This past year I’ve been on a mission to finish up older projects that have been kicking around my studio. You’ve probably caught onto that with all the WIPs I’ve been slowly bringing to completion. Not gonna lie, it feels good to see these projects come to life and my WIP pile dwindle – ha!
Some of my ‘WIPs’ are actually patterns that I started awhile ago but that got stalled due to other priorities or simply not knowing the best way to share the project with you.
Which brings me to today’s project – the Larch Embroidery pattern.
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Inspiration
You know my love for hand quilting, and back in 2022, that love took an interesting little detour into embroidery.
I was craving something fibre-centric that I could easily take on the go. Something that didn’t require pulling out my sewing machine or committing to an entire quilt.
Sometimes you just need a quicker creative win 😉
Although, let’s be real, embroidery still takes a minute to complete – ha!
What I love about embroidery is that it gives you that same opportunity to slow down and enjoy the tactile process of stitching, only on a smaller scale.
And it got me thinking about the designs I’d already created for my Little Forest Quilt.
I’ve always loved the playful shapes of the Larch tree, and I thought it would be fun to see how that design translated from patchwork into embroidery.
Turns out, those little branches are a lovely opportunity to play with colourful threads and stitched texture!
And with cozy season upon us, these are exactly the kinds of early morning projects I’ve been gravitating towards – a little stitching, a lovely cup of coffee and the sun slowly coming up.
Pretty dreamy if you ask me 😊
One of the things I find so fascinating about working across different techniques is seeing how the same design can take on an entirely new personality. What started as a patchwork tree in my Little Forest Quilt now has a completely different look thanks to a few colourful threads and some hand stitching. Same little Larch, different creative adventure!
Versatility
One of the things I love most about embroidery is how easily it can find its way into other creative projects.
Sure, you can frame your finished embroidery in a hoop and call it a day (which is pretty lovely in its own right!), but why stop there?
Imagine adding a colourful Larch to your favourite tote bag, embellishing a linen pillow, or stitching a little woodland detail onto a handmade garment.
Really, if you can stitch through it, chances are you can add a little embroidery to it – ha!
I love that something as simple as a stitched motif can completely change the personality of a project. It’s one more opportunity to play with colour, texture and make something entirely your own.
Sizes
To give you even more play options, the Larch Embroidery Pattern includes templates for 3”, 5” and 7” motifs.
All you need to do is transfer your chosen template using a window or lightbox and settle in for some meditative stitching!
If you want to add a holiday touch, you can include the optional Joy & Comfort lettering. It’s totally optional, which gives you both seasonal and non-seasonal options in your embroidery arsenal 😊
Because who doesn’t love having a few creative options up their sleeve? 😉
What You’ll Need
The lovely thing about embroidery is that it doesn’t require a ton of materials and notions. Here’s everything you’ll need to tackle your own Larch embroidery:
- Larch Embroidery Pattern – choose from 3”, 5” and 7” templates
- Fabric of choice
- Lightbox (or a window works too!) for transferring the design
- Embroidery hoop
- Embroidery needle
- Embroidery thread
- Pearl cotton thread
- Scissors
- Pincushion
- Thimble
- Erasable marking tool
You don’t need every colour or thread combination that I used either. The pattern includes my Thread Guide so you can recreate my version, but consider that your jumping-off point.
Switch up the colours. Use fewer strands for a finer look or all the strands for a little more dimension. Reach for pearl cotton for even more texture.
This is where you get to play!
Keep Playing with Stitches + Texture
If Larch has you in the mood for a little more hand stitching, here are a few projects to keep the inspiration going:
- Little Forest Quilt – see where the Larch tree first took root and explore the original quilt design
- Big Stitch Hand Binding – one of my favourite ways to add a playful hand-stitched finish to a quilt
- Refracted Star Pillow – a smaller project featuring lots of lovely big-stitch hand-quilted texture
- Which Way Is Up? – see how different thread weights completely change the texture and personality of the stitching
Ready for Some Slow Stitching?
There’s something really lovely about watching a design slowly come to life one stitch at a time.
And while this Larch started as one of those projects sitting quietly in my WIP pile, I’m so happy to finally be sharing it with you. Turns out some projects just need a little extra time before they’re ready to find their way out into the world 😉
Whether you stitch your Larch as a little piece of hoop art, add it to a favourite project or give it a festive touch with the Joy & Comfort lettering, I hope it inspires you to carve out a little time for some slow, creative stitching of your own.
Grab the Larch Embroidery Pattern, pick your favourite size and have fun making your Larch entirely your own.
Happy stitching!
xo,
Shannon
P.S. Want more quilting inspiration? Join Studio Notes for behind-the-scenes projects, creative encouragement, helpful tutorials, and early access to new patterns and courses. I’d love to have you there.
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