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Mary Corbet

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I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Free Embroidery Pattern: Sunflower Cross

 

Amazon Books

Here’s a free hand-embroidery pattern of a “sunflower cross.” I wasn’t sure what else to call it, as the pattern includes both a cross motif and a sunflower. I’ll classify this as “church embroidery,” although, as you can see by the design, it’s a great embroidery pattern for anything at all!

This pattern comes from an old book I have of embroidery designs, published at the turn of last century and no longer in copyright. I scanned it and cleaned it up a bit so that you can have a good copy for your own embroidery library.

The pattern is open to all kinds of interpretation with stitches. You could go for a very simple look, outlining with basic stitches such as stem stitch or whipped backstitch. You could fill the leaf sections with seed stitch to give them some texture or color, like I did in this embroidered whitework piece. The center section of the sunflower is a perfect place to work a lattice filling.

You could also get fancy, and fill in the flower petals with padded satin stitch or even shaded long-and-short stitch.

Click on the pattern below to get a larger image. You can then right-click on the image to save it to your computer, and scale it up or down in a photo-editing program or on a copy machine.

Have fun with it!

free embroidery pattern: sunflower cross

For more free hand embroidery patterns from Needle’NThread, check out my Index of Hand Embroidery Patterns.

 
 

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(14) Comments

  1. I am looking for a website to buy hungarian embrodiery patterns actually stamped on the cloth. Do you know where I can find something like that.

    Thanks,
    Tina

    1
  2. I am looking for a website to buy Hungarian embrodiery with the pattern actually stamped on the cloth. Do you know where I can find something like that?

    Thanks,
    Tina

    2
  3. Mary, I have to tell you. I am in the process of getting a secret “santa” gift together. I have been trying to figure out what to make her, and suddenly it all makes sense. She loves sunflowers. I was looking for an interesting embroidery idea and you suddenly pop up! Thank you so much for the inspiration and pattern.

    3
  4. Hello Mary Corbet,

    I am interested in some of your embroidery designs. Your designs are printable, this I know. I don’t have a printer, therefore the library would be the best way. (I JUST HIT PRINT) Is there any charge for some of the designs that are not free.

    Also I don’t know what an E-Book is. I would like to order soon the church book patterns.

    Thank you for having such a web-site for hand embroidery. I am just a little unsure of myself when it comes to computers; not stitching!!!!!

    4
    1. Hi, Alyson – any of the individual patterns on the site are free. You can print them either by right clicking on the picture and choosing print from the pop up menu, or, on the patterns that have a PDF with them (the link will be towards the end of the article with the pattern in it) you can click on the PDF link, and when the PDF opens, you can go to file and choose print to print the PDF page. The ebook is a large PDF. Once you purchase it, you will receive an email with a download link. When you click the download link, the PDF will download to your computer. From there, you can open it and print what you want. If you don’t have a printer at home, you’ll have to put the PDF on a memory stick or card and take it to a computer that has a printer. When you open the PDF on that computer, go to the page that has the pattern you want on it, go to file, choose print, and in the box that pops up, choose current page, and print the one page. Or you can print the whole PDF, which is around 30 pages. -MC

  5. Hi Mary,

    I need a bit of advice for the center of the sunflower: on my pattern, the actual circle comes out to be just shy of an inch in diameter…I”m thinking maybe a bit too small for lattice work. But what about a cluster of french knots in a few different colors, perhaps with perle thread? I just don’t have the experience to visualize?! How say you?

    Thanks!

    6
  6. Hello, Mary,
    I thought I’d get into embroidery in a small way. Watching and thoroughly enjoying your blog every day just doesn’t cut it.
    What I’m wondering about is: how large do you make your stem stitches, the split stitch, a chain?
    You gave some idea in the half-scallop (that’s small). Are other stitches similar?
    Thanks. It’s time I really did something!
    Carolyn

    7
    1. It really depends on a lot of things, Carolyn, but I think the most important point is the weight of thread you’re using. For example, if you’re stitching with a very fine thread, chances are, your stitches will be a bit smaller than if you’re stitching with a heavy thread. For standard work, using the equivalent weight of about 2 strands (from the six) of embroidery floss, I’d say my stitches range from 1/8″ – 3/16″

  7. I use a tracing pencil to make embroidery transfers. Is there a fine point ink pen version of this pencil? My lines come out so thick with the pencil, and do not always wash out. Thanks, love this site and the patterns. Have embroidered three dozen dishtowels,phew! And now am starting pillow cases for Christmas gifts.

    8
    1. I use a .5 mechanical pencil for tracing with pencil and it works great. Fine and light lines – just remember to trace in long lines rather than short sketchy strokes.

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