One of the prettiest embroidery stitches is the chain stitch. There are a lot of variations to it (like a square chain, twisted chain, cable chain, etc), but in essence the chain stitch is a very simple graphic stitch. Obviously it looks like a chain, and it adds a lot of pretty texture to a project. You can use it for many things like lettering, outlining sections of a pattern, or stems of flowers. A variation of it, the lazy daisy stitch (or detached chain) is perfect for flower petals and leaves, it’s very pretty when scattered across a piece.
This tutorial comes with a free hand embroidery pattern, if you’re not already a Peacock Lounge member you can sign up and get access to all the free cross stitch and embroidery patterns.
Chain stitch and lazy daisy stitch
Free pattern
This is the finished pattern, you can see I added French knots into the centre of the lazy daisy flowers. I also used stem stitch for the flower stems.
Tips for the chain stitch and lazy daisy
- Don’t pull too tight, or you’ll end up with two parallel lines rather than a pretty teardrop-shaped chain
- Experiment with the number of strands you use, see what you like best
- For the leaves, I started the lazy daisy at the outer tip of the leaves to create a “point”
- Feel free to embellish the finished pattern with French knots or other stitches
Links mentioned in the video
Fabric used in the tutorial: Normandie linen by Zweigart.
2 Responses
Arlene Sullivan
How does one cross stitch a baby’s quilt? Do you sew thru the back, if not how would you ties off stitches?
Dana Batho
Hi Arlene! You’d back the quilt like any quilt, so after you stitch the front sections and make that one big panel. Then the back of the cross stitch will be hidden and protected by the quilt backing. 🙂