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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 Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hanging Flowers

 

Amazon Books

Here’s a little hand embroidery pattern for you – just a doodle of some simple hanging flowers.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hanging Flowers

I was going to call the design “lilies of the valley,” but they aren’t quite that, are they? I’m not sure what they are, but “hanging flowers” seems general enough.

The design was inspired by an antique gold locket from the early 1900’s. The flowers were actually pearls set in, and the leaves were engraved. I was thinking the embroidery pattern could be reduced to fairly small – an inch high, maybe?! – and stitched on a very fine fabric, with tiny threads, and then mounted as a brooch or a pendant. Just get out your magnifier! It’d also look great larger, decorating a book cover or something of that sort. Any other ideas for it? Leave a comment with suggestions – inspire us!!

Here’s a PDF of the design:

Hanging Flowers Hand Embroidery Pattern (PDF)

Enjoy!

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(51) Comments

  1. what a wonderfull pattern!
    Although from the early 1900, I could imagine this very well on an Empire gown all in white around the hem. Dresses from this time nearly allways were white (to demonstrate, that the Lady was not obliged to work)and richly embroidered.I need a new dress for al ball in spring 2011….
    best wishes and many thakns for this inspiring daily newsletter!

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  2. How adorable… Wouldn’t this make a great little decoration for the cover of a Needle book and could be used for a last minute sweet little Christmas gift?

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  3. Hi Mary
    I love your designs, especially for those of us who are ‘drawing challenged’! 🙂 I can’t even draw a stick figure, let alone a leaf, so I am always thrilled when you have taken the time to offer us to pretty line drawings & this one is a particularly pretty design.
    Thanks Mary. It would also be lovely on a handkerchief or a face cloth corner, or hand-towel & bath towel ends … It would also be pretty in the centre &/or on the corners of a tablecloth &/or the corners of serviettes.
    Cheers & thanks again,
    Wendy

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  4. Hi, Mary! Thanks for another beautiful design! I think that since the flowers look a little like bells, they could even be used for something Christmas-related: placemats, napkins… what do you think? It’s just a matter of choosing the right colors!

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  5. Oh Mary,
    How generous you are to share your knowledge, talents and designs. I love this little piece and am thinking about it as an EGA “Make-It-and Take-It” as a needlebook cover. Especially with your ideas about using different stitches, it will appeal to my “over one” gals and my 14 count Aida ladies.
    I cannot thank you enough for your sharing.

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  6. Sweet! Thank You.

    I trotted over to Michaels with my coupon yesterday and found the pens. I have the Flair and Frixon on my list to get.

    What tricks are there for marking on dark fabrics? I’m aware of soap slivers, soapstone and the white/yellow/silver pencils for quilters. And I *think* I’ve seen people trace the design in thread first also. I may be thinking of thread tracing for sewing though.

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  7. THese are lovely. I wish you would have an online course for beginners using one of your designs.
    or even the high school course yu had prepared this year.
    hope ,if you consider it, it won’t be too expensive .
    carol gross

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  8. Hi Mary,

    Thank you very much, once again!

    The first thing that came to my mind was Ericas

    I’ve only been stitching for a year, but when I am more practiced, I want to do these in the style of botanical drawings. Yes I am a geek and I love it! ^_^

    Thank you for all your help and useful information. Without you I’d still be trying to figure out stem stitch!

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  9. I think the flowers might be stylized Bleeding Hearts. They were very popular in Victorian and Edwardian gardens and are one of my favorite flowers. Thanks for the pattern!

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  10. Mary this is so dainty and would look gorgeous as a needlebook that could be put on the end of a pair of scissors.

    I can also see bleeding hearts, or fushias in the design, they are gorgeous. A combination of beads and embroidery would be so gorgeous.

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  11. Hi Mary, I have been looking for a sweet, simply little pattern for a set of floursack tea towels. I love this little pattern and will see if I can arrange a group for my towels. Thx so much for giving. Happy Holidays, Missy

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  12. Hi Mary there is a website where I have purchased the Bohin needles I really prefer these to all the other ones. They have the Bohin mechanical pencils and all the different colored chalks.

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  13. Thanks, Mary, for the sweet little design. One can never have too many designs!! Although I am beginning to feel like a living example of “too much inspiration”!!

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  14. I would make a reverse of the pattern and make a HEART picture to be framed — nice wedding gift!!

    Love this. Thank you for sharing from the heart.

