the

ARTIST SERIES
embroidery pattern & kit

a collaborative project

Hi there! Thank you so much for purchasing this Thread Folk Artist Series embroidery
pattern. This design has been created by Lauren Merrick as the third of a set of three
stunning artworks that have been recreated as embroideries and turned into
embroidery patterns and kits for you to stitch.

This a fabulous beginners stitching project. It utilises a handful of basic embroidery

stitches and I am sure you’ll be a master at satin stitch when you are finished!

I hope you enjoy your stitching journey with this design. And if you are brand new to
stitching get ready for some wild nights with your needle and thread (and maybe a
season of your favourite tv show)! I am certain you will get the stitching fever very
quickly.

Much love,
Libby & Lauren

ps. Please share your work on Instagram with the hashtag #threadfolkartistseries - I
can’t wait to see your progress!

pps. To see more of Lauren’s work, visit her website: www.laurenmerrick.com and
Instagram: @lauren_merrick.

THE FINE PRINT: This pattern and supporting documentation is copyright Libby Moore/Thread Folk and is
for personal use only. Please do not sell this pattern or any products made from this pattern.

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 1

 WHAT YOU’LL NEED
• Printed out pattern
• A piece of cotton fabric, 30cm x 30cm (my preference is a good quality quilting cotton)
• Size 7 and size 8 Embroidery needle (the size 8 optional. It’s slightly smaller and is just for
the text, you can get away with using the size 7 for that too, though)
• 8” embroidery hoop
• Small, sharp scissors
• DMC 6 stranded cotton embroidery floss in the following colours:

• 355 • 722
• 368 • 725
• 502 • 761
• 503 • 928
• 520 • 3706
• 648 • 3799

GETTING STARTED
In this guide, you will find a diagram of the design along with notes detailing the colours of
thread to use as well as which embroidery stitch for each particular section. You can refer to
the illustrated stitch guide for instructions on how to complete each type of embroidery stitch.

Stitch Abbreviation
Straight stitch StS
Back stitch BS
Satin stitch SS
French knot FK

HOOP IT
• Separate the rings of your embroidery hoop.
• Lay the inside hoop on the table and centre your fabric over the top of it.
• Gently push the outer hoop down over the top and tighten with the screw, pulling the fabric
taut as you tighten.

SEPARATING THE THREAD

• Cut a length of thread to approx. 50cm.
• Hold your cut length of thread in one hand, between your thumb and finger, and lightly
brush your finger over the ends of the thread to separate the strands from each other.
• Gently pull up on one strand of thread until it is separated from the rest. Do this for each
strand you need to separate (refer to the diagram for the number of strands you need).
• Don’t try to separate two strands together as you may end up with a knotted mess!

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 2

 STARTING AND FINISHING
When you’re ready to start your various sections of stitching, knot your thread at the end to
secure it and stop it from pulling through when you’re getting started. Experienced
embroiderers may shake their head at this, as there are other methods of securing your thread.
But for the beginners out there, lets keep it simple, shall we?

When you are finishing off a colour or section of stitching, you can either knot off your thread
or sew it through a few stitches on the back of your fabric to keep it secure.

TRANSFERRING THE PATTERN

There are a handful of different ways to transfer the pattern you’ve printed out onto fabric. I am
providing instructions for my preferred method, which in my opinion, is the easiest way to do it.
Feel free to google “how to transfer a pattern to fabric” if you’d like to investigate other
methods.

For this method, you need:

• the printed out embroidery pattern (the one facing the right way)
• your fabric of choice
• a water soluble marker (these can be purchased at any fabric/craft store), or a sharp lead
pencil
• a window in your home and some daylight, or a light box if you have access to one

To transfer your pattern:

• tape your paper pattern to your window, or place on the light box and turn on
• tape the fabric over the top of the pattern, taking care to centre the pattern
• gently trace over every part of the pattern image

And Voilà - the pattern is now on your fabric!

Something to be aware of is that a lead pencil will not wash out of your fabric, so take care to
trace lightly and with fine lines that you can stitch right over.
If you use a water soluble marker (this is my preference), once you’ve finished stitching, simply
give your fabric a rinse under cold water and gently dry by rolling up in a white towel (or one
you are sure the colour will not run, cause that would be the worst!). With another dry towel on
your ironing board, lay your fabric face down and gently iron the back.

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 3

 STITCH GUIDE

STRAIGHT STITCH
• a single, short, separate embroidery stitch

BACK STITCH
• bring the needle up through A and down through B.
• bring the needle up through C and down through A.
• continue this pattern of bringing your needle up a space ahead and going back down into
the same hole created from the last stitch you made.

SATIN STITCH
• bring the needle up to the front of the fabric through A and down through B.
• bring the needle up through C, as close as possible to A, without going through the same
hole created by A.
• continue this pattern until you have filled in the area.

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 4

 FRENCH KNOT
• with your thread secured at the back of your fabric, pinch the thread approx. 5cm above
where it comes through the fabric and hold it taut.
• place your needle in front of the thread, between your non-needle hand and the fabric.
• wind thread around the needle twice while continuing to hold the thread taut with your
non-needle hand.
• insert the tip of the needle close, but not into the same hole that your thread is coming out
of the fabric from.
• pull the thread taut again with your non-needle hand so that the tightly wound thread slide
down the needle and sit against the fabric.
• pull the needle through the fabric to the back while still holding the thread taut with your
non-needle hand as long as you can.

