Discover seed stitch embroidery: Make a strawberry jam pot cover

Seed stitch embroidery is a fab technique for adding that extra little bit of detail that will really give your embroidery some character and charm. Here’s the perfect project to help you discover seed stitch embroidery, stitch up some sweet strawberry pips and then turn your embroidery into a traditional jam pot cover!

You will need

• Linen fabric: 30x30cm (12x12in)
• Contrast fabric: 25x60cm (10x24in)
• Stranded cotton: red, green, white and yellow
• Matching thread
• Basic sewing kit

Notes

Use a 5mm (1/4in) seam allowance.

You will need to download and print the free jam pot cover pattern template.

Jam pot embroidery pattern

Step 1

Working Seed Stitch

Each seed stitch is made from a pair of small straight stitches worked close together.

Step 2

Come up through the fabric where you want your stitch to start and take it back down a short distance away.

Step 3

Bring the needle back up, close to the start of the first stitch, but not in the same hole. Go back down close to the end of the first stitch, again not in the same hole.

Step 4

Scatter these pairs of stitches to fill any area where you want a small stitch that is thicker than a single straight stitch.

Embroidering the design

Step 1

Download and print out the free jam pot cover template

Step 2

Place the linen centrally on top of the strawberry motif and trace over it in pencil.

Step 3

Embroider the design on the linen using three strands of stranded cotton.

Step 4

Use back stitch for the outlines, seed stitch to fill in the strawberry and the blossom petals, and French knots for working the blossom centres.

Making the cover

Step 1

Draw a 20cm (8in) diameter circle onto a piece of paper and cut it out.

Step 2

Place this centrally on top of the embroidered linen and cut out.

Step 3

Cut the contrast fabric using the circle template.

Step 4

Pin the two circles right sides (RS) facing and sew together around the edge, leaving a 5cm (2in) turning gap.

Step 5

Turn the circle RS out then fold the edges of the turning gap to the inside, keeping the curve of the circle, and press.

Step 6

Slipstitch the opening closed with matching sewing thread.

Step 7

To decorate the edges, work a running stitch all the way around the edge using three strands of red stranded cotton.

Step 8

Work this 5mm (1/4in) from the edge and keep the stitches all the same length.

Making the tie

Step 1

From the remainder of the contrast fabric, cut a strip 2.5x60cm (1x24in) for the tie.

Step 2

Turn the short edges under by 5mm (1/4in) to the wrong side (WS) and press.

Step 3

Press the strip in half lengthwise and open it out. Fold the long edges over to the WS so they meet at the centre crease and press.

Step 4

Fold in half lengthways again and press to enclose all the raw edges.

Step 5

Sew together down the length to hold the strip closed and neaten.

Step 6

Place the embroidered cover on a jam jar and tie the strip around it into a bow.

Sweet gifts to give

If you’re looking for an extra special way to show someone you can, a gift of homemade jam, complete with your own embroidered topper, couldn’t be any better.

Love strawberries?

If you can’t get enough of these delicious summer berries, why not embroider them on your favourite jumper? Get our sweet strawberry embroidery tutorial.

Mollie Johanson

Mollie is the author of Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small. She lives near Chicago and is happiest with a cup of coffee and some stitching. She specializes in designing exceedingly cute, contemporary embroidery and cross stitch projects with a kawaii influence. Her work has been featured on The Spruce Crafts and in books and magazines including Simply Sewing Magazine, Cross Stitch Crazy and Mollie Makes. She co-hosts the Very Serious Crafts Podcast with Haley Pierson-Cox and Heidi Gustad. Find her on Instagram @molliejohanson

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