
Detached Chain is often one of the first stitches people learn. Many people call this stitch: ‘daisy stitch’, ‘lazy daisy stitch’, ‘tall chain stitch’, ‘loop stitch’, ‘tied loop stitch’, ‘picot stitch’, and ‘knotted knot stitch’. But don’t let those names lead you into thinking that you can only make flowers with it.
What’s in a Name?
We call Detached Chain by that name because that is what it is, a single chain stitch. You can use it to create all sorts of patterns and textures. For instance, I stitched the sample above on hand-dyed Aida cloth. I arranged the Detached chain stitches in a grid and secured the sequins with a seed bead in the spaces. It is a pattern that you can use to work on a small item such as a bag or purse, for instance.

This sample makes a really nice border pattern. I have arranged the detached chain stitches in sets of three in a fan shape. In addition, I secured the centre detached chain stitch with a small chain rather than a straight stitch. And I have added a seed bead to the head of the stitches. I worked the next sample over sequin waste to create a medallion pattern.
How to work Lazy Daisy or Detached Chain stitch
Bring the needle up through the fabric and hold the thread with the left thumb. Insert the needle as illustrated, so that the point emerges a short distance away.

With the thread wrapped under the needle’s point, pull the needle through the fabric.

To fasten the loop, make a small straight stitch.

As you can see, you can easily work the stitch in a circle to create flower shapes.

The next 2 samples are Detached Chain stitches used in crazy quilting.

In this sample, I combined Detached Chain with straight stitches and seed and novelty beads to work along the edge of lace. The thread I used was cotton perle #5.

In this sample, I used Detached Chain along the edge of lace. If you want to see this detail in context you can see the whole block and have the pattern for Block 99 free.

Have you seen my Stitchers Templates?

Create your own designs with Sharon’s easy-to-use stitchers templates. Combine shapes to create hundreds of patterns and designs to embroider. It is the ultimate mix-and-match fun for stitchers of all skill levels. I created them to be as versatile as possible. I include four multi-patterned templates in each set. You will find them easy to use, totally clear to help you position them on your work, and they are nice and compact to fit in your sewing box. Each set comes with an e-book filled with patterns and designs that you can create and use as a jumping-off spot for your own designs. They are available now in our shop here!
Happy stitching!

