19 Free, Easy Flower Embroidery Patterns

Stitch a whole field of flowers with my latest freebies: NINETEEN flower embroidery patterns!

 

Sew a single flower to decorate a small project (or frame it in a mini hoop to make a sweet flower decoration!), or stitch a whole bouquet of them to create a larger design.

You'll find all 19 free flower patterns at the bottom of this post.

 

I used two colours to sew my flower (purple and pink), stitching along the lines with backstitch and adding French knots for the dots. I used stranded embroidery thread (floss), stitching with three strands from the skein.

These embroidery patterns are part of an ongoing series where I'm revisiting old projects from my archives and turning them into embroidery designs. I originally used these flower shapes to make a colourful floral cushion! Follow the link for the step-by-step tutorial.

You can combine the two projects, if you like, and make fun embroidered felt flowers. Cut out your chosen flower shape from felt and sew it to a piece of contrasting backing felt.

Then add the embroidered design - I stitched mine freehand based on the pattern sheet but you could draw the design on tissue paper and use that to stitch from (see this tutorial). I also added some seed beads in place of French knots.

When your flower is finished, cut it out leaving a narrow border of the backing felt. Use this as a template to cut a matching piece of felt, add a brooch clasp, and sew the two pieces together.

 

This pattern is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many flowers as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't use them to make anything for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire  post or share my pattern on your site. Thanks!

Enjoyed these free patterns? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Follow the links to open each pattern sheet in a new window, make sure you're viewing it full size then print it at 100%.

Click here for sheet 1.

Click here for sheet 2.

Stack of Books, Free Embroidery Pattern

The next freebie for my pattern newsletter subscribers is perfect for book lovers!

You can stitch this as it is, or add your own text to the spines to customise it. If you're a confident stitcher you could add the titles of your favourite books. For an easier, quicker project stick to the surnames of your favourite authors!

This pattern is fairly easy to sew with backstitch, though I'd recommend taking care as you sew all those straight lines. A bit of patience will make all the difference to the neatness of your finish. I'll be including two versions of the embroidery pattern: one with the book page lines added and one without in case you'd prefer to stitch those freehand.

I'll be sending the book stack pattern out to my pattern newsletter subscribers sometime in the next couple of days, then after that it'll be added to the new subscriber sign-up email. Currently you'll also get a free tutorial for sewing a cute felt teacup and teapot brooch when you subscribe. 

Click here to read more about my newsletter and subscribe!
 
Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free embroidery patterns and other crafty projects.

Last Chance: Free Dove & Robin Christmas Ornament Tutorials

2020 has been such a bananas year for me that I'm running very behind with my "monthly" freebies for my pattern newsletter subscribers!

Luckily this lockdown is giving me lots of extra time to work on sewing projects, so I'm starting to get caught up and will be sending out a flurry of new patterns to subscribers in the coming weeks. I'll be sharing a tutorial for sewing felt teacup and teapot brooches very soon, then after that I'm planning projects based on books, spring flowers, and moths.

This means that now is your last chance to subscribe and download my current freebies: tutorials for sewing felt dove ornaments and little felt robins.

I'm planning on re-releasing these patterns in my shop later in the year, but the window to grab them for free is closing fast.

Click here for more info about my newsletter and to subscribe.

 

It feels a bit weird talking about Christmas crafting in April, but I know some of you have started sewing for the holidays already!

You'll find lots more Christmas tutorials and craft ideas in my free tutorial archive, and I've got a couple of Christmas patterns in my shop, too.

Stay Home, Save Lives: Free Embroidery Pattern

This week I'm sharing lots of little houses to stitch while you're stuck at home!

 

Maybe your community is currently in lockdown due to Covid-19, or maybe you're just staying home as much as possible to practise social distancing and help save lives. Either way I hope you'll enjoy stitching one of these projects to keep yourself entertained while normal life is on hold. I'm finding creative projects a great solace right now!

Today I'm sharing a sweet "Stay Home" pattern, then later in the week I'll be posting a set of five cute house patterns which you can frame in embroidery hoops, use to make embroidered ornaments, or stitch on anything else you fancy.

You'll find the "Stay Home" embroidery pattern at the bottom of this post.

I stitched my version in mainly pastel shades, on a bit of lovely grey linen-blend fabric. I used backstitch for most of the design, using all six strands in the skein to make the lines stand out really boldly, but you can of course use fewer strands if you prefer. Sewing with all six can be a little tricky!

