Random needle embroidery (RNE) is a graceful art enrolled in the world intangible cultural heritage. In this paper, we study the stitch layout problem and propose a controllable stitch layout strategy for RNE. Using our method, a user can easily change the layout styles by adjusting several high-level layout parameters. This approach has three main features:firstly, a stitch layout rule containing low-level stitch attributes and high-level layout parameters is designed;secondly, a stitch neighborhood graph is built for each region to model the spatial relationship among stitches;thirdly, different stitch attributes (orientations, lengths, and colors) are controlled using different reaction-diffusion processes based on a stitch neighborhood graph. Moreover, our method supports the user in changing the stitch orientation layout by drawing guide curves interactively. The experimental results show its capability for reflecting various stitch layout styles and flexibility for user interaction.