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Stitch guide · Texture and details

How to do a lazy daisy stitch

Lazy daisy stitch, also called detached chain stitch, is a single chain loop held down at its tip by one small stitch. It makes a neat petal or leaf shape. Stitch five or six around a center to make a daisy. Use it for flowers, leaves, bows and little teardrop details.

  • Level Beginner
  • Also called Detached chain stitch

Use it in a pet portrait for…

  • A flower crown, or a flower tucked into the collar.
  • A floral wreath around the portrait.
  • A little bow on the collar, or a tiny tongue sticking out.

How to do it, step by step

Lazy daisy stitch: where the needle goesCome up at 1 and go back down in the same hole (2), leaving a loop. Come up at 3, inside the loop near its tip, and go down at 4 to hold it. Repeat around the center for a flower.1·234

Come up at 1 and go back down in the same hole (2), leaving a loop. Come up at 3, inside the loop near its tip, and go down at 4 to hold it. Repeat around the center for a flower.

Odd numbers: come up from the back Even numbers: go down

  1. Come up at the base of the petal, the end nearest the center of the flower.
  2. Go back down in the same hole, leaving a loop on the front.
  3. Come up at the tip of the petal, inside the loop.
  4. Pull gently so the loop forms a petal shape around the thread.
  5. Go down just over the loop to make a tiny holding stitch.
  6. Come up at the center again for the next petal, and work your way around.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Skinny petals.
Don't pull the loop tight before you make the holding stitch.
The loop slips out.
Come up inside the loop, and make the holding stitch right over its tip.
A lopsided flower.
Stitch petals opposite each other first (like 12 and 6 o'clock), then fill the gaps.

How many strands?

Two or three strands. Three makes plump, full petals.

Embroidery floss comes as six thin strands twisted together. Cut a length from your fingertips to your elbow, pull out the strands you need one at a time, and lay them back together (DMC’s guide to stranded floss).

Questions people ask

Is lazy daisy the same as detached chain stitch?

Yes. It's a single chain-stitch loop on its own, held by a small stitch instead of the next loop.

How many petals does a lazy daisy flower have?

Five or six is classic, but any number works. Space them evenly around the center.

How do I make fuller petals?

Use more strands, or work a straight stitch inside each loop to fill it.

Sources: Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: Detached chain stitch