by Jenny Hart

One of the things I love about embroidery is the way it inspires new creative solutions while I'm stitching. Deep in thought, stitching meditatively -inspiration strikes! Most stitchers are familiar with a "lazy daisy", the much-loved and traditional way of making a flower by stitching an array of isolated chain stitches around a central cluster of french knots. It looks a little sumpthin like this:

Traditional Lazy Daisy: 

Then I had me an ideer. Why weren't there any other "lazy" flowers I'd heard of? It would be so easy to turn a combination of stitches into a lotus, one of the most popular (and pretty) motifs for embroidery. This is how my lazy lotus was born -by turning some of the stitches on their head (literally) and creating a "lazy lotus" based on how I'd learned to make a lazy daisy.  Oh, embroidery, you old dog. You still have plenty of new tricks you can do! It's really, super easy. Here's what my lazy lotus looks like:

My not-so-traditional Lazy Lotus

  Lazy Lotus Tutorial:

Step 1:
Make an isolated chain stitch (Step 3 shows how). This is a great, versatile stitch that can be used to depict leaves, flower petals, raindrops, tears, dangly jewels...whatever you are inspired to do with it. I luvvit and use it all the time. When completed, it looks like this:

Looks kinda lonely. Let's give it some friends!

Step 2:
Now we're gonna make another one. Notice that instead of the round part of the stitch pointing outward (like on a daisy), I've placed it so the pointed end sticks out. The placement of the second petal is how it all takes shape. Come up to the left, but lower than the tip of the first completed petal you made. Think 9 o'clock with the first tip being at high noon. (I'm talkin' about the tips of the petals and their relationship to each other, not the entry / exit points in progress here.) Re-insert your needle next to or in the same point where your floss exited (shown). I uh, made mine kinda far apart. Looks nicer if you enter the same exit point. Do as I say, not as I stitch.

Step 3:
When pulling your floss through in step 3, be sure to leave a loop on the topside of your fabric. Now, bring your needle up (as shown here) at the base of the first petal and pass your needle, as you come up, through the inside of the loop of floss you left. See? That's how you make an isolated chain stitch.

Step 4:
Finish by securing the loop with a small stitch.

Step 5:
Do it again on the other side! See the lotus taking shape? Three petals is all it takes.

Step 6:
Put a couple of French Knots inside the crux of the petals (here's my tutorial on French Knots if you need one).
Very nice...

Step 7:
Add three sweet and simple straight stitches...and...

Step 8: Lazy Lotus Complete!
Done. Beautiful. Easy. Something new for you to try! Can you come up with any other "lazy" flowers? (Psst: try a tulip)

Step 9:
Make more! Go crazy! Enjoy.

  You like? Well, then you'll be glad to know that I have a brand-new book coming out very soon full of techniques and ideas like this, including transfer patterns and projects for the lazy lotus and a whole bunch more: