Hello Autumn: A Little Tree Embroidery Pattern

A few years ago I shared some little tree embroidery patterns, and a "Hello Spring" pattern featuring one of the trees.  

Obviously I couldn't resist revisiting the design to create an autumnal version! 

I've replaced "hello spring" with "hello autumn" (of course) and swapped out the flowers for some leaves and mushrooms. 

Printed at 100% the design fits nicely in a 4 inch embroidery hoop. You could use it to make a seasonal decoration, or stitch it on a patchwork panel or another larger sewing project.  

Here's how my finished spring embroidery turned out:

I embroidered my "hello spring" design mainly with backstitch, which would also work great for the autumn version. I used stranded embroidery thread (floss), stitching with three of the six strands from the skein. 

After sewing the main lines of the tree, I added some extra lines of running stitch for more detail and general cuteness. I used the same shade of green throughout but you could use two or three different shades of brown and orange when you're sewing your autumnal tree, to represent the changing colours of the leaves. Scattered single stitches would also look great to fill up the canopy shape!

 

This pattern is for personal use only: you can use it to stitch as many trees as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't use it to make anything for sale. Thanks!

A PDF version of this pattern is available as part of my Patreon pattern library.  

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

Amok! Amok! Amok! A Hocus Pocus Embroidery Pattern for Halloween

I've got a free, spooky embroidery pattern to share with you guys today - a celebration of one of my favourite films, and all things witchy! 

With the nights drawing in, my thoughts have turned to the books and films I want to revisit on chilly autumn evenings. 

Top of my Must Watch Halloween Movies list is the kids classic "Hocus Pocus" - starring Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker as witches brought back to life by some hapless teens. 

My absolute favourite moment from the film is when SJP's dim, giddy character gleefully shouts "Amok! Amok! Amok!" ... so obviously I had to stitch an homage to that moment. 

I started out wanting to design something simple, focusing on the text itself, then got a bit carried away drawing cute and spooky witchcraft-themed things! More is more, right???

The finished pattern fits nicely in a 7 inch embroidery hoop, or you can trace individual motifs for some quick Halloween stitching. 

I think this would also make a great Halloween colouring page, maybe even to colour in during a Hocus Pocus rewatch?

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This pattern is for personal use only: you can use it to stitch as many spooky things as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. Thanks xx

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Hello Autumn! Autumnal Fungi Embroidery Pattern

It has been an embarrassingly long time since I've had the energy and creative mojo to send out a new free pattern to my newsletter subscribers... but it has finally happened!

My "Autumn Fungi" embroidery pattern features toadstools and a mushroom and lots of swirly lines to stitch in your favourite autumnal shades.

 

If you've already subscribed to the pattern segment of my newsletter, this new free pattern will be pinging into your inbox sometime soon. Hurrah!

Once it's been sent out to current subscribers, it will then be the freebie for new subscribers until I have another new project ready to share :)

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Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free autumnal patterns and project ideas.

Easy Halloween Embroidery Pattern: Sew a Cute Candy Corn!

Fancy a quick and easy bit of Halloween crafting? You've come to the right place! :)

Today I'm sharing a free embroidery pattern for a cute and happy little candy corn: 

Candy corn are small American sweets, associated with the autumn harvest and often eaten at Halloween. I stitched some felt versions a few years ago and couldn't resist trying out an embroidered version (you guys know how much I love a project variation!). 

This little guy is quick and easy to stitch, and fits into a 4 inch embroidery hoop for stitching (or displaying in the hoop when you've finished). 

The candy corn is stitched in white, orange, and yellow (to match the colours of the sweets). I ummed and ahhed about whether to do the top two horizontal lines in white and orange, or in orange and yellow - maybe you'd like to stitch yours differently! 

I used backstitch and three strands from six-stranded embroidery thread (floss) to sew most of the pattern, but you might want to use more strands and/or a different stitch for a bolder candy corn. I then added two chunky French knots for the eyes, but if you cannot bear stitching French knots white seed beads would work just as well.

  

This little guy would look super cute sewn onto all kinds of textile projects - from coin purses to coasters to t-shirt pockets. You could also make little embroidered felt ornaments by stitching him onto a dark felt background. I like to use tissue paper patterns when I'm embroidering on felt (click here for an example!).

Want to sew some of my original felt candy corn? You'll find tutorials for the cute candy corn ornaments and more in this round-up of some of the Halloween projects available on my blog.

This pattern is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many candy corn as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow the photo 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!

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

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Spider Web: Halloween Embroidery Pattern

Autumn is just around the corner so, of course, I'm thinking about Halloween craft projects!

The first slightly spooky project I want to share with you guys this season is a pattern for stitching a spiderweb:

An embroidered spider web would be a great addition to your Halloween decor, or your year-round look if you like a gothic, witchy vibe! 

Stitched on felt and framed in a hoop like this, the web would make a great display for an enamel pin collection with a Halloween / witchcraft / Harry Potter theme.

If you print it at 100% this pattern will fit nicely inside a 6 inch embroidery hoop when finished. For an added gothic touch, you could paint the hoop black!

