Embroidered Home Sweet Home Frame - Free sewing patterns

Embroidery can be applied to all kinds of items, but sometimes you are so proud of a piece of stitching, you want to frame it and hang it on the wall. This sampler has a hint of retro about it and is enjoyable to stitch. When you’ve finished it, you will want to give it pride of place in your home, or perhaps present to someone you care for as a wedding gift or house warming present.

Essentials

Fabric: cotton, spotted, pink, 30cm x 40cm
Thread; embroidery, cotton: ivory; pale primrose; lemon; yellow; green; dark green; coral pink; plum; red-violet; pale lavender; lavender; purple; lilac; magenta; orange
Needle, crewel
Transfer pen or pencil (optional)
Wadding, lightweight
Frame, wooden, 19.5cm x 24.5cm aperture

Dimensions List

19.5cm x 24.5cm

Stitch a picture

Download the embroidery guides. Transfer the design to the centre of the fabric. If the material is quite thin, place it over the template and trace directly onto it using a pencil or ballpoint pen. If you can’t see the design through the fabric, photocopy the motifs onto a piece of thin paper, go over the outline on the wrong side (mirror image) with a transfer pen, position the paper transfer side down on the right side of the fabric and press with a hot iron.
Place the fabric in an embroidery hoop. If the whole design is too big to fit, work on one area at a time. Thread a crewel needle with two strands of dark green embroidery thread and start with the wording. Fill in the lettering inside the outlines, with rows of running stitch. Then use satin stitch to fill in the thicker parts of the font, and stem stitch for the narrower lines and flourishes, making sure the stitches go just outside the outlines.
Stitch the stems and leaves, using two strands of green thread. Work the flowers in satin stitch, using long and short stitch on the larger petals. When you have finished the embroidery, remove it from the hoop and place face down on top of a folded towel on an ironing board, then press carefully on the wrong side.
To frame the picture, cut card to fit the aperture of your frame and wadding to the same size. Place the padding on the centre back of the embroidery, with the card on top. Trim the fabric, if necessary, to give a border of about 3cm, then fold it over the edges of the card. You can glue it to the card or, to be more traditional, lace the edges of the fabric together with thread. Remove the glass from the frame (you will not need this), place the embroidery inside, and replace the backing board.