Favorite Things: a Nature-Inspired Easy Embroidery Sampler
From Beth: Margie from resurrection fern brings us this beautiful, easy sampler project. Read all about Margie in her introduction, and enjoy today’s stitching. We are so excited to have Margie lend her wonderful aesthetic to our month of Hand Sewing. In addition to our daily Hand Sewing giveaways, Margie is offering a chance to win this “favorite things” greenworks sampler with a comment on this post.
Favorite Things: a Nature-Inspired Easy Embroidery Sampler by Margie Oomen
This simple little embroidery project was inspired by the vintage embroidered samplers and redwork. I decided that green is the new red and to create an easy project to you to make using my design or to use one of your own. It would be lovely to go on a nature walk with your children, collect a few special things or take pictures of them and then go home and draw out your very own collection.
Materials:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Suitable fabric: I used a vintage hankie but any piece of fabric with a tight weave about 12 inches square would work.
- Embroidery thread (I have never purchased embroidery thread new, I always buy bags of it at the second hand stores for next to nothing.)
- Embroidery needles
- Scissors
- Embroidery hoop (Again, please check thrift stores where you can buy them for a dollar or less; the older ones are stronger and better quality wood.)
Instructions:
With a pencil make a simple line drawing of your “favorite things” or you can print my PDF template and trace it. 
Now place the drawing face down on your fabric on a hard smooth surface… 
…And rub the back with a pencil until you have transferred the image to your fabric. 
I like this method but you could use another method like tracing directly onto the fabric. 
Now you are ready to choose a shade of green to start to embroider your sampler. I use a single thread of embroidery floss and a very small needle. I only used four different stitches to make this, the main one being my favorite: chain stitch. The others that I used are french knots for the center of the flower and to dot the “i”, back stitch for the letters and lazy daisy stitch for the flower. You can use these stitches or any others you are comfortable with. An excellent resource to learn basic embroidery stitches is Jenny Hart’s tutorials.
So place your fabric in the hoop and get stitching. 
I stitched my sampler while spending a beautiful warm summer evening on the porch. 
I finished before the full moon was high in the sky.
This can be hung as it in the hoop or out. You could also use it to make something like a pillow, tote or even use it as a block in a special quilt. I decided to hang mine in the sewing room. My favorite books about embroidery are mostly vintage books by Erica Wilson and Winsome Douglass. Three newer books that inspire me are Aimee Ray’s book Doodle Stitching, Tilleke Schwarz’s book Mark Making and The New Crewel by Katherine Shaughnessy.
If you leave a comment after this tutorial you might win the “favorite things” greenworks sampler. I will pick a winner on the last day of the month. Embroidery is so relaxing and you can do it just about anywhere so please do give it a try.
Margie
Comment in any post this week for a chance to win a SMS Deluxe Hand Sewing Kit or one of 4 $20 gift certificates to Sew,Mama,Sew! This week you can also win a Clover Holiday Rotary Cutter Gift Set!Add your photos to the Hand Sewing pool.
144 Responses to “Favorite Things: a Nature-Inspired Easy Embroidery Sampler”
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cool transfer technique! very cute project.
“Green is the new red” You are so right on, Margie! I love it! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for this cute template !
so sweet! Thanks for sharing!
Love this embroidery pattern. The little mushrooms are so cute.
Lovely green colors.
it’s lovely!
Lovely! Thanks for the tutorial!
ooh… love how the clean, modern embroidery contrasts with the lace of the kerchief!
Very nice.
This is so pretty. I would love to win this. Thank you for the chance!
This is entirely too lovely for words! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
I have just the little napkin for this that I picked up at a thrift store. Thanks!
A quick question:
I’m new to embroidery here, but have been playing with it some myself. I’m still learning the lingo.
When you say “single thread” do you mean a strand from something like the six-strand embroidery floss that I have or do you mean the thread with all six strands?
Thanks!
i would be head over heals to win this giveaway!! your work is always amazing!
Thanks for the great instructions and pattern. Very cute.
I never knew you could transfer images like that. What a wonderful tip. Thanks.
