Chain stitches · Beginner
Lazy daisy stitch
Lazy daisy stitch is a single chain stitch loop held down at its tip by a tiny stitch. Each loop looks like a petal or a small leaf, and a ring of them makes a simple flower.
How to work it
Come up at the base of a petal
Bring the needle up at A, the end of the petal nearest the middle of the flower, and pull the thread through.
Go back down and leave a loop
Put the needle back down at A, in the same hole or right beside it. Pull slowly and stop while a loop of thread still lies on the fabric. Hold the loop down with your thumb.
Come up inside the loop
Bring the needle up at B, where you want the tip of the petal. Make sure it comes up inside the loop, with the loop lying under the needle.
Pull the loop snug
Pull the thread through until the loop closes around it and lies flat as a petal. Do not pull it tight.
Hold the tip with a tiny stitch
Go down at C, just outside the tip of the loop. This tiny stitch over the end of the loop holds the petal in place.
Work the petals in a ring
Come up at the base of the next petal and repeat. Five or six petals worked around a middle point make a daisy. A French knot fills the middle.
At a glance
- Also called
- detached chain stitch, daisy stitch, single chain stitch, lazy daisy
- Used for
- flower petals; small leaves; greenery around flowers; scattered fills over a background
- Thread
- Use more strands of six-strand floss for fuller petals and fewer for finer ones.
- Needle
- An embroidery (crewel) needle. A size 7 suits three or four strands of floss. Use a larger needle (a lower number) for more strands and a finer one for fewer. For wool or other thick thread, a chenille needle has a longer eye and a sharp point.
Tips
- Keep petals fairly short. A long loop can catch on things. If you want a long one, tack it down with a small stitch or two.
- Mark a small ring in the middle of the flower and start each petal on the ring instead of all in one hole.
- For evenly spaced petals, mark equal points around a circle before you start.
- Make the holding stitch longer to give the loop a tail. That version is called long-tailed daisy.
When it goes wrong
- The loop disappears when I pull
- The needle came up outside the loop. Bring it up inside the loop so the thread catches it.
- The petals look thin and tight
- Ease off. Stop pulling as soon as the loop lies flat on the fabric, while it is still open.
- The petals are different sizes
- Mark the fabric first: a small ring for the petal bases and equal points around a circle for the tips. Then stitch to the marks.
- The loop flops to one side
- A long loop does not hold its place. Shorten the petal, or tack the loop down with a small stitch.
Left-handed
Nothing about the stitch changes. Hold the loop down with your right thumb while your left hand brings the needle up inside it. Work around the flower in whichever direction is comfortable.
Variations
- Chain stitch. The same loop worked in a row, with each new loop starting inside the last, so the links join into a line.
- Long-tailed daisy. The holding stitch is made much longer than the loop, which gives each loop a long tail. It is used for leaves and scattered fills.
- Lazy daisy with a straight stitch. A straight stitch, often in a second color, is worked down the middle of each loop to fill the petal.
- Twisted chain stitch. The needle goes down beside the starting point instead of into it, which crosses the thread at the base. It can also be worked as a single loop on its own.
Patterns that use it
Questions
- Is lazy daisy the same as detached chain stitch?
- Yes. Lazy daisy, daisy stitch and detached chain stitch are names for the same stitch: one chain loop held down at its tip with a tiny stitch.
- How many petals does a lazy daisy flower have?
- Any number. Five or six petals make a simple flower, and you can pack more around the middle for a fuller one.
- How do you keep lazy daisy petals even?
- Mark the fabric before you stitch: a small ring for the petal bases and equal points around a circle for the tips.
- What do you put in the middle of a lazy daisy?
- French knots are a common choice. A bead also works.