Monday, July 15, 2013

Make a Wish Dandelion Embroidery Pattern

Dandelions are a big deal in our house.  Grace loves to pick them, knowing that they have the power to turn a wish into a reality.

With dandelion season upon us, and a dandelion obsessed little girl in my house, I decided to create a dandelion 'make a wish' embroidery pattern AND it includes a tutorial.


If it's your wish to make one of your own, gather the following supplies:


Print out a copy of the pattern.


Using either a light box or a brightly lit window, trace the dandelion pattern onto your fabric using a water erasable pen.


Put an embroidery hoop around your fabric, displaying the traced pattern in the center.  Thread your needle with charcoal gray thread and knot the end.


Using a back stitch, embroider 'Make a Wish'.


How to Back Stitch:  Bring your needle and thread up and through at point 1.  Return your needle and thread back down and through at point 2.  At this point, you have a dash embroidered.  Bring your needle and thread up at point 3, base your point 3 distance so you can create another dash, roughly the same size as your first dash.  Return your needle and thread down and through at 4 (or back into point 2, the end of your first dash).  You now have 2 dashes.


Continue using the back stitch for each letter in 'Make a Wish'.  Try and make your dashes roughly the same size.  When working curved letters, like 'a' or 's', make your dashes a little smaller to allow for the dashes to allow the lines to curve.

Above the 'i', use a French knot.



How to Make a French Knot:  Bring the needle up though the point on the 'i'.  Wrap the thread around the needle 2 times.  Put the tip of the needle down near where your needle came up through the point on the 'i'.  Before you bring the rest of the needle and thread back down.  Pull the wrapped thread so it's taut against the needle, pulling it towards where the needle is inserted into the fabric.  While continuing you to gentle hold your thread above the fabric taut, slowly pull the needle and remaining thread through the fabric.  The result will be a completed French knot about your 'i'.


Use a stem stitch to create the stem of the dandelion and the wisps of the dandelion.


How to Stem Stitch:  Bring your needle and thread up and through at point 1.  Bring your needle an thread back down at 2.  Before you pull the thread entirely through, bring your needle back up at 3 (half way between point 1 and point 2).  Finish pulling your thread through.  Bring your needle and thread back down at point 4 and repeat the next stitch half way (or back up at the location of point 2).  *The most important thing to remember when doing a stem stitch is to keep your thread on the same side the entire time.  If your needle is to left of the thread, keep your needle to the left of the thread the entire length of your stem stitch.


Dandelion seeds.


The seeds use a stitch similar to a lazy daisy stitch.

As if you were going to make an inverted arrow point, at an angle from the wisp, bring your needle up, from the behind the fabric.  Pull your thread all the way through and insert the needle, going down, at an angle on the other side (again, image you are creating an inverted arrow).  Instead of pulling the tread all the way through, leave some slack.  Bring your needle back up a the end of the dandelion wisp, making sure the slack is behind your needle.  Pull your thread all the way through, eliminating any slack you had.  Bring your needle back down, near where your needle had gone up, this time on the other side of what was your slacked thread, and pull tightly.  Finish your seed by either doing the same stitch smaller inside what you have already created or do a simple straight stitch.  For the straight stitch, go up at the end of the dandelion wisp and back down, slightly further out, creating a straight line.


Next, decide what you'll do with your finished embroidery piece.

I am considering turning mine into a square for a quilt.


But for now, I'll display it in a wooden embroidery hoop.  If you opt to display yours in an embroidery hoop, trim the excess from the back and apply a layer of glue around the edges to secure it into place.


Either way you display it, be proud of yourself for a job well done!


37 comments:

  1. What a beautiful piece! You always make projects look so easy to complete with your tutorials. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this! Still need to try a hand at emroidery :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This a so pretty! I've learned to love dandelions because our yard is full of them in spring, and if you can't beat them, join them. Great tutorial too, you always have such fabulous pics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So precious! I think you could sell the heck outta these on Etsy!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. So beautiful. love the yellow. (And I agree with the comment above: you should totally sell these on etsy!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Elena. I have a list of things I want to make, things I want to make to sell and things I'll never get around to :)

      Delete
  6. That would just be so cute hanging in a little dandelion lover's room! We had to start leaving earlier for school when all the dandelions went to seed because my daughter had to stop and pick every single one we saw! I'm sure our neighbors just love it...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Adorable! I can just see Grace out in the yard making wishes! Great tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  8. interesting facts about dandelions: in Itlian tehy are called "piscialetto" (= pee in your bed)...they are diuretic, in fact people with kidney problems can drink a tea made of dandelion roots and it's a diuretic. All that to say dandelions are healty too :) great tutorial

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is so sweet! I've done very little embroidering in my life...just cross-stitch. What a cute little keepsake for your daughter!

    -andi

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh I wish I could sew like you! Absolutely beautiful piece and great tutorial.

    Hugs, Estelle xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's beautiful! I can't wait to see what the quilt looks like.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This. is. fabulous. My little one is in LOVE with dandelions! I am going to have to do this! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Heather. And, seriously, dandelions are really cool.

      Delete
  13. I love this Amy! It is gorgeous!! This would be such a sweet baby gift to hang in a nursery!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks so much Amy for both the sweet comment AND for passing it along to your cousin. I appreciate it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is so gorgeous, Amy! I love this pattern. Your descriptions seem easy to follow. I'm pinning this for a time when I feel brave enough to embroider! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Using an embroider hoop to display beautiful embroidery?? So pretty! I pinned this because I actually dream of trying to embroider someday and you've given some great directions. Can I just say that I love that you've displayed some actual dandelion heads in your pics? So cool!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love this! And great tutorial. I could see that being a cute kitchen towel... it reminds of the Anthro towels which I adore!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a fabulous tutorial! I've been wanting to try my hand at embroidery for awhile now... Pinned for later! :)

    xoxo
    Michelle @ Ya Gotta Have a Hobby

    ReplyDelete
  19. you make this look so easy! somehow i think i would have a few "do overs" before getting it right!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Amy this is the sweetest embroidery pattern! And I love the cheery yellow fabric - perfect choice for such a pattern :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. super sweet! Pinned to my crafty board:) stop by. i posted anchor dress to Made You Look!

    ReplyDelete
  22. So fun! I love the dandelion pattern. There's something so sweet and whimsical about dandelions. Pinning! I'd love for you to link this up to our All Things Thursday Blog Hop going on right now. Hope to see you there!
    Blessings,
    Nici

    ReplyDelete
  23. sew cute! found you at pin-me. pinning now!

    emmyinthemaking.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh Amy! This is so pretty! I have been wanting to try embroidery hoop art.. what a fun pattern to try!

    Hope you are doing well! You seem to be busy busy busy :D

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow, Amy, I think this is one of the sweetest crafts I've seen on your site...and that's saying a lot. Absolutely adorable. I think the hoop adds to the charm:) Di

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love the delicate seeds/wisps flyin off the dandelions. Magical! Did you design that yourself? Love it! Nice detailed tutorial with all the different stitches explained.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Very nice! Thanks for sharing at my Pin Me Party!

    ReplyDelete
  28. And I love embroidery... and dandelions... I think we need to be friends. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  29. I can't say I love dandelions, ugh in a yard! But I have eaten dandelions...so-so! And I absolutely love this simple but hopeful embroidery project! Thank you Amy of While Wearing Heels!

    ReplyDelete

I am head over heels you took the time to leave me a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...