Creating Easy Embroidery Patterns

Pin It

I love embroidery, but easily accessible embroidery patterns are often kind of corny. I don't want to embroider geese. But it is incredibly easy to create your own modern embroidery patterns! And the best part? They'll be free!

Most embroidery patterns available at the big box craft stores are...not my style. And probably not so much yours either. Sublime Stitching (I know, I talk about the amazing Jenny constantly) is a fantastic resource for great, modern needlework patterns. I can't recommend them enough for the beginner stitcher.

However, it's super easy to make your own. Here's a little project I whipped together using royalty free clip art.

It was a great little project, because I spent less than two hours total on it. I wanted to make something Navy related for J for our in progress gallery wall and make him a little present to celebrate a personal milestone.

How to whip up your own free, easy embroidery project?

Google for a free stock image. I wanted an anchor. Luckily, the blogosphere is full of awesome women who have provided great free printables. Craft Ideas designed this as a coloring sheet. Coloring sheets work well as embroidery patterns!

Anchor Courtesy of Craft Ideas

I needed an anchor that had room to put "USN" (which is what J preferred to "Navy"). I saved the image to my computer and opened in Picasa (which if you are to cheap or poor to buy Photoshop is an awesome alternative). I clicked on text and found a simple font (simple fonts are key for embroidery novices) and typed in USN.

Now I printed out my US Navy anchor pattern, laid it on the table and put a scrap of white fabric over it and carefully traced it onto the fabric with a narrow pointed marker. This is an embroidery no-no. You are supposed to use a special transfer pen. Eh. You could totally do this and it would make you a better person than I am. I am cheap. This works. I wouldn't do it on a project that would have to be laundered (like a baby onesie or shirt), but for this? It's fine.

I stitched the anchor out in backstitch and it looked fine. But I decided to kick the project up to the next level and do some freehand shadowing, also in backstitch. That's the cool thing about embroidery, it's very open to interpretation and improvisation.

It's currently hanging in the hoop I stitched it in. The light wood is bugging me, so I foresee a date with spray paint in the hoop's future.

Does anyone else use free printables in unexpected ways? Or have other ways of acquiring free embroidery patterns?

( I’m sharing this at the Dare to DIY party hosted by Decor and the Dog, Maybe Matilda, Newly Woodwards, and Two Twenty One!)
Check out this post at  Liz Marie's blog, Savvy Southern Style, Be Different Act Normal, Sweet Boutique, and House of Hepworths!)