lazy daisies on a Sunday

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this week we would like to introduce the Lazy Daisy – sounds alike a great Sunday Stitch doesn’t it?  Also officially known as a detached chain stitch – a single chain stitch that is – next week we’ll put them altogether in a ‘chain stitch’.

When marking a chain stitch you can mark just single line or a dot at each end. I normally wouldn't mark the actual curved outline as your thread may not sit exactly on the curves and your markings may show.

Bring your threaded needle up at A

Take it back down at B (which is the same hole as A)

and bring it up again at point C

  With the thread under the needle pull the needle through but do not over tighten the thread. You want a nice gentle curve to your stitch – after all it generally represents a petal or leaf when used in this manner. Take the needle back down at C outside the curved stitch – make sure the thread is not twisted under the needle or your stitch wont sit nice and flat. if you pull the thread too tight you will get skinny straight petals of all shapes and sizes – nice curves are best girls!so this makes a tiny little stitch over the thread of the petal stitch

  pull through until it is sitting nicely – this is your first petal or lazy daisy or detached chain stitch.

Now if you are doing several petals to make a flower it is good to start with a small circle in the centre rather than a dot. you can get a nicer flower shape if the petals sit on the edge of this circle rather than trying to get them all into the same centre dot. a flower looks good naturally with five petals. To help me get these petals evenly spaced i think of a man with his arms out and legs stretched – use your imagination now :)

Stitch a petal on each spoke or leg/arm/neck – keep them fairly even in length and see the inner points all sit on the edge of that circle

 sometimes its nice to fill the petals with a second lazy daisy stitch in side – you can use a contrast colour (or not) and then fill the centre with a french or colonial know (which we haven't learnt yet!) – all flowers have centres don't they?

 and there you have it – of course all rules are made to be broken, a few more examples below or here on my pinboard – you will use this stitch very often I am sure.

this one is on your stitch book girls so you will be using it when we get that far..

so, our page for this week can be downloaded here. Download DETACHED CHAIN STITCH

I did a double stitch in the centre flower – and a stem stitch on that circle. and a triple stitch on these petals as they were quite large and needed some more filling.

keep up the great work girls, and thanks to those sharing in the flickr group – have you been and had a look – some great results happening.

happy Sunday stitching!

hugs, Helen

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