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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: Dots & Flowers – A Swashy Doodle

 

Amazon Books

Here’s a free little hand embroidery pattern for you that came about in a typical way.

Why “typical”? Because I think a lot of people do this – or they do it more than they realize. I call it phone doodling. And I do it all the time.

While cleaning up my desk the other day, I came across several scraps and notes that were phone doodled. They happen when I’m on the phone. Sometimes, they happen when I’m chatting with a visitor at the kitchen table (isn’t that what paper napkins are for?).

I saw this particular doodle and I thought of two specific things that could happen with it, with embroidery.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Dots & Flowers

You can see it’s a very, very simple little pattern – and a little heavy on the dots down below. Whitework came to mind right away – the swashy lines would be good for practicing overcast stitch, and the dots? Eyelets. Or satin stitch.

The other thing that came to mind was the paillette or spangle in goldwork, which made me, in turn, think of a very simple beginner goldwork piece in couchable metal threads, a little silk, and spangles.

Here’s the PDF:
Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Dots & Flowers Swashy Doodle

So now you know I’m a phone doodler.

C’mon – ‘fess up! I know I’m not the only one.

But hey, who says you can’t stitch your phone doodles?

On another front, Lavender Honey & Other Little Things will definitely be out tomorrow! I’m pretty excited about that. I’m really happy with the way it turned out! About 90 pages, tons of photos and close-ups, detailed explanations and instructions for stitching and finishing, a step-by-step photo stitch index… it’s fun! I can’t wait to show it to you tomorrow!

And with Lavender Honey out the window, I can get on with other things. I have a Mission Rose update brewing for you. Just a tiny bit more stitching on it this weekend, and it’ll be time to start the goldwork. And I can finally tackle more of those hanging embroidery kits I showed you yesterday

Hope you find a use for the phone doodle!

See you tomorrow!

 
 

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(10) Comments

  1. Ah Mary, yes, I doodle, but sadly my efforts look more like childish scribbles than anything I would want to embroider. Your phone doodle is inspiring though – I might have a go in goldwork!

    Really, really, really looking forward to the Little Things tomorrow. Only one more sleep. Yay!

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  2. I doodle sometimes, but it’s nothing like this! Mine are usually more geometricish/zentangleish. It may be because we just got done with July 4th fireworks, but my first thought looking at this was “flowerworks!” Thanks for the new doodle/design!

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  3. Dear Mary

    Thanks so much for this phone doodle pattern yes whitework or goldwork would look nice embroidered on this pattern and very simple and easy, thanks for the pattern. I can’t wait for tomorrow for the little things and the class you hopefully will set up in the Autumn which I will definitely participate in.

    Regards Anita Simmance

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  4. Big time phone doodler here! I find it all over envelope backs, paid bill stubs, and the phone book when we used one, everywhere. Never thought about embroidering what I doodled. Great idea.

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  5. I like this one. I’m getting a little goofy here but it makes me think of bubbles and stars. A very happy pattern.

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  6. Not only napkins, used envelopes, junk letters and any kind of paper when I’m bored. It’s a good therapy. Nice pattern.

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  7. Mary,
    Thank you for the lovely little doodle. Even
    though I am pretty much a beginner I am inspired to try this with some metal threads.

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  8. My mother is a phone doodler! Had I been an embroiderer at the time, I would have appreciated it greatly. I did discover, however, that if I left dried acrylic paint on any of my palettes (read ice cream pail lid here) my mother would scratch every bit of it off before the phone call ended. I never had to scrub my palettes under freezing cold water until I graduated and moved away from home!

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