I also used lazy daisy stitches for the leaves, and a French knot for the door handle. When sewing the flowers, work clockwise (or anticlockwise, either is fine!) sewing one single stitch per petal. I'd recommend sewing the flowers in front of the house before you sew their stems, so you can fill all of the vertical line that remains (after sewing the vertical petals) with green.

I stitched the design in a 7 inch embroidery hoop and framed it in a 6 inch hoop. Using the slightly larger hoop gives you a bit more room to work with.

The house embroidery patterns I'm sharing this week are all adapted from a tutorial I designed a few years ago for making cute little felt houses. Follow the link for the templates and step-by-step instructions! These patterns also make super cute gingerbread houses, perfect for Christmas.

This pattern is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many houses as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire  post or share my pattern on your site. Thanks!

Enjoyed this free pattern? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:


Click here to open the pattern in a new window, make sure you're viewing it full size then print it at 100%.

Stay Inside & Make Stuff

 

Hello! I hope you're doing okay? These are weird, scary times, huh?

This is just a very quick blog post to say that I'm going to be self-isolating to take care of my dad over the coming weeks/months and won't be making any trips to the Post Office any time soon. So my weekly sales are paused, and I've removed all the handstitched samples from my Etsy shop (my printable PDF sewing patterns will still be availavle from my Etsy and Folksy shops).

I'm hoping that this extra time spent at home will mean I'll get a whole bunch of new patterns in my shops soon (especially now we're starting to get good light for taking photos!). I'm also going to work hard catching up with the freebies for my newsletter subscribers, and I've got some fun stuff planned for here on my blog, too, which I hope you'll enjoy if you're stuck at home for a while.

In the meantime, I thought I'd re-release my "Stay Inside and Make Stuff" embroidery pattern for my pattern newsletter subscribers, as it feels super appropriate for this time of social distancing! (Plus I feel guilty about having not sent out a new pattern in ages - sorry guys!).

The pattern also includes templates for making a felt applique version of the floral wreath, and a "Go Outside and Get Inspired" embroidery pattern (I'm trying to get out at least once a day for a walk at the moment and am feeling very thankful for all the signs of spring in my neighbourhood).

  
Take care of yourselves xxx

Folk Flowers: Free Embroidery Pattern

Today I've got a pretty embroidery pattern to share with you guys - a trio of flowers, inspired by folk art designs.

 

This pattern is the first in a mini series of embroidery projects I'll be sharing on my blog in the coming months. Maybe you remember me stitching these three pieces last year?

Here's how they all turned out!

I'll be sharing the owl embroidery pattern here on my blog next month (February), then posting the lucky pants pattern in March.

All three of these designs are (as regular readers of my blog may already have spotted!) based on felt projects from my tutorial archive. I love creating different versions of my designs, and often include an embroidery pattern in the felt tutorials I sell in my shops. I thought it would be really fun to go back and look at some old designs I've shared here on my blog and give them a new life as embroidery patterns! I hope you'll enjoy stitching them, and maybe discovering some old projects from my archives which you missed the first time round.

Today's flower embroidery pattern is based on my tutorial for sewing a flower brooch - click here for the original tutorial!

As you can see, I've changed the shapes a little and added some extra details... and voila! One pretty little floral pattern to stitch. You'll find the flower embroidery pattern at the bottom of this post.

I stitched my version with half strands of embroidery thread (floss) - using three strands from six-stranded thread.

I used backstitch for most of the design, adding three French knots to each flower and a circle of running stitches around the inside of the border. You don't need to sew the border circle but I think it makes a lovely simple frame for the design if you're planning on framing it in an embroidery hoop.

I used a dark berry red for the flowers, and a light plum for the flower detals. I stitched the stem and leaves with olive green, then added some extra lines to the leaves with a lighter, brighter green. For the border I chose a dark turquoise / teal shade, adding the inner circle of running stitches in light turquoise. You can use my colour choices as a guide when stitching your flower or just choose your own favourite shades!

Printing the pattern at 100% your flowers will fit perfectly inside a 4 inch embroidery hoop. I stitched my flowers in a 5 inch hoop to give myself a bit of extra space to work with when sewing the border.

This pattern is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many flowers as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire  post or share my pattern on your site. Thanks!