A busy week, so I've posted some photos of works in progress on which I've used detached chain stitch. There's even a beaded version.
http://arlene-thefoodoflove.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-week-7-detached-chain-stitch.html
Arlene
My old chain stitch sample of 2007 is here: http://tenar72.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/tast-detatched-chain-stitch/
Today I have been working on my Detached Chain stitch. http://ullabritt.wordpress.com/tast-2012/7-detached-chain-stitch/
loved this stitch – so came in with my samples well on time this week :0)
Sara
I am loving this challenge. I've got more animals this week.
http://playfulstitching.wordpress.com
I finally finished. Hard to get out of the idea of ??flower with this
http://pierrespapiersciseaux.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-semaine-7-le-point-de-bouclette.htm
thanks
isabellel
My sample is here —-http://www.flickr.com/photos/stitchinwoman/6886706073/in/photostream
Mine's up. Early for me, too! Lazy Daisy, always a favorite. http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2012/02/16/tast-week-7-detatched-chain-stitch/
I see that I am not the only one who find this a favourite stitch! Easy to make, usually well-behaved and so versatile it is no wonder we all love it. I enjoyed Week 7 very much.
My contribution is here:http://web.me.com/queeniepatch/Queeniepatch_Quilts/Blog/Entries/2012/2/16_TAST_2012%2C_Week_7.html
Sharon,
My trial for this week's challenge is here:
http://shamiatcraft.blogspot.in/2012/02/tast-2012-week-7-detached-chain.html
It is nice to learn a new stitch or exploring the known stitch every week. Feel like doing something useful being a home maker. Thanks for running this challenge.
Shami Immanuel.
You can see my little sample on my blog: http://fabricfusion.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-2012-7-aufgabe-und-meine-neue.html
Happy Stitching
Claudia
I've posted my Detached Chain Stitch on my blog at http://www.tyketextiles.blogspot.com
Viv
Good evening ! I've completed my 7th weekly challenge. Here are the photos and details
http://j-en-revais.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-7.html
Please pay me a visit ;o)
An old favourite. My sample can be viewed here
http://linsartyblobs.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-7-outside-frame-alphabet.html
Here's mine: http://thatyankstitches.multiply.com/journal/item/274/Take_A_Stitch_Tuesday_2012_Challenge_-_Week_7
It looks a lot better where I used it on a crazy quilt block here: http://thatyankstitches.multiply.com/photos/album/27/CQJC2012BJP2012#photo=2 … A row of "flowers" in the top left corner and little daisies on the yellow-orange ribbon in the middle….
I have started exploring this stitch on even weave cloth- my blog-
http://jizee6687.wordpress.com/category/tast-2012/07-detached-chain-stitch2/
thanks, Sharon
Chitra
Voici terminé mon travail de la semaine. vous pouvez voir le résultat sur mon blog… et encore merci pour ce défi….http://carrementcrazy.zumablog.com/index.php?sujet_id=17157
My detatched chain samples are on my blog at:
http://stitchinginnc.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-week-7-is-detatched-chain-or-lazy.html
Here http://homemadebyme.tumblr.com/post/17656208483/tast-2012-semaine-7-detached-chain-stitch my work for this week 7.
I like this work I did very much.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irislins/6880710213/in/photostream
My samples are on my Flickr site this week
http://crazyqstitcher.wordpress.com/
There are some of my Tast 1 samples at
http://crazyqstitcher.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/tast-detached-chain/
Hi Sharon,
I'd created a mirror/shisha work out of this stitch-http://letslearnembroidery.blogspot.in/2012/02/mirror-work-3.html
I love this simple stitch and made a simple design on a pin cushion. I have blogged about it here
http://artscraftsandmore-withveena.blogspot.in/2012/02/lazy-daisy-detached-chain-stitch-for.html
Thank you Sharon
Here are the links to some of my detached chain stitches – one of my favorites!
On Flicker at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heymagee/?saved=1
or on stitchin fingers at:
http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?screenName=376898wo2mgaj
I love this stitch.
Of course this is the first stitch i learnt long long ago.
Of course a beautiful stitch.
Thanks Saron B making me do various stitches by your TAST 2012 and waiting every week to know about stitches.
I exihibited my old collection and like to try a new piece soon.
http://viji-crafts.blogspot.in/
This is definitely my favourite and I have put a piece that I completed a little while ago on my blog. It is based on a technique by Jean Littlejohn.
http://maggi21.wordpress.com
http://christinaroland.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-week-7.html on my blog http://christinaroland.blogspot.com/ for the results of week 7. Not my favourite stitch, but the variations are almost endless, and there are a lot of those I like. Didn't do much on that front, just used the plain detatched chain stitch in different forms. Looking forward to see other people's work.
I got working on it right away 🙂
Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hetkabinet/6877103755/in/pool-56846286@N00
Blog:
http://hetkabinet.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-2012-7.html
I love the lazy daisy stitch! It is one that I use often as it is one of the first stitches I learned. It made wonder just how long ago that was! Somethings are better left unsaid!! You can check out what I did here
http://princessbubblescreates.blogspot.com
thanks for looking!
??? ?????? ?????? ?6-7 ?????
http://flowerkaleidoscope.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-20126-chevron-stitch-7-detached.html
????? ????????!
Svetlana
It is nice to have this detcahed chain stitch again. I worked this stitch to create patterns last time, this time around,I thought this stitch can be used on even weave cloth. still in the thinking stage.
my earlier experiments with this stitch.
http://jizee6687.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/tast-week-3/
Thanks,
Chitra
I was ahead of the game, since I love this stitch and wanted to show how I'd incorporated it in my big silk piece which I dyed then went back into, to "paint" with stitches. To see what I was up to, go here: http://beautifulmetaphor.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-week-seven-running-chain-aka.html
I love this challenge! it's lending more structure to the otherwise lonely work in the studio! thank you, Sharon.
Hi Sharon, My week 7 stitch is done. As always I kept it small to allow me at the end to put all my fabric pages together in a journal format. My piece is on my blog now. http://northbrookstitches.blogspot.com
Thanks so much, Romona
I shared some old samples on my blog today:
http://fat-quarter.blogspot.com/2012/02/old-detached-chain-stitches.html
I finally managed to do the sample on a Tuesday! Whilst it was still light too! I can't promise this will happen ever again, but you never know. Strange things happen daily…
http://sew-in-love.blogspot.com/2012/02/fantastic-catch-up.html – this is my post with the last 3 weeks worth of TAST samples, even though they're not very exciting!=)
so, I'm tha first 🙂
wellcome http://alovchany.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-week-7-detached-chain-stitch.html
Masha
Nice stitch for this week! Stitched with spring colors to fight again winter, snow,ice…. Pictures here on my blog http://6stem5.canalblog.com
Chain stitch seemed perfect for the centre of this motif, it is very much a work in progress http://emmelinesplace.blogspot.com/2012/02/tast-7-detached-chain.html
I think this was probably the first stitch I used as a child, 60+ years ago – always a favourite and to me it is a daisy stitch!
I didn't add a new piece in the 2007 challenge, but collected together old favourites, http://www.flickr.com/photos/23261611@N04/4501706981/in/set-72157623763221568
I'll probably add one of the old pieces and a small new one to my new narrow Sampler. Connie.
This is my TAST 2007 sample:
http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/topiary-2