A Quiet Moment with Embroidery

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The holidays are such a busy time of year, and it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and forget to take time to just be in the moment. I find that handwork is a great way to focus and relax, so I thought I would share a freebie that you can download and stitch onto a sweater from your closet. It’s so much fun to create a little something for yourself with hand embroidery.

Handwork is having a resurgence, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been cross-stitching for years. Our Christmas decorations include stocking tags with the family’s names and a little icon, and we love hanging them on the mantel each year. I wrote a how-to for these little tags in Countryside Magazine if you’d like to make some yourself.

I encourage you to grab some me-time with a handwork project. Here’s a free design you can add to a sweater from your closet, or to anything, really!

Flower Girl by Janet Clare

Embellish a ready-made cardigan with delicate floral designs to create a designer look for less. Use cool tones of embroidery floss to create an elegant look.

Supplies

• Ready-made cardigan
• Silk embroidery floss: 2 skeins of dark green and dark lilac, 1 skein each of light green
• and light lilac
• Size 9 hand embroidery needle
• Water-soluble stabilizer
• Removable fabric marker

You’ll use just two stitches for this project, the backstitch and split stitch. Check out our embroidery stitch guide to learn how to work these stitches.

Cut It

Download the Flower Girl pattern. Using the pattern and a removable fabric marker, trace each sprig onto a piece of water-soluble stabilizer. Cut out each sprig carefully, leaving approximately ½” of stabilizer around each sprig’s perimeter.

Embroider

Position the stabilizer sprigs on the sweater’s right side along the right shoulder seam with the flower bud pointing down. Space the sprigs at least 1⁄2” apart. Baste the stabilizer perimeter to secure each sprig.

Thread the embroidery needle with six strands of dark green floss. Backstitch each stem, beginning from the stem end and stitching toward each flower and leaf outline.

Tip: To avoid marring stitches, pull the floss through the fabric gently to ensure it lays flat without pulling any nearby stitches.

Backstitch along each leaf outline, using six strands of dark green floss.

Thread the needle with six strands of light green floss. Backstitch along each inner leaf detail (1).

Thread the needle with six strands of dark lilac floss. Backstitch along the flower bud (2).

Thread the needle with six strands of dark lilac floss. Backstitch along each flower outline.

Thread the needle with six strands of light lilac floss. Embroider each inner flower line using split stitches (3). Once the embroidery is complete, carefully trim away the excess stabilizer. Rinse to remove the remaining stabilizer, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Let the cardigan dry on a protected flat work surface.

I hope you enjoy this project and a few moments of relaxation during this hectic time.

Kathleen