Grape Meadow: Lazy Daisy Stitch

How to Do the Lazy Daisy Stitch — A Video Tutorial (Stitched on the Grape Meadow Hand Embroidery Kit)

If you've ever wanted to embroider tiny, perfect little flower petals — like the ones tucked all over our bestselling Meadow Hand Embroidery Kits — the secret you're looking for is the Lazy Daisy stitch. It's one of the six foundational embroidery stitches we teach inside every Meadow kit, and once you've nailed it, you'll find yourself reaching for it in nearly every floral embroidery project you stitch.

In the video below, I'll walk you through exactly how to do the Lazy Daisy stitch — step by step, in real time — using the Grape Meadow Hand Embroidery Kit as my canvas. Whether you're stitching along with a kit at home or just learning the technique to use in your own embroidery projects, this tutorial has everything you need.

What Is the Lazy Daisy Stitch?

The Lazy Daisy stitch (sometimes called the detached chain stitch) is a classic hand embroidery stitch that creates a single, teardrop-shaped petal in one fluid motion. Group several together in a circle and you've got a tiny daisy. Scatter individual ones across a hoop and you've got an entire wildflower meadow. It's beginner-friendly, fast to stitch, and one of the most versatile stitches in any embroiderer's toolkit.

How to Do the Lazy Daisy Stitch — Step by Step

Watch the full video tutorial above, or follow along with these written steps:

1. Bring your needle up through the fabric at the base of the petal — this is where your petal will begin.
2. Insert your needle back into the fabric right next to where it came up (close to the same hole, but not in it). Don't pull the thread all the way through — leave a small loop on the front of the fabric.
3. Bring your needle back up through the fabric at the tip of where you want your petal to end, making sure the needle comes up inside the loop you just left.
4. Gently pull the thread until the loop forms a teardrop-shaped petal. Don't pull too tight — you want the petal to hold its shape, not flatten.
5. Take your needle just over the top of the loop and back down into the fabric to "anchor" the petal in place.

That's one Lazy Daisy petal. Repeat in a small circle to form a full flower, or scatter individual petals across your design to add depth and movement.

Tips From the Studio

A few things I've learned after stitching thousands of these:

• Don't pull too tight. A Lazy Daisy stitch should sit flat and round, not pinched. If your petal looks scrunched, loosen the thread before anchoring.
• Vary your petal length. Mixing slightly longer and shorter petals creates a more organic, natural-looking flower (the opposite of a stamped craft-store look).
• Anchor stitches matter. A longer anchor stitch gives a bolder, more graphic look. A shorter one looks more delicate.
• Practice on scrap fabric first. Especially if you're new to embroidery. Five or six practice petals will make you noticeably better before you start on your kit.

Now that you have learned Lazy Daisy Stitch, here are a few other designs that you could practice it on - Fleur Hand Embroidery Kit, The Colette Bouquet PDF Pattern, and Winslow in Marigold Hand Embroidery Kit