If I’ve Ever Offended You – FREE Embroidery Pattern
Check out the FREE September embroidery pattern from The Cozy Cuttlefish, featuring a NSFW saying for the people who can’t handle you.
Lately, I’ve been trying to get out more and do in-person events and classes. I wanted to do a class where people could learn a craft, and have something to take home at the end.
I’m so lucky where I live to have people who are involved in the community and create space (literally and figuratively) for artists and other small businesses to grow. Because of this, I will be starting in person embroidery classes at Mattice Beauty Supply in Tacoma, Washington, with new patterns every month.
If you live anywhere in the area, be sure to shop at Mattice’s shop. Her inventory is curated and she will help you find exactly what you need, and make you laugh while you’re shopping!
Now, I know not everyone can make it to these classes, so I’m making all the patterns and instructions available, for anyone who wants to give them a try! So keep reading to see how you can stitch the September pattern!
If I’ve Ever Offended You…
Embroidery can seem like a stuck up kind of craft. It’s delicate, it’s fiddly, there are a ton of stitches to learn and everyone has an opinion on the “right” way to do it. This attitude can scare people off, which is a shame, since it is a very accessible craft, with a low entry cost, and infinite ways to be used.
When it comes to any craft, I am not a crafting purist. I believe there are lots of different ways to do the same thing. My motto is, if you like what you make and having fun doing it, you are doing it right!
With that, I also think crafts should be, well, creative, and a little silly! Embroidery is the perfect place to have some fun.
So this first pattern (probably) isn’t what your grandma would have embroidered, but I bet it would have made her laugh anyway.
What You’ll Need
- A 7 inch embroidery hoop to hold your fabric
- A 10×10 inch square of white woven fabric – I use a plain weave cotton
- Embroidery needles
- Scissors
- Marking tool to draw your design – I like to use a water soluble ink pen
- Up to ten colors of embroidery floss
- Optional: A bit of thread
- Optional: A 7 inch circle of felt
What Colors to Use
I always encourage people to use whatever colors you have or like in their embroidery. But, if you want to use the same colors as me, here are my suggestions:
- DMC 3821 – Straw
- DMC 444 – Lemon
- DMC 971 – Pumpkin
- DMC 350 – Medium Coral
- DMC 321 – Red
- DMC 814 – Dark Garnet
- DMC 580 – Dark Moss Green
- DMC 936 – Dark Avocado
- DMC 3834 – Dark Grape
- DMC 3823 – Pale Yellow
Embroidery Stitches in This Pattern
Back Stitch
The first stitch in this pattern is the back stitch. This is a basic stitch for embroidery, and for hand sewing in general.
To start, anchor your thread with a small knot. Starting from the back of the fabric, bring the needle up, starting one stitch length from the start of your stitch line. Then, bring the needle back down at the start of the stitch line. This creates the first stitch.
Keep bringing the needle up one stitch length away from the previous stitch, and back down so it meets the stitch before. When you’ve reached the end of your stitch line, secure your thread on the back of the work and trim away excess thread.
Stem Stitch
The next stitch used is a stem stitch. This is also a very popular embroidery stitch for outlines.
Just like the back stitch, the stem stitch starts with anchoring your thread. This time, you’ll bring the needle up at the start of your line. Then, bring the needle through to the back of the fabric, one stitch length away. But, while you pull the thread through, stop before it is tight against the fabric and bring the needle back up through the fabric, along the stitch line, between where the stitch started and ended.
At this point, you should have one stitch on the front of the fabric, with the thread coming through from the bottom, next to to the first stitch.
Then, you’ll bring the needle through to the back, about half a stitch length away from the end of the first stitch, and back up at the same spot as the end of the previous stitch.
Be sure to bring the thread up on the same side of the previous stitch to keep the twisting appearing of the stem stitch.
This stitch sounds may seem more confusing than the back stitch, but they are actually different sides of the same stitch.
At the end of your stitches, secure the thread on the back and trim away any excess thread.
Fishbone Stitch
Fishbone stitch is a great way to make textured leaves, and that’s what we’ll use it for in this embroidery pattern. It’s super helpful to sketch out the shape of the leaf you want to make before you start stitching.
With a knot to anchor your thread, bring your needle up from the back of the fabric at the very tip of the leaf.
Then, bring the needle back down about one third of the way down from the top of the leaf.
Bring the needle back up just to the left of the point, following the outline of the leaf shape you want to make. Then, bring the needle down just below the end of the first stitch, in the middle of the leaf.
Bring the needle to the front of the fabric, just to the right of the center stitch, then back down again just below the second stitch in the middle of the leaf.
