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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 Design: Floral Small, a la Dillmont

 

Amazon Books

Good morning, and Happy Saturday!

I don’t normally pop in on you on a Saturday, but I wanted to share with you a little floral embroidery pattern that I recently adapted from one of the old Therese Dillmont DMC books.

If you’ve followed along here on Needle ‘n Thread for years, you know that I have quite a collection of old embroidery books and that I like the play with old designs. I rely on old books for inspiration and ideas, especially when my mind gets stuck. There’s nothing like browsing through old treasures to get the juices flowing!

Over the years, I’ve adapted many designs from these books that are now in the public domain, adding my own details and turning them into easily printable vector files to use for hand embroidery.

For the past year, I’ve been on a “smalls” kick. I’ve been drawn to small elements to embroider, and I’ve built up quite a collection of possibilities for future projects. By adapting old designs, or doodling my own new designs, or maybe expanding a little clip out of a larger design from an old publication, I’ve amassed quite a few usable smalls.

Here’s one of ’em!

Dillmont floral small hand embroidery design

This design comes from La Borderie au Passé, which is perhaps one of my favorite Dillmont collections. In it, DMC offered the embroiderer a whole series of lovely designs that could be enlarged into rather grand embroideries.

Many of the designs include small elements in large repeats. These are the types of designs that might be embroidered on household goods, like linens or curtains or pillow covers and the like. Some are really grand, but others – like this floral element – are smaller and simpler and so very perfect for interpreting into all kinds of embroidery techniques.

Simple designs like this are excellent fodder for trying out techniques. This small stylized floral spray could be the subject of a study in whitework, in goldwork, in blackwork, in crewel work – or just in simple surface embroidery. You can do a lot with a simple design like this!

Downloadable PDF

I hope that you can find a use for this little embroidery design, since there’s a fair chance that I’m not going to be able to touch it anytime soon!

If you’d like to download it, use the link below to open the PDF and save it to your computer. If you choose “100%” or “actual size” in your printer dialogue box, the design should print at about 4″ high and just over 2″ wide. It’s definitely small!

Dillmont Floral Small (PDF)

If you’re looking for more hand embroidery designs, feel free to stop by my Embroidery Pattern Index here on Needle ‘n Thread!

Needle ‘n Thread News

I hope to keep everything on schedule next week, but just in case I don’t, here’s a heads up! On Monday, I’m having some surgery done on my right eye. If you don’t hear from me – or if I’m a bit sporadic next week – that’s why. Hopefully, it won’t impede things too much, and hopefully, it will be successful!

In the meantime, I have more square-round embroidery hoops in stock right now, if you’ve been waiting for those. I sent out advanced notice emails last week, so if you were eon that list, you should have received one (check your spam filter!). You can read about these marvelous embroidery hoops here, and you’ll find them available in my shop here.

I also have a few more copies of Betsy Morgan’s beautiful book, Willing Hands, available. I’m out of A Fine Tradition and Willing Hands 2. I’m planning to bring in a few more of those, so drop me a line if you’d advanced notice on new shipments.

I’m still waiting on a few other bits and bobs from the supply chain to finish up some kits, but I’m happy to have what I do have. If I’ve got anything on hand in the shop that’s on your wish list, now’s a great time to take advantage of stock!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 
 

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(11) Comments

  1. Dear Mary

    Floral Small is a very pretty design and looks quite easy to embroider. Thank for all the free patterns on Needle ‘n Thread this so generous of you.

    I do hope that the Surgery on your eye is successful and that you will a quick full recovery. I will be thinking of you and my Prayers will be with you. Get well soon.

    Regards Anita Simmance

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  2. Mary I will ask St Lucia to intercede on your behalf for your eye surgery. Mary, you are a blessing to all of us with the embroidery bug. God bless you.
    Karole

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  3. Good luck with your eye surgery. I’ve had a few surgeries on one of my eyes and for those of us who do any embroidery or any kind of handwork, it’s always a scary thing, no matter what kind of surgery it is on the eye.
    All the best,
    Carol

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  4. Mary,
    I wanted to wish you well with your surgery on Monday. You take care of yourself: relax, rest, hydrate, take meds. Don’t stress; things will get done in due time. Right now is self-care time!
    My copy of A Life in Stitches arrived. It’s lovely!
    Sandy/Kansas City, MO

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  5. NZ has gone into a fullscale lockdown which is very unsettling. I was just thinking of embroidering something small that I could put my mind to personalizing (distraction for the mind) and here is your post! Thankyou. Best wishes for the surgery.

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