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Popcorn Lazy Daisy Stitch

The Popcorn Lazy Daisy Stitch Makes Things Pop! 🖤 Learn how to make the popcorn lazy daisy stitch to take your embroidery work to another level! This one is so much fun once you get the hang of it and it's going to add gorgeous volume and texture to your work that just might push your embroidery to the next level. I love using the popcorn lazy daisy stitch for some of my flower embroidery designs and it turns my flat work into a piece that literally has parts that can be moved and manipulated. You could say it gives things a little bit of life. It’s not a stitch I would recommend as a beginner because it takes both hands, some extra coordination, and a bit of patience. There’s an element of awkwardness when first learning this stitch, and I think that’s probably true for most stitches, but with the popcorn lazy daisy stitch, it takes some getting used to. Table of Contents Steps Video If you're a newbie, start with an easy embroidery stitch that's beginner-friendly, such a

Stem Stitch and Outline Stitch Tutorial

flower pattern fabric with stem and outline stitch added in red

Stem Stitch vs Outline Stitch

🖤 Learn how to create the stem stitch & outline stitch to create nice bold lines that have a rope-like twist and work beautifully for flower stems, vines, and so much more!

If you’d like a nice outline stitch with a rope-like twist then these basic embroidery stitches are the ones. The stem stitch and outline stitch are perfect for creating outlines and things like flower stems. They're a great alternative to the chain stitch which is also a nice outline stitch (and fill stitch) when you don't want that chain look. While mainly used for outlines you can still use them as fills to get an interesting texture.

Table of Contents

These two stitches both twist and the difference is that they twist in opposite directions. The outline stitch twists to the left and the stem stitch twists to the right. The methods to creating them are also very similar, and there's actually more than one way to make them. I started off with method 1 but now I mainly use method 2. Both are good to learn and I'll show you two methods so you can try them both and decide which you like better.

For both stitches I’ll work them in a vertical direction in this tutorial.

The Outline Stitch: Method One

  • Draw a guideline running vertical if you’d like. This will be your stitch line.
  • Start with a loose stitch and set it to the left of your stitch line.
  • Come up between the loose stitch along the stitch line and pull the needle through.
  • You can tighten up your loose stitch first before pulling the needle all the way through if you’d like, but it’s an optional step.
loose stitch leaning left and needle coming up between the 2 ends of the stitch
  • Next, return to the back a stitch length away (A) to create another loose stitch.
  • Set your loose stitch over to the left.
  • Then come up at the end of your previous stitch (B) and pull needle through.
needle coming up at the top of a stitch with a loose stitch to the left

Repeat steps and end your stitch by pushing your needle through the very end of your stitch. Notice how the outline stitch twists to the left.

The Outline Stitch: Method Two

Method 2 reminds me a lot of the back stitch but when you go back you do so a little differently.

  • Start with a small stitch
  • Come up a stitch length away.
  • Nudge the previous stitch over to the left and return to the back along the stitch line.
needle to the right of a small stitch

Repeat steps then finish off the stitch by coming up at the very end of the stitch and returning to the back between the last stitch.

needle returning to the back between last stitch

Stem Stitch: Method One

  • Again, I'll make the stitch line run up and down.
  • Make a loose stitch along the vertical stitch line and push it aside to the right.
  • Bring the needle up in the middle of the stitch along the stitch line, then pull through.
  • Repeat and finish by returning to the back at the end of the stitch, just as it was done with the outline stitch.
needle coming up at the top of last stitch and loose stitch to the right

Stem Stitch: Method Two

    • Make a small stitch.
    • Leave a small gap and come up.
    • Return to the middle of the previous stitch, nudge it over to the right and return to the back.
    • Repeat steps then finish off the stitch by coming up at the end of your stitch and return to the back between the last stitch, just like it was done in the outline stitch.
    needle returning to the back on left side of 1st stitch

    Breakdown:

    The outline and stem stitch are very similar so it’s easy to confuse the two so here’s a simple breakdown to help you keep it straight:

    If your OUTLINE STITCH:

    • Runs vertical, your needle will always be to the right of the thread.
    • Runs horizontal, your needle will always be below the thread.
    • This is true in both methods. Just remember, the needle will be either to the right or below the thread.
    outline stitch: needle below vertical stitch & needle below horizontal stitch

    If your STEM STITCH:

    • Runs vertical, your needle will always be to the left of your thread.
    • Runs horizontal, your needle will always be above your thread.
    • This is true in both methods, and in this case remember, the needle will be either to the left or above the thread.
    2 stem stitches: needle to the left of vertical stitch & needle above horizontal stitch

    When it comes to creating a curve or curved shape, you'll end up with a much smoother result if your stitches are smaller. If your stitches are too large for your curve it can give your stitch a sloppy appearance.

    Video Tutorial

    As always, I've included a video tutorial:


    tags: stem stitch, outline stitch, easy embroidery stitches, embroidery for beginners, stitch tutorial, embroidery tutorial