January FREE Embroidery Pattern – Authentically Chaotic
Set your New Year’s resolution to be authentically chaotic with the FREE January embroidery pattern from The Cozy Cuttlefish.

It’s already 2025, if you can believe it. With everything getting stranger every year, why not resolve to be your own authentically chaotic self this year?
This embroidery pattern is my favorite one I’ve designed so far! There are a lot of fun stitches to get lush texture for all the plants. Even though it looks complicated, it actually works up pretty quickly. It’s the perfect weekend project or handmade gift when you are in a rush!
If you are in the Tacoma, Washington area, be sure to check out my events page to see when the next embroidery class will be. As always, they are held at Mattice Beauty Supply. This is an amazing place to shop for any hair needs. Without Mattice, these fun embroidery patterns wouldn’t exist, so be sure to tell her, “thank you,” when you visit her store!
What You’ll Need
- A 6 inch embroidery hoop to hold your fabric
- A 9×9 inch square of cream woven fabric
- Embroidery needles
- Scissors
- Marking tool to draw your design
- About 6 colors of embroidery floss
- Optional: A bit of thread
- Optional: A 6 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 730 – Green
- DMC 936 – Olive Green
- DMC 895 – Dark Green
- DMC 470 – Bright Green
- DMC 891 – Pink
- DMC 915 – Magenta
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, 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.
Lazy Daisy

This popular stitch makes loops quickly. It’s great for making quick flowers or leaves.
Starting at the pointy end of the loop you want to make, bring the needle to the front of the work. Then loop the thread around and bring the needle back down at the same point.
Before you pull the thread all the way back through the fabric, brink the needle back up at the top of the curve of the loop and catch the thread to hold the loop open. Then bring the needle to the back of the work on the far side of the loop to secure it.
When this stitch is completed, you should have a loop with a small stitch holding it at the top.
Tip: for a more rounded shape, don’t pull too tight on the loop. If you pull the thread tight, it will create a more elongated shape.
Fly Stitch

The fly stitch is a fun way to quickly stitch a V or a Y shape, and perfect for making snowflakes!
With an anchored thread, come up at the tip of one of the arms. Then bring the thread back down at the tip on the opposite side. Before you pull the thread tight, bring your needle back up at the base of the V of the shape and catch the thread between the arms to create a sharp angle.
All that is left is to bring the thread back through to the back of the fabric. If you make this stitch short, you will get a V shape, a longer stitch makes a Y shape.
Blanket Stitch

The blanket stitch can be used as a decorative border or a securing stitch. It is made out of an interlocking chain of L shaped stitches.
To start, bring the needle to the front of the work at the beginning of your stitch line (1). Then, bring the thread down through the fabric, away from the main line you are creating (2). Leave this thread a bit loose so you can bring the thread back to the top of the fabric inside the line you just made, so it pulls the thread into a right angle (3).
Repeat these interlocking stitches for as long as you need.
Stem Stitch

The stem stitch is a very useful stitch for creating solid outlines.
It 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 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.
Ray Stitch

The ray stitch is just what it sounds like, a group of stitches radiating from a central point.
Starting at one tip of the rays you want to sew, bring the needle up from the back of the fabric. Then, bring the thread back down at the central point where all the rays meet.
Repeat these steps until all of your rays are completed.
Stitching the Pattern
Get Your Fabric Ready
Start by tracing the pattern onto the 9 inch by 9 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.
Having a light behind the paper and fabric makes it much easier to work with. You can use a window on a bright day, or a light on your phone or tablet. There are even backlight apps available.
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!
Authentically Chaotic – Free Embroidery Pattern PDF
Leafy Vines
- Stem
- Color: 1 (green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Back Stitch

- Leaves
- Color: 1 (green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Lazy Daisy

Ferns
- Color: 2 (olive green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Fly Stitch

Large Leaves
- Outline
- Color: 3 (dark green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Blanket Stitch

- Center Spine
- Color: 3 (dark green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Back Stitch
Branching Plant
- Stem
- Color: 4 (bright green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Stem Stitch

- Leaves
- Color: 4 (bright green)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Ray Stitch

“authentically”
- Color: 5 (pink)
- Strands: 3
- Stitch: Stem Stitch

“CHAOTIC”
- Color: 6 (magenta)
- Strands: 6
- Stitch: Stem Stitch

Finishing Your Hoop
Now that you’re done stitching, it’s time to get your masterpiece ready to display or gift.
If you’ve used 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!

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.
What’s your most chaotic trait? Let me know in the comments below!