Making the Garden embroidery pattern
Welcome to the Garden, a fun and whimsical embroidery pattern filled with everything one could dream of, from tomatoes and eggplant to apple trees and carrots. This fenced-in garden was drawn in a perspective technique known as an isometric drawing, or projection. In this blog post, we will review the basic embroidery stitches used in the Garden embroidery pattern as well as discuss how to overlap stitches in order give perspective in an embroidery design.
Want to stitch the Garden pattern in real-time with Alyssa, owner of Penguin & Fish? Scroll to the end of this blog to watch the Livestream videos from August, 2022 and stitch along. Plus, pick up tips and tricks on how to get started, what order to stitch in, and more!
More info about the Garden pattern
The Garden embroidery pattern is a Skill Level 2 as this pattern involves some advanced-beginner skills such as layering stitches for perspective. The Garden pattern will also take longer to stitch than our Level 1 patterns. This is still considered a beginner embroidery pattern, though. You can do it! Just know, it may take longer to stitch than other Penguin & Fish patterns.
The finished size of the Garden pattern is 6" x 5 1/4" (approximately 15 cm x 13 cm) and frames nicely in an 8" embroidery hoop.
Stitches in the Garden pattern
This pattern uses five basic embroidery stitches: backstitch, satin stitch, seed stitch, single chain stitch, and French knot stitch. Let's go through each stitch as a quick refresher. Click on any image to learn more about the stitch, including step-by-step instructions and how-to videos.
Seed Stitch
Bring the neelde UP at 1. Insert needle DOWN at 2. Come UP at the beginning of the next stitch (3).
Backstitch
Bring needle UP at 1. Insert needle DOWN at 2 making a stitch backwards along the line to meet last stitch. Come UP at 3 a stitch length away from 1. Continue along line.
Single Chain Stitch
Bring needle UP at 1. Insert needle DOWN at 2 through same hole as 1. In the same motion, come UP at 3. Loop floss under the needle and pull needle through the loop. Make a tiny stitch over loop, securing loop in place (4).
French Knot Stitch
Bring needle UP at 1. Point needle away from fabric. Wrap floss around the needle twice. Now point the needle towards fabric and insert needle point at 2, a few fabric threads from 1. Pull floss snug against needle and fabric. Slowly pull needle DOWN to back of fabric until knot is secure.
Satin Stitch
Bring needle UP at 1 on edge of shape. Insert needle DOWN directly across on opposite edge of shape at 2. Come UP at 3 on first edge of shape, one to three fabric threads away from 1. Continue filling in shape with stitches.
Overlapping stitches in the Garden pattern
The Garden pattern has several areas where the stitches overlap to give the perspective of a fenced-in garden. When stitching this pattern, it's important to pay attention to which items are in front and which are in back. When possible, stitch the items that are furthest away first, that way you can stitch the items that are closer on top.
For example, the apple trees shown below are on the outside of the fence and were stitched first. Then, the fence was stitched over the top, making it clear that the trees are behind the fence.
Stitch along with Alyssa
In August 2022, when the Graden pattern was first released, we stitched it together on the Craft Night with Friends Livestream. Below are the replay videos from this real-time stitching, from begininng to end (no video editing or super speed stitching here!). Watch them all in order, or skip ahead to where you might have questions. Either way, you're sure to gain some new tips and tricks to embroidery when you stitch with Alyssa.
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Buy the pattern!
Garden Embroidery Kit
