Embroidery - Lazy Daisy and French Knot

Lazy Daisy Flowers with French Knot centers.

Lazy Daisy Stitch

Tie floss on with an Away Waste Knot.

Bring needle up at the base of the petal.

Form a loop around the petal with the thread, then insert the needle back into the same hole at the base of the petal.  Bring the needle up at the outside of the petal. Thread will be under the needle.  This will form a loop.

You are couching the thread in place.

Insert the needle on the other side of the looped  thread to secure.

Bring the needle up at the base of the petal opposite the first petal.

Stitch the second petal.

Wrong side of fabric.

To stitch the third petal, bring the needle to the center of the flower.  You are back tracking over your thread instead of carrying it to the next petal.

Wrong side of fabric.

Now bring the needle up at the base of the third petal.

Finish stitching all the flower petals.

French Knot

Bring the needle up where you want the French Knot.

Wrap the thread around the needle, once or twice as shown.

When stitching a French Knot in the flower center, I usually wrap two times.  If I have more than one French Knot in the flower center, I only wrap once.

With the wrap on the needle, insert the tip of the needle into the fabric.  Insert the needle one fabric thread away from where you brought the needle up.

You must keep tension on the thread as you stitch the French Knot.

Pull the wraps snugly down the needle until they are right on top of the fabric. 

Holding the wraps on the fabric, bring the needle to the wrong side.

Pretty little dimpled French Knot!

A word about carrying the threads. 

You can carry the thread to the next area of the design as long as the distance is not too great and you can conceal the stitches (so the thread you are carrying does not show, or  shadow, through to the right side) by weaving the thread through the stitches on the wrong side.

As for the French Knot.  You can not tie off with each  French Knot, you must carry the thread.  If you have French Knots in the design that are less than 1/4", carry the thread to the next one, even though they will show (shadow) on the right side.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister