering muzzle and the line of the blaze.
3. Eyes and nose. Satin stitch the pupils from the middle out, leaving the highlight bare, then fill the nose.
4. Whiskers and ear fur. Add the short whisker strokes and the fur lines inside each ear.
5. Chest, then stop. Stitch the few fur lines on the chest, root to tip. That's it: a corgi is a short stitch.

Common corgi mistakes

The ears look like rabbit ears.

They got too narrow. Each ear is wide at the base. Follow the base dots all the way out before you turn up.

The face looks round.

The muzzle lost its taper. Re-stitch the cheek lines dot to dot, so they run straight in to the nose.

Questions people ask

Keep going

• How-to guideHow to embroider a dog: a beginner's step-by-stepWhere to start, which stitches to use, and how to make the portrait look like your dog, not just a dog.
• 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 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 back stitchA solid, unbroken line for outlines, lettering and fine details.
• Stitch guideHow to do a satin stitchStraight stitches laid side by side to fill small shapes, like eyes and noses.
• Dog breedGerman shepherd embroidery pattern: stitch your own GSD from a photoA real German shepherd pattern from our pattern maker, and how to stitch the erect ears, long muzzle and markings in black thread.
• Dog breedChihuahua embroidery pattern: stitch your own chihuahua from a photoA real chihuahua pattern from our pattern maker, and how to stitch the huge ears, the apple head and the big eyes in black thread.
• Free toolThe free 3D Stitch SimulatorPractice back stitch and satin stitch on a 3D hoop you can turn, zoom and flip.