Sorry for the delay. At the end of August it was the DH's birthday and then our anniversary and then getting distracted with gardening. So happy to see Sept. and the end of summer coming. It's been way to hot and around here too dry.
So here's the pattern. Follow this photo for flower placement or put them where you want.
I'm giving you some directions for the embroideries. You will need to know basic stitches and there are a LOT of youtube videos that can teach you any you don't.
1. Cut a square of your background fabric 5" x 5". This will be cut smaller later but this fits my fav 4" hoop. You can cut the fabric so it will fit in the embroidery hoop you like but make sure the birdhouse has enough room for the embroidery.
2. This step in optional but I like the stability. Now I add a square of Pelon Shape Flex interfacing. This is my favorite to use for all my embroidery designs because it's not stiff and it's easy to embroider thru. I cut the square of it slightly smaller the the entire piece. You can just add it to the center square if you prefer.
Most important!! If you went ahead and traced the birdhouse do not use steam this can smear your tracing. I've used Pigma pens and had them smear slightly.
Note: I never use steam to apply the interfacing and it sticks fine.
3.Using a permanent marker like a Pigma pen or a Pilot Frixon pen, trace the design. You can just trace the house and roof. Use you own judgment for placement of the flowers.
Note that the Frixon pen will disappear when heat is applied. This is great if you made a mistake, just iron the fabric and start again.
4. The house and roof can be appliqued like I did or just stitched with your favorite embroidery stitch.
-Trace the house and roof on Heat n Bond by Therm-o-web. This is a product that makes appliqueing small pieces so much easier.
TIP: Hold the iron on for just a few seconds or you will also melt the other side.
-Once it cools peel off the paper.
-Lay the fabric over the tracings and iron in place.
-Do a small blanket stitch with 1 strand of floss ( I used DMC white) around the entire house and (DMC 310) black around the roof.
5. For the base use 1 strand of floss (I used DMC 310) to make cross stitch X's over narrow ribbon to hold it in place.
Tip: you may want to baste the ribbon first.
6.The opening is filled in with straight stitches using 3 strands of floss.
-Then use 2 strands to go around the circle with stem stitch.
-Use 3 strands to make a 3 wrap french knot. (I used DMC 310 for all 3 stitches)
7.To make the X couch 5 strands of black floss with 1 strand of floss.
8. The loop at the top stem stitched with 5 strands of floss (DMC310) black.
9. The lines on the roof are made with stem stitch using 2 strands of floss (DMC white).
10. Start with the greenery. Use 2 strand of floss (DMC 986) green.
- Make fern stitch branches down over the roof. Make as many and as long as you like.
- The stems for the flowers on top of the roof are back stitched.
- Fill in along the top of the roof where the back stitched stems are with lazy daisy stitches. You can add a few near the bottoms of the stems. See the picture for this.
11. Fill in around the fern stitch greenery with french knots using 3 strands of floss ( I used DMC 605).
You can skip these next flowers and make more of the fern stitch instead.
12. The french knot flowers are made with 3 strands of floss (DMC 601 and DMC 986). Do 2 and 3 wrap knots. I did a pink then a green, and repeated it for 3 of each.
13. The lighter pink flowers are made with lazy daisy stitches using 2 strands of floss (DMC 603). There are a few french knots at the very top of each flowers.
Right click the pattern to save it to your hard drive. You'll need to print a pattern for tracing.
©Billie Jo Heisler 2023
All rights reserved
Disclaimer:
I drew this design by hand then used a software program to edit it.
Please consider the drawing copyrighted. You have my permission to print copies of the drawing in any size for your own use but not to share or sell. If you want to share the pattern please link to the blog pages.
The embroidery design is my own. I have not knowingly copied anyone else's work.