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 5

 DIAGRAMS
NOTES: Use THREE strands of thread, unless stated differently below.
Take notice of which branches and leaves sit in front of other and allow that to guide you when
you decide what order to stitch the various elements in. If a leaf sits over another, you can
choose to stitch only the area that shows of the leaf underneath in an effort to conserve thread.

503/BS - branches 3799/BS - branches

503/SS - leaves 3799/SS - leaves

722/BS - branches
368/BS - branch
3706/SS - leaves
520/BS - branches
368/SS - leaves
520/SS - leaves
3706/SS - flower

722/FK - (1 strand) on tips

of petals

3799/BS - branches 503/BS - branches

3799/SS - leaves 503/SS - leaves

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 6

 DIAGRAMS CONT.

722/BS - branch (may

require two vertical rows 368/BS - branches
of BS on the section
underneath the bird) 722/SS - bulbs
520/StS - leaf veins
761/SS - flower 3799/FK - (1 strand)
368/SS - fill in between
veins from centre line to around each bulb
722/FK - (1 strand) on tips
the outside of the leaf,
of petals
stitching in the same
direction as veins.

3799/BS - branches

503/SS - bulbs

3706/BS - branches

3706/SS - leaves

3799/SS - leaves
368/BS - branches (may
require two rows of BS
on the branch
underneath the bird)

368/SS - leaves

CATERPILLER
503 & 502/SS - body
722/StS - body

3799/StS - (1 strand) legs

3799/BS & FK - (2 strands)

antennae

725/BS - leaves

355/BS - branches
368/BS - branches
355/SS - leaves
725/SS - bulbs

355/FK - (1 strand)
around each bulb

503/BS - branches
722/BS - branches
503/SS - leaves
722/SS - leaves

BIRD - take note of the dotted lines to show you the directions to stitch

648/SS - head & wing & top 3/4 of tail 355/BS - branches
520/BS - branch
725/SS - body & bottom 1/4 of tail 355/SS - leaves
520/SS - leaves
3799/FK - (2 strands) eye
722/SS - flowers
3799/SS - (2 strands) beak 3799/BS - legs
3799/FK - (1 strand) on
3799/BS & StS - (1 strand) outline wing and detail on the tail tips of petals

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 7

 DIAGRAMS CONT.

520/BS - branches

761/SS - bulbs

722/FK - (1 strand)
368/BS - branch around each bulb 520/BS - branches

3706/SS - flowers 520/SS - leaves

3799/BS - branches

3799/SS - leaves
368/SS - leaves
355/BS - branches

355/SS - leaves

355/SS - leaves

3799/BS - branches
3706/SS - leaves
3799/SS - leaves

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 8

 DIAGRAMS CONT.

BUTTERFLY
503/SS - body

3799/StS - (1 strand) lines across body

3799/SS - spots on top wings

BEES 725/SS - horizontally, fill in around spots

3799 & 725/SS - alternate along
the body 3706/SS - bottom wings

3799/BS - (2 strands) antennae 3799/StS - (2 strands) antennae & lines over top of bottom wings
You’ll need to reference the diagram as you freehand stitch these lines.
928/SS - wings If you’re not comfortable freehand stitching, consider stitching these
lines first and filling in between them with the base colour of the wing.

TEXT
3799/BS - (1 strand)
Use very small back stitches to stitch
the text. Don’t carry the thread between
words, as it may show through from the
back, rather tie it off after each word
and re-knot your thread to start the
next.

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 9

 FRAMING IN THE HOOP
• Loosen the screw and separate your hoop.
• Take the inside hoop and trace the outer contour of the hoop onto felt or fabric you intend to
use for the back.
• Cut out the circle of felt/fabric and set aside.
• Lay the inside hoop on the table and centre your finished embroidery over the top of it.
• Grab the outside hoop and, with the screw at the top, start to push it down over your
embroidery and the inside hoop.
• Tighten the screw, pulling your fabric taut across the frame as you go.
• Lay the tightened hoop on the table and trim the excess fabric approx. 1”-1.5” away from the
hoop.
• Turn your hoop over (note: make sure your table surface is clean, or lay a towel down
underneath your embroidery for this part).
• Using some sewing thread, or a few strands of embroidery thread, thread your needle with
enough to circle the whole hoop and a bit extra for tying off at the end.
• Make a running stitch the whole way around the excess fabric and pull tight to gather the
fabric and knot the threads in place to secure the gathers. [A & B]
• Thread your needle with the long piece of embroidery thread from your kit and knot the end.
This thread is cut to approx. 3 times the perimeter of the hoop.
• Place the felt/fabric that you cut earlier over the top of the gathered excess fabric.
• Starting from underneath the gathers, make a blanket stitch the whole way around the felt/
fabric circle, stitching the felt and gathered fabric together and finish off. [C & D]

A B

C D

Get in touch! If you have questions along the way - feel free to shoot me an email:
threadfolk@gmail.com. I’m happy to help where I can!

© 2017 Libby Moore/Thread Folk 10