Enjoyed this free pattern? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Click here to open the pattern in a new window, make sure you're viewing it full size then print it at 100%.

Freebie: Anti-Fashion Zine

I've been having a bit of a clearout this week and last night I found a whole folder full of clippings from women's magazines and beauty columns and was totally at a loss as to why I'd kept them... until at the back of the folder I found some half-finished anti-fashion zines.

Before I had a blog, I used to write lots of zines (including one called Bugs and Fishes which I published at irregular intervals for about 6 years, hence the name of this blog!). I wrote about all sorts of weird stuff, stuck it down on a bit of paper with pritt stick, photocopied it and handed it out to friends, and later sold a few copies through my fledgling Etsy shop.

As I don't sell my zines anymore, I thought it might be nice to share one here instead: issue #3 of my anti-fashion zine This Season's Must Have (yes I know sharing issue #1 would make more sense, but I can't find the files on my computer and my scanner needs replacing, so shh).

I love clothes, but fashion (and fashion journalism) drives me crazy! This Season was inspired by endless articles about the new "must have" jeans and how not wearing them would be social death. It's packed with clippings that made me either fall on the floor laughing or grind my teeth in a vaguely feminist, and distinctly anti-fashion rage. Hope you enjoy it :)

This Season's Must Have by Laura Howard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Click on the images to view full size and print (each page prints to A4 size)

Special Offer!

I realised this week that I've hit 3,500 items sold in my Etsy shop! Wow.

To celebrate that big number, and all those trips to the Post Office... if you place an order in my Etsy shop this month and mention BUGSANDFISHES in the "message to seller" during the checkout process I'll send you a free gift with your order.

If you buy something handmade, you'll get a handmade freebie. If you buy felt or other supplies you'll get something crafty :)

The offer runs until the end of the month (midnight, September 30th 2010), is only valid in my Etsy shop and you must mention BUGSANDFISHES during checkout to receive your freebie.

Festive Freebie

Christmas in July continues over on Sew, Mama, Sew! ... you can read a little interview with me and (rather excitingly) my gingerbread house ornament from Fa La La La Felt is now available as a free PDF pattern - you can download it here. Hurrah!



UPDATE: Fancy some more crafty goodness? Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

February Giveaway - twice the fun

I completely failed to do a giveaway last month (thanks to being distracted by snow and illness and assorted other things) so this month I'm giving away two things to make up for it :)

This month's prizes are the brooches featured in my recent tutorials, a cute brown owl brooch...
... and a sweet heart brooch:
To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on this post saying which brooch you'd like if you win: the heart or the owl.

Leave your comment before midnight (UK time) on Sunday 14th February and I'll pick two winners at random on Monday 15th Feb. I'm happy to ship internationally, so anyone can enter.

Please make sure you leave a name or pseudonym (no anonymous comments please) and be sure to come back next week to see if you got picked. Good luck!

UPDATE: this giveaway is now closed.

And the lucky number is...

... seventeen!So the inspiration pack will be going to missleslieanne who wrote: "the first thing I can really remember making, was a paperweight for my dad - it was effectively a big rock, splattered with paint & glitter! bless him though, he treated it like a masterpiece & it's been with him in every office he's had since, even now!!"

Thanks so much for sharing your crafty stories, everyone! It was an absolute pleasure reading them all. And remember, I'm playing catch up this month so there'll be a second giveaway coming soon.

August Giveaway - part one!

Thanks to the horrible flu, I didn't run a giveaway in July... so I've decided to double the fun this month to make up for it and will be running TWO giveaways this month!

First up, I'm giving away one of my new "inspiration packs" - contents will vary but each bag is bursting with buttons and ribbon and other crafty treats to help inspire lots of new projects.Because the inspiration packs make great starter kits for kids (supervised, of course!) and inspired by yesterday's peek at one of my early sewing projects, to enter this week's giveaway just leave a comment telling me about one of your first crafty projects. This could be something you made as a kid, or maybe an early project when you were discovering a new craft as an adult. Successes, disasters, proud memories, I'd love to hear them all!

Leave your comment before midnight BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday 15th August on this post and I'll pick a winner at random on Sunday (16th August).

I'm happy to ship internationally, so anyone can enter. Please make sure you leave a name or pseudonym (no anonymous comments please!) and be sure to come back on Sunday to see if you got picked :)

EDIT: this giveaway is now closed! Thanks!