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The beauty of your dreams embroidery

A white hoop with a wooden frame embroidered with a multicoloured polka dot border interspersed with multicoloured flowers, a ladybird and a bee with the words 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' in the middle

You will need:

  • Sharp needle
  • 100% cotton such as Klona cream cotton.
  • 5 inch embroidery hoop
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Embroidery thread (the original colours used are stated in the stitch guide)
  • Stitch guide
  • Pattern

Transferring your pattern to the fabric

There are many ways to transfer your embroidery pattern to the fabric. The simplest way is to tape your pattern to a window, place the fabric on top and trace using a pencil.

To make

1.Once you have transferred your pattern onto the fabric take your embroidery hoop and loosen the screw. Remove the outer ring. Cut 2 squares of fabric slightly larger than the hoop. Take both pieces of fabric, 1 on top of the other with the patterned 1 on top. Place both pieces on top of the inner ring so the pattern is centred. Press the outer ring until it sits flush with the inner ring and tighten the screw. Pull the fabric at the edges gently so there is no sagging. Tighten the screw as much as possible. (You may need to gently pull and tighten throughout sewing)

2. Prepare your thread. All embroidery thread contains 6 strands. The stitch guide will state how many strands you are using for each area. Cut approx. 10 to 12 inches of thread at a time. Cut a piece of colour DMC 310. For the first step you will be using 1 strand. Run your finger down the threads as you separate to minimise tangling. Tie a knot in 1 end of the thread, going over it a couple of times to bulk it out and then thread your needle.

3. When your thread is ready, begin back stitching the words ‘The future belongs to those who’ and ‘in the beauty of their’. When choosing which direction to sew the letters you may find following the way you would naturally write them helpful. When using a single strand you will need to tie a large knot to prevent it coming through the fabric when you begin sewing.

4. Cut your thread colour DMC 550 and separate 2 strands. Back stitch the word ‘believe’. Aim to keep your stitch sizes consistent.

5. In 2 strands of colour DMC 3810 backstitch the word ‘dreams’. As this involves a lot of tight curves you will need to keep your stitches quite small and even.

6. Satin stitch your bumblebee starting with 2 strands of colour DMC 444 yellow and fill the body. Then go back to satin stitch the stripes in black on top of the yellow. Once the body is complete satin stitch the wings in white.

7. Satin stitch your ladybird’s body in 2 strands of DMC 666 red and then repeat the stitch in black for the head. Using a single strand of black thread you can then sew small stitches on top of the red body to create the ladybird’s spots.

8. Using a single strand of DMC 310 black sew a running stitch trailing behind each insect. You can use the guide provided or stitch them freehand if you prefer a tighter, curlier trail.

9. To create your flowers follow the instructions provided in the stitch guide for the lazy daisies. You can use the dots marked on the pattern as a guide for the centre of each lazy daisy stitch. The flowers are stitched in 2 strands of DMC colours 550, 3810, 444, 666, 740, 912. You can create centres on the flowers by doing French knots in the colour of choice at the middle of each flower.

10. French knots. Using the stitch guide add French knots between the flowers to create a more dense border. Use 2 strands of thread in the same colours as used for the flowers. The most important part about sewing french knots is to use both hands and not let go of the thread after you have wrapped it around the needle until the last second before all the thread has gone back through the fabric.

11. Tidying up your hoop. Double check that your screw is as tight as it will go and pull the excess fabric gently so there is no sagging fabric. Trim the excess fabric so there is roughly 1 inch of fabric left surrounding the hoop in a circle (don’t worry if it is not neat. You won’t see it!) Choose any colour thread and cut a piece that is more than long enough to go around the edge of the hoop. Separate off 4 stands of thread. Knot 1 end with a very large knot and thread your needle. Then close to the outer edge of the excess fabric sew large stitches straight forward in a ring. Once you are all the way around pull the thread so that all the fabric gathers into the centre. Then tightly knot and cut the excess thread away.

12. Backing your hoop. If you wish to put a tidy back on your hoop there are many ways including gluing sheets of card or fabric on the back. My preference is to cut a circle of felt to the same size as the hoop and sew through the fabric on the back of the hoop and the felt to attach them together. This can be done using a whip stitch or blanket stitch.