Wonderful tutorial! I think I would have forged ahead by tearing my pencil across my fabric, and thus horribly stretching it out! And, yes, green is the new red!
For me this is a new way to transfer picture.
Oh, I am loving this … a chance to use up some old hankies and get my embroidery hoops out. Thanks for the fabulous lesson.
Krousegirl2 at aol dot com
I haven’t embroidered in ages and this has started a small itch to start again!!!!!!
I love the transfer method. It seems so obvious now, but I had never thought about it.
I love it! I have a bunch of vintage hankies…I’d love to try something like this.
How lovely to see a modern take on an old technique (and an old hanlky!).
Such a sweet little project. And, I have never seen the pencil transfer method before, I might have to try that!
Love this! Especially the clever trick for ‘printing’ the pattern on the cloth before embroidering it. I framed some beautiful pieces like this but none I thought to embellish first.
I do not have any embroidery skills. So, I bought a clover punchneedle last week and with some practice you can really do great embroidery projects. I love everything vintage, so embroidery is a must.
Thanks for the great tutorial and links! I am new to embroidery, and gathering ideas and references for teaching to kids. This would be a great project for young and old.
So very cute & thanks for the tutorial!
That’s lovely. I’d like to work on embroidery with my girls, and this adds to my inspiration!
Thanks for the info on rubbing the design onto the fabric. I am going to have the kids try that one this afternoon.
What a nice tutorial. I like the green idea, although I am partial to red. But I really love your porch. I just want to jump into the picture. We did not end up with a shady porch after our move 2 years ago. Just a very hot deck. Plans to add one some day….
That is beautiful. Hand sewing scares me, especially embroidery….but that is really lovely.
Cute! It’s been a while since I did any embroidery….
I’ve never seen that easy transfer method before – thanks!
I am so itching to get back to embroidery – all of a sudden I am seeing so many uses for it in quilting…
Very Nice! Thanks for sharing this!
now that’s the best hankie i’ve seen in a long time!
I really enjoy following the resurrection fern blog. Thank you for including her in your hand sewing feature and tutorials.
I am so going to try this! Thanks!
What a cute little snail! I love it.
Your woodland sampler is so pretty! We went down to the woods today ( surrey, England )……and all around were toadstools popping up, which made me think of you and we saw a wild deer and then i catch up with todays blog and synchronicity your beautiful hankie! I must have a go…my grandson is coming to stay so I can feel another nature walk coming. LOL xx
I really like the fact that you’ve embroidered it straight onto a hanky (and such an intricate one at that!). Great idea, fun project for kids, I would imagine.
Oh how perfectly timed! I’ve been obsessed with trying to learn embroidery of late. I finally dove in on Saturday and made a line of backstitching. It was really peaceful. I can’t wait to try a real design and this one looks perfect! Thanks!
Lovely sampler! I am going to be housesitting for the next week and a half, and one of the things I’ve packed is an embroidery hoop!
Totally cute – I love samplers.
I love the idea of green being the new red!
I never knew you could transfer in that way. I’m off to try it right now…… Thanks!
Oh, it’s just beautiful or what?
This is so lovely!
Wow! I love the idea of stitching on the vintage hankie. That is a new to me transfer technique which is simple and cost effective. Thank you!
What a cool project for hot summer days….
I love the contrast of the lacy fabric and the simple, natural designs. I must also say, I want to come sit on your porch with you it is very lovely!
yay! i love margie’s work. this is simple and sweet, just my speed. thanks for sharing!
That is beautiful and looks so easy to try! Thanks for the tutorial!
Very cool project! I have never seen that method for transferring. I will have to try that out!
I would have never thought to transfer the image. Neat!
Simple is beautiful!
It had never occurred to me to transfer the design onto fabric that way! Thanks for the tip.
This is really interesting. I’ve never embroider before. I’ll have to give this a try since my father just loves ferns and studies them. This will be a great add to his study.
beautiful work… i just found this blog – thankyou for the inspiration ladies!
What a wonderful tutorial. It inspires me to dig out my old embroidery hoops and floss from my cross stitching days and give it a try. I adore your “favorite things” as they are some of my favorite too! Thanks for sharing this project!
