Shih tzu needlepoint patterns

Most show a shih tzu's head, facing front: a round, flat face framed by long straight hair and a topknot tied with a small bow.

The hair falls from the topknot and hangs down each side like curtains. The head is drawn in more than one style. All are four inches square on 18 mesh; some can also be made round, and one as an eight-inch mini pillow on 13 mesh. Where the head is drawn alone, the bow sits on the center line, so start there and count outward.