Continue this pattern, alternating sides of the leave until the shape is filled. Secure the thread on the back of the fabric and trim away excess thread.
Satin Stitch
Another foundational embroidery stitch, satin stitch is a common way to fill in shapes. Like the fishbone stitch, it helps to have an outline to follow while you are stitching.
With a knotted thread, start at one side of the shape you want to fill and bring the needle up from the back. Then, bring the needle down, directly across from the first point, at the other side of the shape. This makes the first stitch.
Bring the thread up right next to the first point. Then, bring the needle back down right next to the second point to form the second stitch. The goal is to fill in the whole space, so you want your stitches right next to each other.
Keep working densely spaced stitches until the shape is completely filled. The stitches should look about the same on the front and the back of the work.
Don’t forget to secure the thread at the end of your stitches.
French Knot
The final stitch used in this pattern is the French knot. This fun little stitch adds a nice texture to any embroidery piece.
Bring your knotted thread up from behind the fabric, where you want your French knot to be, and pull the thread through.
Place your needle near where the thread comes through the fabric, and wrap the thread coming out of the fabric around the needle two or three times. The more times you wrap the thread, the bigger your French knot will be.
Gently pull on the thread so the wraps are close to the needle, but not so tight the needle can’t move through the loops.
Push the needle through to the back of the fabric at the same point the needle came up, while keeping gentle tension on the thread. This creates one knot.
Secure your thread on the back of the fabric when you’ve completed all of your French knots.
Stitching the Pattern
Get Your Fabric Ready
Start by tracing the pattern onto the 10 inch by 10 inch fabric with whatever marking tool you want to use.
If you don’t want your drawing to show at all in the final project, you can use heat erasable or water soluble ink pens. I like to use water soluble ink. When I’m done stitching, I just get the fabric wet and all the markings instantly disappear. If you use a pen or pencil, be sure to cover all the markings with your stitches.
Once your pattern is ready to go, place the fabric into the embroidery hoop.
Start by laying the fabric over the smaller hoop (the one without the screw). Then, place the outer ring over the fabric, so the fabric is pinched between the two rings of the hoop. To tension the fabric, alternate between gently pulling on the fabric edges, and tightening the screw of the hoop. You want the fabric to be taught like a drum.
Now you’re ready to get stitching!
Stitch each section of the pattern, following the color and stitch guide below. I recommend using three strands of embroidery floss for this entire pattern, but you can use more strands if you want a bolder look.
1. “IF I’VE EVER”
- Color 1 – Straw
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Back Stitch
2. “OFFENDED YOU”
- Color 2 – Lemon
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Back Stitch
3. “I’M SORRY”
- Color 3 – Pumpkin
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Back Stitch
4. “THAT YOU’RE”
- Color 4 – Medium Coral
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Back Stitch
5. “A LITTLE”
- Color 5 – Red
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Back Stitch
6. “BITCH”
- Color 6 – Dark Garnet
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Back Stitch
7. Vines
- Color 7 – Dark Moss Green
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Stem Stitch
8. Leaves
- Color 8 – Dark Avocado
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Fishbone Stitch
9. Petals
- Color 9 – Dark Grape
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – Satin Stitch
10. Flower Center
- Color 10 – Pale Yellow
- Strands – 3
- Stitch – French Knots
Finishing Your Hoop
Now that you’re done stitching, it’s time to get your masterpiece ready to display or gift.
If you’ve use a removable ink to mark your pattern, now is the time to take it out of the hoop and either iron or wet the fabric to erase your markings, depending on what kind of ink you used.
To display your embroidery in the hoop, here are a couple of options for finishing the back of your work.
Back Finishing Option 1
The easiest way to finish your embroidery is to put it back into the hoop and just trim away excess fabric, as close to the frame as possible. The stitches will still show on the back, but if it’s hanging on a wall, no one will see it anyway.
Back Finishing Option 2
If you don’t want any stitches to show on the back of your hoop, you can cover the back with a circle of felt, the same size as the inner ring of your embroidery hoop.
After placing the fabric back into the hoop, trim away excess fabric, leaving about 1.5 inches of fabric around the edge of the hoop. Then, use a quick running stitch around the edge of the fabric and pull it tight to draw the edges of fabric toward the middle of the hoop.
With the fabric tucked in, you can glue the felt circle to the back, or stitch it down with a whip stitch around the edge.
I hope you have fun stitching this pattern!
Click Here For Printable Embroidery Pattern and Instructions
If you’re in the Tacoma area, be sure to check out my upcoming events and come say, “Hi!”
For more embroidery patterns and inspiration, click here.
Do you know someone who you would give this to? Let me know in the comments below!