Blackwork wedge medallion hand embroidery pattern

Easy · 1 color · 3 kinds of stitch

Blackwork wedge medallion: preview of the stitched design

A medallion in one navy thread has a ring of sixteen wedges around a star of eight points. It is blackwork: shapes filled with a small repeat of straight back stitches. The ring lies between an inner line and an outer line, each of sixteen sides. Eight wedges hold a close filling, and the eight open wedges between them are each parted in two by a line, with a French knot in each part. The star has a close filling too and its points reach the inner line, with a French knot in every space between the star and the ring. The star, the lines between the points of the star, the lines between the wedges and both lines of the ring are stem stitch.

Size and details

Easy. Simple stitches in one color.

1 color of floss and 3 kinds of stitch, all of them line stitches and knots:

The stitched size, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters
3 in (8 cm)	1.9 × 1.9 in	4.8 × 4.8 cm
4 in (10 cm)	2.8 × 2.8 in	7.1 × 7.1 cm
5 in (13 cm)	3.8 × 3.8 in	9.7 × 9.7 cm
6 in (15 cm)	4.7 × 4.7 in	11.9 × 11.9 cm
8 in (20 cm)	6.6 × 6.6 in	16.8 × 16.8 cm

In a 3 inch hoop the French knots are drawn smaller than about 2 mm (a little over 1/16 in). Use one strand of floss for them there, or choose a larger hoop.

The pattern is drawn inside a circle about half an inch (1.3 cm) smaller all around than the hoop.

What you need

DMC 336 Navy BlueClose filling of eight wedges of the ring, lines that part the other eight wedges, knots in the open wedges of the ring, close filling of the star, knots between the star and the ring, lines between the points of the star, star, lines between the wedges, inner line of the ring, and outer line of the ring

The floss is six-strand cotton; the stitch guide says how many strands to use. You also need a hoop, an embroidery needle (a size 7 to 9 suits two or three strands) and plain cotton or linen fabric. To frame the piece in its hoop, cut a square 3 inches (8 cm) wider than the hoop: a 9 inch (23 cm) square for a 6 inch hoop.

Stitch guide

Back stitch 2 strandsClose filling of eight wedges of the ring, lines that part the other eight wedges, close filling of the star
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsKnots in the open wedges of the ring, knots between the star and the ring
Stem stitch 2 or 3 strandsLines between the points of the star, star, lines between the wedges, inner line of the ring, outer line of the ring

Getting it onto your fabric

The PDF holds the pattern twice at actual size: once as drawn, and once mirrored for an iron-on transfer pen. Print it at 100% with scaling off and check the one-inch square (25.4 mm) with a ruler before you trace. How to transfer a pattern explains tracing, carbon paper and the other ways. The files are under Downloads.