Monday Project - Squirrel Embroidery Pattern

One of the Nana things I like to do for little c is dye and embroider jersey knit dresses - her mom puts little leggings under them and she looks so cute!  I've had a sage colored dress that I was trying to decide what fall type embroidery it needed.  Then I watched squirrels in New Hampshire a couple of weeks ago busily gathering their last acorns before winter and a squirrel it was!

One of the best places I've found to buy white, ready to dye clothing is Dharma Trading Company.  They have a ton of different styles and are really, truly helpful if you call them with questions.  The dress I worked on is a new one they carry - a lapped top dress.  This is a 6 month size and little c wears 12 months.  It fits, so I'm thinking these run a little large.


Materials List:
*embroidery floss and needle - if I'm sewing on jersey, I use regular embroidery floss.  On thicker materials, like a sweater, I use perle cotton (it's right near the embroidery thread in a smaller section since it doesn't come in as many colors)
*pattern - get here
*disappearing fabric ink pen - usually found in quilting sections or stores

See this past post here if you would like to dye the fabric you're working on.  See this past blog for tutorials on outline, lazy daisy, and french knot stitches.

1.  Print the pattern and cut it apart into pieces as shown below.

2.  Using a disappearing ink fabric pen, trace around the main squirrel body, head, and tail.

3.  With three strands of embroidery floss, use an outline stitch along all the lines you traced.

4.  Use small straight stitches to make v's all the way around the tail.

5.  Draw the facial features on.

6.  Use small straight stitches to fill in the eyes and nose and outline stitches to embroider the rest.  Trace around the acorn.  Fill in the acorn details.  Draw in the grass and the center for each flower.

7.  Use outline stitch to embroider the edges of the acorn, large X's in the acorn cap, and small x's on the acorn body.  Use outline and short stitches for the grass.  To embroider flowers, use the center to work lazy daisy stitches around and then add a french knot in the center of each.

Happy Creating!  Deborah