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  15. I love your idea Marny!! I agree, it would be beautiful …. & it could also be done in the right colours & framed for a bedroom, etc.
    You wouldn’t even have to reverse the pattern over when transferring onto your fabric, if printed on a clear or opaque paper, etc. You could also use the pin (not sure of the correct term, but when you put pinholes into the pattern, then use powder) method when transferring. You think outside the box! 🙂

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  16. It is lovely!!! They right away made think of how lovely they will look:

    1) stitched on natural color linen using a light ivory or opaque white thread for the flowers / green for the large leaves and a lighter green for the smaller ones / pale yellow for the “anthers”
    2) stitched in white linen using royal/cobalt blue for the flowers / leaves the same as above / bright yellow for the anthers

    Thanks for sharing it! May not have the time to stitch on these days but thanks for giving us some motivation to dream about it ;-).

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  17. Dicentra possibly? See link

    http://www.deeproot.co.uk/photo/pages/Dicentra%20spectabilis.htm

    Mary, how to you know how to do the lines etc in the right way? I know if you do a curve in a drawing one way it’s correct and in another it is not. I can often do these by instinct, but I don’t know the rules or where to find the rules. Someone told me they were called, I think, either logical progression or natural progression. and that they can be taught. Can you help? Pleeeeease Ursula

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  18. Hello.
    Thanks for the lovely site. ideas and patterns. I’m a born again newbie. I learnt the basics about 20 years and now I raring to to go again.
    I love the “Hanging flowers” pattern. I’m personally going to do them bluey/lilac as they remind me of the bluebells in my local wood. But they would also make lovely snowdrops too.

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  19. hola mary gracias por tan valioso aporte. muy bonito. mil gracias. sera posible que me indique que puntadas se utilizan para estos bordados o en que tecnica se elaboran . mil bendiciones. sorany

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  20. Thanks for this wonderful design. I used it on a table cloth. It came out really well. Thanks once again.

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  21. I think they look like lilies of the valley! My grandmother recently gave me some of her nice guest/tea towels that are plain white, and lilies of the valley are her favorite flower, so I think I’m going to embroider this design on them and put them in our newly renovated bathroom! Thanks so much for all of the patters, I don’t think I could have started embroidering at all without this website!

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  22. I would embroider the Handging Flowers and them make a pincushion. I made a pincusion for a dear friend using one of your monogram letters. She loved it! We are quilters. Leona

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  23. I was thinking of using this sweet pattern for berevement quilts that a local hospital asks for through my quild. Do you have any other ideas? Thank you

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  24. I have been thinking of taking some of the patterns and mixing it with wools, and embroidery. I have been coming to your site for years but it is inspiring me a new!!! Thank you so much for all the wonderful info and patterns your a bessing to me.

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  25. Mary, I’ve never commented on anyones blog but want to thank you for the work you present on your site. My daughter has an elegant style and your patterns provide a way for me to reach out to her in my own way and still be in sync with her. Since she was a toddler I had her picking Lily of the Valley and setting vases of them around the house. All her life, the scent of this flower will bring a rush of memory to her.

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  26. Me encantaron los diagramas y los bordados. He pineado algunos y seguramente visitaré esta página seguido.
    Muchas gracias por la inspiración!!!
    Desde Buenos Aires
    Marta

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  27. Encore une fois un grand merci pour votre site, que j’utilise bien souvent.
    Je verrai bien comme nom pour vos fleurs suspendues. ” fleurs de muguet”. C’est la 1ere impression que j’ai eu en le regardant.
    bien à vous.
    gladys

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  28. I am new to this “embroidery” art! I have been inspired looking at Pinterest, and this is where I found you web site.

    Thank you for this lovely pattern! If I ever get one done, I’ll send you a picture of it! I know, being disabled, that this new craft will carry me through Winter! (I hope!)

    Be blessed! <

    Libby

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  29. My friends and I used your site when we were learning about chicken scratch. We had a lot of fun finishing our various projects. I am very interested in shadow embroidery. Also I like the lattice jumble sampler download. I am very keen to keep the old embroideries alive. I would like to received your newsletters. Thank you
    Sheryl

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  30. love the hanging flowers/lilies of the valley very pretty as a master gardener anything flowers is right up my alley. Thank you for your website.

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  31. Hi Mary,

    A quick question-is it possible to thread paint the long leaf? Any suggestions or ideas you know of Where I could look? Thanks!

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  32. I am a a first day beginner; we attended a hand embroidery lesson from a well
    talented embroiderer. It lite a fire in me and I have been practicing stitches on piece of wool felt. I would like to branch out on a printed cloth pattern. Your lillie’s of the valley looks like it’s maybe a beginner design. I am open to a suggestions. How do I begin to put this pattern on a piece of cloth. Appreciate help for this Beginner. Thank You
    Christine

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  33. I love the embroidery that I saw of the flower you drew. It’s beautiful. I haven’t embroidered in years since I got into cross stitching. I’m looking forward to seeing some morel of your work.

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