Today being Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent, I thought a new church embroidery pattern might be appropriate. The central part of this image is the IHS, but you can actually substitute any symbol in there. On the original design (which I’ve altered a bit), the center image was a chalice. A simple cross would look nice, as would any number of religious symbols.
I can see this pattern being used for a multitude of church adornments – on a pall, a burse, the back of a chasuble or cope, or even on a banner …. lots of possibilities, depending on how large you make the pattern. It’d be especially nice stitched in color, in silks, with a touch of gold outlining, and maybe the IHS in gold. It’s a little more complex than most ecclesiastical patterns I’ve put up so far, but I hope you like it and can find a use for it!
Here’s a PDF, for ease of printing:
IHS with Grades & Wheat Embroidery Pattern (PDF)
The design prints out between just less than 8″ square.
There are a few more church embroidery patterns available here on Needle ‘n Thread, including some simple crosses, if you’re looking for something religious to embroider.
Interested in more church patterns? Check out Church Patterns: Book One – a collection of over 120 patterns suitable for church embroidery, and also for other arts & crafts endeavors (appliqué, paper crafts, painting – you name it!).
Thank you Mary for this lovely pattern.
I’m thinking that since this would take me forever to stitch, I might paint it on Peach Bottom slate.
What a beautiful pattern. I love the details and complexity. I can see it being used as an Autumn pattern, something for Thanksgiving. Not sure what a person would put in the center. Maybe leave it blank, stitch it in colors for a small table cloth, place a single candle in the center for decoration.
Beautiful! Saving it for a seminarian friend for when he takes his final vows and becomes a priest!
Il est très beau ce motif que vous avez crée, je crois que c’est une inspiration d’en haut que vous avez eu. Je vous admire vraiment !!! pourriez-vous me l’envoyer sur mon adresse pour que je puisse le broder sur une nappe d’autel. Est-il déjà créer pour être brodée sur machine
Mes courtoises salutations
very nice designs ,thankyou thankyou so
Hi Mary! Every week I look at your embroidery presentations and feel so happy there is a web like yours! Again, your are very generous to all of us, specially at the sharing of your patterns. Your religious christian patterns are gorgeous, and they are my speciality. I will be sending you an old work I did long time ago and never got finished, but we will get there someday. In the meantime, please receive my gratefullness and dearest greetings in Christ our Lord from Nicaragua. I hope to be able to send my embroidery work, which is a simple one, on a picture, through email.
Celestina
I have been following you forf about 6 years and feel like you are my sister. My 66th birthday is tomorrow. Your recent post including the host of embroidery patterns is the gift of a lifetime! I will be sharing them with the 200 or so traditional wool rug hookers I know and with the best 60 or so quilter buddies. Your input is always so treasured. I wish you lived next door to me. My grandmother taught me to embroider when I was 6 years old. It has been the gift of a lifetime.
Thank you so very, very much.
Linda Zechar