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When they finally appeared, many people thought they were unnecessary, impractical and even scandalous
Feeling positive can be tricky, especially in those darker months (did somebody say January?). This pretty botanical embroidery will brighten up your home and give you a sense of accomplishment every time you see it.
This sweet design is made up of blooms, bees and foliage, all surrounding the sentiment “grow positive thoughts”. There’s not much better for the soul than crafting; it can help lift your mood and even improve your mental health.
Our illustrated guide will ensure you have everything you need to create your own botanical embroidery, along with all the tools and materials, plus a free template.
This design is made up of a variety of stitches, and you’ll be able to refine your skills with lesser-used stitches such as Turkey Stitch. We have a helpful guide below if you need a hand using this stitch, and any others needed for this project.
Stitching the positive botanical embroidery hoop
What stitches will I need to complete the botanical embroidery hoop?
- Brick Stitch
- Chain Stitch
- French Knot
- Satin Stitch
- Stem Stitch
- Straight Stitch
- Turkey Stitch (see below for instructions)
Keen for more tips and tricks to upgrade your stitching? Check out our embroidery stitch library.
What materials do I need to create the botanical embroidery hoop?
- Cotton fabric: 20x30cm, bright blue
- Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of black, green, dark green, grass green, light green, light grass green, moss green, white and yellow
- Oval embroidery hoop: 13x21cm
- Basic embroidery kit
Download the free botanical template
How to do Turkey Stitch
- Leave 5cm of thread on top of the fabric
- Take the needle in at 1, out at 2, in at 3 and out at 1
- Push the needle back in at 4 and out at 3
- Don’t pull the thread all the way through; leave a loop on the front
- Continue in this way along the line, leaving a loop of thread each time
- When done, cut the loops to your desired fringe length.
How to make the botanical embroidery hoop step-by-step
You will need:
- Cotton fabric (20x30cm, bright blue)
- Stranded cotton (1 skein each of black, green, dark green, grass green, light green, light grass green, moss green, white and yellow)
- Oval embroidery hoop (13x21cm)
- Basic embroidery kit
Step 1
Transfer the design from the template onto the fabric using your preferred method. We used a heat-erasable pen to trace the design over a window so that the template markings could be removed later on.
We left off the template line for the flower heads and stitched them freehand, but you can transfer them if you prefer.
Mount the fabric into your hoop, ensuring the surface is taut.
Step 2
Sew each of the fern leaves using Satin Stitch in one strand of green, dark green or light green, angling your stitches so that they follow the shape of each leaf.
Then, add the stems to each fern using Stem Stitch in one strand of matching green.
Step 3
Next, fill in the words ‘grow positive’ using Chain Stitch in three strands of black.
Start with the ‘G’ and make your stitches quite small so you can follow the curve of each letter smoothly. Add the word ‘thoughts’ using Stem Stitch in one strand of black.
Again, make your stitches quite small so that you can follow the curve of the letters. Try to work in continuous lines, then go back and add details like the line of the ‘t’.
Step 4
Now, fill in the bees’ bodies. Start by working stripes of Satin Stitch in one strand of black and yellow, angling the stitches to follow the shape of the body.
Then, add Straight Stitches in one strand of black at the front to make antennae and top them with French Knots using one strand of black and one twist.
Finally, add the wings using Satin Stitch in one strand of white.
Step 5
Moving onto the dandelions, work the stems in Brick Stitch using two strands of moss green and the sepals in Satin Stitch using either light grass green or grass green.
Step 6
To add the flower heads, work rows of Turkey Stitches using six strands of yellow – start at the top of each flower to make seeing your stitches easier.
Shine bright with botanical embroidery
This positively beautiful embroidery hoop will add a touch of joy to your home! It’s a great way to start your day by looking at a positive sentiment.
Keep upbeat with positive embroidery badges
Positivity can sometimes be difficult, but a sure way to put a smile on someone’s face is by making them a positive embroidered badge. That way, whenever they need a little pick-me-up, they can simply look down at their badge.
