Embroidery Flowers (Part 1): The Beautiful Chrysanthemum

Hey everyone and welcome back to Handiworks. Today we're starting a brand new series and I am so excited about it. We're going to create a collection of six stunning embroidery flowers. To get started you'll need your fabric and your patterns. I have a 10 inch embroidery hoop with this lovely off-white cotton fabric. You can download and print this pattern yourself. Just check the link in the description below. Now for the easiest way to transfer your pattern, I'm using a small LED light as a light box. I'm placing the fabric over the light and positioning my pattern underneath. Then using my black heat erasable pen, I'll carefully trace all six of the flower designs onto my fabric. This makes it so simple to see the lines of the pattern right through the fabric. Before we start stitching, let's prepare the back of our hoop. See how I've used a simple running stitch to secure the fabric. This helps keep the fabric taut and prevents it from shifting while we work, giving us a clean and professional finish on the back. Okay let's get started on our first flower, the beautiful chrysanthemum. I have chosen two shades of purple along with yellow and gold for the center. I'm taking the dark purple floss, separating it into three strands and threading my needle. The number of strands you use can dramatically change the look of your embroidery, so it's a great tip to keep in mind. For our petals, we're going to use a special woven petal stitch. First, stitch two short straight stitches at the base of your petal, one on each side. These will be your foundation threads. Now you can start weaving through these two stitches to create the petals. Go under the foundation threads, filling the space until you have a beautiful dense petal. This gives your work a wonderful raised texture that makes the petals really pop. Once you've done all the petals with the dark purple, let's add some shading. I've switched my needle to a lighter shade of purple floss. Now I'm going to fill the small gaps between our petals using a satin stitch. This will give our flower a smoother, more elegant finish and make the darker petals stand out even more. Finally, let's move to the center of our flower. I'm using gold thread for the outer part of the stamen. First, I'm going to stitch a line of small back stitches around the outer circle of the stamen. This will be our foundation. Now, over those back stitches, I'm filling this area with the detached buttonhole stitch. This stitch creates a dense textured fill that looks a bit like a woven mesh. It's a great way to add a lot of texture to a small space. For the very center of the stamen, I'm using my bright yellow floss and stitching a few simple French knots. They're perfect for creating that bumpy, textured look in the heart of the flower. And there you have it! Our first flower is done! I hope you feel a boost of confidence from completing this first design. This is just the beginning of our series. Now that you've completed this one, let's continue together and complete all the other five flowers. They each have a unique look and will help you master a variety of different techniques. Stay tuned and let's get stitching!