Mariner’s compass block hand embroidery pattern

Easy · 3 colors · 3 kinds of stitch

Mariner’s compass block: preview of the stitched design

A mariner’s compass sits inside a double ring, as on the quilt block of that name: it has sixteen points, four long lying over four of middle length and those over eight short. Every point is outlined in back stitch, the long and middle points have one half filled in red satin stitch so that they look folded down the middle, and a gold French knot sits at the heart.

Size and details

Easy. In a hoop of 6 inches or less: back stitch and French knots, with some short satin stitches; in a larger hoop the widest satin stitches are long.

3 colors of floss and 3 kinds of stitch:

The stitched size and the widest satin stitch, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters	Satin stitch up to
3 in (8 cm)	1.8 × 1.8 in	4.6 × 4.6 cm	1/8 in (3 mm)
4 in (10 cm)	2.7 × 2.7 in	6.9 × 6.9 cm	3/16 in (5 mm)
5 in (13 cm)	3.6 × 3.6 in	9.1 × 9.1 cm	3/16 in (5 mm)
6 in (15 cm)	4.5 × 4.5 in	11.4 × 11.4 cm	1/4 in (6 mm)
8 in (20 cm)	6.3 × 6.3 in	16 × 16 cm	3/8 in (10 mm)

In a 3 inch hoop the French knot is drawn smaller than about 2 mm (a little over 1/16 in). Use one strand of floss for it 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 BlueRing and points
DMC 304 Medium RedOne half of each long and middle point
DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawCenter knot

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 strandsRing, points
Satin stitch 2 strandsOne half of each long and middle point
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsCenter knot

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.