I used a 7 inch hoop when stitching, sewing the whole pattern with backstitch and three strands of white embroidery thread (floss). I stitched my web on dark grey felt, using tissue paper as shown in this tutorial.

If you’re framing the finished piece in an embroidery hoop, you may wish to add an extra stitch to the ends of the 7 radiating lines to make the design easier to frame without any gaps around the edges.

You'll find the spider web embroidery pattern over on my Patreon.

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and you'll get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time.      

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DIY Felt Autumn Wreath Tutorial

Use wool blend felt to make this colourful woodland wreath decorated with toadstools, a mushroom and lots of embroidered leaves.

 

UPDATE: my felt autumn wreath tutorial can now be found as a printable PDF pattern over on my Patreon. 

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How To: Sew Felt Mushrooms & Toadstools!

This week I'm sharing some fun autumnal crafting projects: tutorials for sewing felt mushrooms and toadstools then using them to create an awesome autumn wreath.

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UPDATE: my felt autumn wreath tutorial (including templates and instructions for making these fun felt fungi) can now be found as a printable PDF pattern over on my Patreon. 

Subscribe to get instant access to a growing library of PDF embroidery patterns and craft tutorials, and updates when I add something new!

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These felt mushrooms and toadstools are so easy to make! You can use them to decorate larger autumn craft projects, or add brooch clasps or ribbon loops to turn them into brooches or Christmas ornaments.

 

If you're making Christmas decorations why not give them some extra sparkle by adding beads or sequins to the toadstools, or using metallic embroidery thread for the mushrooms. You could also decorate the backs of your toadstools as well as the fronts, or use the space on the back to embroider the year you stitched them.

 

 

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A Year of Wreaths: September Embroidered Oak Leaves Wreath Tutorial

UPDATE: this project is now available as a printable PDF pattern on my Patreon.

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and you'll get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time.    

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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This month’s wreath design celebrates the arrival of autumn! It features berry red yarn, a bit of sparkle, and a cluster of felt oak leaves stitched with the opening line of John Keats’ famous poem ‘To Autumn’: “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”.

 

 

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An Autumn Visit to Arnos Vale: Bristol's Victorian Garden Cemetery

I joined a local hiking group this year, which has been a huge amount of fun. I've organised a few walks in my new seaside hometown, and have gone on several others in and around Bristol (though not nearly as many as I'd have liked!).

It's really nice having a group of people to get out and walk with, and I've found that organising walks (which you're then committed to because other people are coming) is a great way to get myself out of the house and exploring. I've decided to use this as a way of kicking myself into finally visiting places which have been on my "Ooh, I want to go there!" list for ages... and this autumn the first place I've ticked off the list is Arnos Vale Cemetery.

 

It sounds a bit weird to say that I took my hiking group for a walk round a cemetery, but Arnos Vale is somewhere pretty special. Established in 1837, the 45 acre site is really beautiful: a veritable maze of little woodland paths with interesting gravestones and memorials around every corner.

I arrived early to get my bearings before the others arrived and it didn't take me long to get slightly spooked out walking around the site. Okay so the ghost stories I'd been reading that week probably didn't help, but this is an incredibly atmospheric place to explore (particularly on your own, first thing after it opens on a slightly misty autumn morning!).

Later, after the other ladies from the group had headed home (and after we'd had some truly delicious cake from the on-site cafe), I went for another solo wander to take photos and explore some of the smaller paths we'd missed out when following the main discovery trail.

The trail map is available via the website or as a free leaflet from the gift shop - where you can also buy self-guided trail leaflets that tell you more about the history of the cemetary, some of the people buried here, and the symbolism used in gravestones and memorials.

"What did you do on Saturday, Laura?"
"Oh, I walked around a cemetery and thought about death! It was great!"

I'm already trying to work out when I can fit in a return visit.

Autumn at Kew: Glorious Glasshouses

It's time for another installment of OH MY GOSH KEW GARDENS IS SO LOVELY, YOU GUYS!!!

On my autumn visit to Kew I went for a long walk around the gardens admiring all the autumn colour and texture, and ooohing over the many magnificent trees.

I also spent lots of time in Kew's glasshouses, because they're a) lovely and warm to visit on chilly autumn/winter days and b) totally awesome. 

The green lushness of the Palm House is always a treat, and visiting during the quieter months of autumn means you get to enjoy it with fewer people around. Sit on empty benches. Soak up the quiet and the magnificence around you.

I absolutely cannot get enough of all the dramatic shapes in this place...

... and the interplay between the strict lines of the architecture and the soft wildness of the planting.

Being able to get up high and look down on all this lushness also never gets old! If I lived locally to this place I would come and sketch here aaaaall the time.

The Palm House might be forever fabulous but my unexpected highlight of the day turned out to be the Waterlily House.

I've blogged about this petite glasshouse before (it's a delight!), and knew it was a lovely little place to visit... but what really charmed me on this visit was the misty, slightly over-grown, slightly fading, autumnal vibe it had.

The same space as in the summer, but with a totally different mood! So good.

Catch up on all my posts about Kew Gardens.

View my travel archive for lots more posts about my days out in London and around the UK.