Warmly,
Michele
frogshell@mac.com
Beautiful! And the image of making it out on your porch sounds so peaceful to this city dweller!
I already follow Margie’s blog and am inspired by her work. Thanks for the pattern and tutorial!
What a sweet little sampler. And green’s my favorite color — what’s not to love?
Very clever transfer! Beautiful result. Thanks!
I love the way you told the story of this project. Thank you for sharing.
How beautiful and fresh looking! I love embroidery and this looks so lovely on the pretty hankie!
I’ve never thought using transfer paper like that. I only do cross stitch with a pattern, so I may have to give this a try.
This looks like a fabulous way for a beginner to try out embroidery. Thanks for the link to the tutorials as well!
I just adore the use of green with the nature items.
How cute. One day I will have to try my hand at embroidery.
I love it! As usual your work inspires and makes me feel all happy and snuggly.
I will definiltely check this blog out! Thanks for the link!
I love your blog. embroidery is my thing and I agree – green is the new red. I am going to try the transfer method as soon as I shut this thing off. thanks for the hook up. Anna
I love that little acorn! Thanks for the good inspiration:)
I just discovered you and your blog. Very inspirational!
Perfect for my nature-lovin’ handwork-makin’ 10yod. Thanks for the great idea!
I have been loving small projects like this for the summer. I don’t have the attention span to do a big project, and one-day projects are so great for taking to the pool or on day trips to the coast.
Such a sweet design! I’m running right now to my vintage hankie box to choose just the right one to stitch upon. Thanks so much!
Thank you for the transfer technique! I have been thinking of doing some pretty, simple embroidery on kitchen towels, but didn’t want to use expensive transfer paper. This is the perfect solution. Now I just need some cool doodles.
What a cute idea to make the sampler in green rather than red!!
i am so impressed by margie….
her inspiration seems to be drawn by the beauty in this world. i love that she uses such sweet old fashioned techniques but breathes new life into them…
love this project.
i’m gonna bust out my embroidery thread!!! it’s been 30 or so years…
elke
I am in a quilt postcard group and we recently did redwork, i love the green work idea, nice to see something new.
wow…that looks very pretty
I love this, it is so sweet and simple!
Oh Margie as always this is amazing….. I am spellbound by your
art, you have took something so simple (not simple to us I am sure
but in design) and made it a true piece of art! I will tryto make this once the kids start school… thank you!
Lovely project and a charming end result.
I’ve recently started embroidering and I agree, it is a really relaxing thing to do. The transfer method you use looks really simple – I’m definitely going to have to try that.
I agree with you about the relaxation quatlity in needlework. . . which reminds me, I need to do more of it as I so enjoy it. Thanks for the inspiration.
It’s beautiful! Thanks for sharing the how to.
This is a beautiful sampler. I agree that embroidery is a relaxing hobby.
I have been wanting to try embroidery!
embroidery is like riding a bike; you never forget it tho’ you may be a little rusty at first.
i just got back to it and my french knots are perfect.
best of all it keeps me off the computer with aimless exploring and adds immeasurable beauty to my life .
by the way, i’m almost 82 years of age
You make it look sew easy! It’s beatiful.
That is a great idea for tranferring patterns.
This is so cute, I love embroidery
Very inspirational. Encourages me to try something small where I don’t have to worry about fussy stitches.
I absolutely love the woodland-inspired embroidery. My step-mom’s name is Fern, and she loves all outdoor-sy or plant-motif crafts — I will definitely attempt this for her! Thanks for the idea, and also for the neat transfer method.
perfect project to put those summer memories…
thank you for the transfer idea and the template!
What a beautiful idea. I am just getting into embroidery and getting those stitches consistant takes some time. But so did crochet
. Next up, something for a new baby…
Great transfer tecnique! I never would have thought of it! I love really simple embroidery – nice! Thanks for sharing.
I love your transfer technique! I’ll have to try that!
I love the embroidery-so sweet.
How sweet. I love your embroidery transfer technique.
