Light bulb hand embroidery pattern
Easy · 3 colors · 4 kinds of stitch
Download free PDFPDF, US Letter · 7 KB
A light bulb stands on its screw base, with a filament that coils between two wires, a glint on the glass and nine short rays around it. The glass is a stem stitch outline, the filament and its wires are back stitch, the threads of the base are slanted satin stitches, the rays are stem stitch, long and short by turns, and four French knots sit between them.
Size and details
Easy. Stem stitch, back stitch and French knots, with some short satin stitches.
3 colors of floss and 4 kinds of stitch:
| Hoop | Inches | Centimeters | Satin stitch up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 in (8 cm) | 1.6 × 1.9 in | 4.1 × 4.8 cm | 1/16 in (1.6 mm) |
| 4 in (10 cm) | 2.4 × 2.9 in | 6.1 × 7.4 cm | 1/16 in (1.6 mm) |
| 5 in (13 cm) | 3.2 × 3.8 in | 8.1 × 9.7 cm | 1/8 in (3 mm) |
| 6 in (15 cm) | 4 × 4.8 in | 10.2 × 12.2 cm | 1/8 in (3 mm) |
| 8 in (20 cm) | 5.6 × 6.7 in | 14.2 × 17 cm | 3/16 in (5 mm) |
- 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 BlueGlass, glint on the glass, glass stem and contact
- DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawWires, filament, rays and sparks
- DMC 414 Dark Steel GrayCollar, threads of the base and tip of the base
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
- Stem stitch 2 or 3 strandsGlass, collar, tip of the base, rays
- Back stitch 2 strandsGlint on the glass, glass stem, wires, filament
- Satin stitch 2 strandsThreads of the base, contact
- French knot 2 strands, two wrapsSparks
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.
Downloads
- Download free PDF PDF, US Letter, 3 pages, for a 6 inch (15 cm) hoop
- Download free PDF, A4 PDF, A4, 3 pages, for a 6 inch (15 cm) hoop
For your own stitching, gifts and handmade pieces you sell. Do not resell or share this PDF.
New to hand embroidery? Starting hand embroidery, step by step