Fitzgerald Floral Embroidery

Gather your tools and materials. You'll need the template for the floral design, a pen, and scissors.

Use a window to help you trace the template onto the linen. You'll have enough linen to make several so keep that in mind as you start. We started from the center here but you can start at the corners if you want to make more than one.

Trace the entire floral pattern onto the linen.

Unscrew the wood embroidery hoop slightly.

Push out the interior wood circle.

Center the drawing on the smaller wood hoop.

Add the outer hoop to secure and screw the hoop in tightly, pulling the fabric taut.

Cut about two feet of thread at a time, we'll use this to stitch. Now is the time to plan out which colors you'll add and where you'll add them. If you'd like to stick to the example, the downloadable PDF shows which colors to use for which section.

Thread your needle and add a double knot at the very end.

Start stitching. We used a satin stitch for all the stitches you see here but feel free to jazz yours up with any other stitches you'd like. Satin stitch is just a series of flat stitches that are used to completely cover a section of fabric. Don't worry...we'll walk you through it below!

Try to push the needle through the fabric where it lines up with a line that you've drawn, entering the fabric from underneath.

One satin stitch looks like this. The next stitch will repeat right beside this one.

If you're having trouble finding where to place your next stitch just flip the hoop to the back. Poke the needle right next to the last hole you made. As close as possible without going back through the same hole.

This way you can get your stitches very close together.

When you finish a section, tie a small knot on the back.

Snip the ends.

Fill in all areas you'd like with the first color.

Cut your next color. Thread your needle and tie a double knot at the end.

Begin filling in the areas you'd like your second color to cover. Work in small sections.

Fill in all the areas you'd like your second color to cover.

The view from the back.

Repeat filling in small sections of color with each color you'd like to use. Feel free to mix up the colors if you'd like. When you're finished you'll have filled in each section you drew and it will look something like this.

If you'd like to add the floral embroidery to a sweater (or anything you can sew onto) unscrew the frame and remove the linen from the hoop. If you'd like to use the hoop as a frame then you can stop here and just hang it up someplace adorable.

Cut around the flower, leaving about a quarter of an inch around the exterior.

It will look a bit like a little badge. Fray check, a liquid seam sealant that prevents fabric from fraying and secures the ends, would be good to add onto your edges. To help keep your design in place with repeated laundering and dry cleaning.

Place the embroidery where you'd like to sew it on the sweater.

Thread your needle and tie an oversize knot. Starting from the interior of the sweater start stitching around the flowers.

A small running stitch is perfect for outlining the flowers.

Knot your thread when you're finished stitching.

You're ready to go.