I love to embroider and this project is so sweet, simple, and I can share it with my children! Thanks for sharing!
what a great transfer technique! such an adorable project!
I’ve never seen this transfer method done before. Think I’ll give it a try!
I enjoy her website. Thank you for the template. I’ll stay busy this afternoon.
I love the embroidery on a handkerchief. And I love that it’s a short, beautiful project.
i didn’t know about the pencil transfer technique, either. it seems so obvious now!
this is such a cute sampler… and the green!
embroidery was my first craft- and i’ve been wanting to make a little something.
thank you!
Very pretty and I am in love with her porch…ahhh…what a beautiful place to stitch away!
It is the delightful simplicity that I find to be so inspirational. Now to find vintage hankies…
Thanks for the tutorial. I like handwork and will do this one. Cute and easy!!
So beautiful and definitely inspiring!
This is really adorable. green is my favorite color!!
So simple and cute. Great work!
I was just at the thrift store and saw a few hoops there…I was debating…I need to go back now and see if they are still there. Hopefully so, because I would love to try this project for a pillow case.
Wow, that greenwork embroidery is *so* sweet! I am definitely going to try that transfer technique, too. I have used one of those heat transfer pencils, but this is pretty neat!
I love how you transferred it. great idea.
Wonderful and simple! Thanks so much for sharing this and the lovely pictures!
That is beautiful!
Really adorable! I like that method of transferring your drawing – great idea!
Beautiful sampler and I love your drawings! The transfer method is cool, too.
I’ve never heard of transferring designs this way nor have I ever stitched anything on a hankie so I have got to try this now. I love the pattern and the idea of doing it all in green floss. Thanks, Margie!
Can’t wait to try that transfer method!
This is just lovely! I downloaded your PDF and can’t wait to get started. Thanks for sharing all your nature-inspired photos and thoughts.
I’ve been thinking about embroidery a lot lately and this is really cute. I also like our transfer method. Cool.
This is such a great project to learn to embroider, which is something I have been planning to do for awhile. Thank you.
oh brilliant transfer!! I love it! the drawing itself is super sweet too
I still remeber reading those Erica Wilson books as a child, watching my mom make things. I love your blog
jen
Handsewing on a hot summer day, in the Adirondack chair under the shade of my apple tree. Bliss. Thanks for this adorable idea – especially a lovely way to use antique linens hidden away in the cedar chest.
The transfer issue is one of the things that’s stopped me from embracing a free-er style of embroidery, so this is really helpful! I’ve recently learnt to do french knots and lazy daisy stitch, so this sampler might help me get slightly better at them!
The looks great!
I envy you, my summer has been full of rain…
that’s really cool…it’s another reminder for me to try embroidery again. I know a couple of stitches but only learned them in context of making felt food. I’ve been wanting to do something more picturesque but felt like I couldn’t start unless I had the “right this-or-that.” This just shows you can use what you have and still get something good at the end.
It is beautiful. Love your transfer technique. I will give it a try.
So cute! i like the way you transferred the drawing to the fabric. I’ll have to try that.
thank you for inspiring me to pick up my embroidery again! i really love this design and am happy to have stumbled across your blog from sew, mama, sew. my last name is “fearn” and i love nature, so i’ll have to try it out. thanks again!
Aw this is wonderful …
These are some of my favourite things, too. And green in summer is so refreshing !
Margie is the best !
x x x
___mathyld___
I adore this.
it is truly the first embroidery that has made me WANT to do it.
Thank you so much for your art. Very CUTE
.
What a great little project! Think I might have to go for a nature walk tomorrow and find some of my favorite things as well.
Love your transfer technique. Will definitely give it a try this weekend!! Thanks:)
Margie’s work is stunning. I love this embroidery! The green thread against the white hanky looks so crisp.
I do like to embroider, and I’ve been doing it more, but I have a hard time taking the time out to do it. For this reason, I embroider most on a trip – in the car and away from my sewing machine.
Margie, All of your work is so pretty and your style is so distinctive. I love the sampler!
This is so cute, bookmarking this to make my own favorite things embroidery later
What a great sampler! This will be bookmarked for later.