Needlework scissors hand embroidery pattern

Intermediate · 4 colors · 1 kind of stitch

Needlework scissors: preview of the stitched design

A pair of embroidery scissors is shown open: its two pointed blades cross at a round screw, each blade two facets of satin stitch that meet on a ridge, a gray back and a paler bevel, the slanted cutting edge. Its two handles are bands of satin stitch, each ending in a pear-shaped finger loop, with two satin stitch collars where the handle meets the blade. It is all satin stitch, with gray and silver blades, gold handles and a rose pink screw and collars.

Size and details

Intermediate. Long satin stitches from a 5 inch hoop up.

4 colors of floss and 1 kind of stitch:

Satin stitch
Which stitch goes where

The stitched size and the widest satin stitch, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters	Satin stitch up to
3 in (8 cm)	1 × 1.6 in	2.5 × 4.1 cm	3/16 in (5 mm)
4 in (10 cm)	1.5 × 2.4 in	3.8 × 6.1 cm	1/4 in (6 mm)
5 in (13 cm)	2 × 3.2 in	5.1 × 8.1 cm	3/8 in (10 mm)
6 in (15 cm)	2.5 × 4.1 in	6.4 × 10.4 cm	7/16 in (11 mm)
8 in (20 cm)	3.5 × 5.7 in	8.9 × 14.5 cm	5/8 in (16 mm)

In an 8 inch hoop the widest satin stitch shape is 5/8 in (16 mm) across. Satin stitches longer than about 12 mm (just under 1/2 in) tend to work loose: divide the shape into sections, or work it in long and short stitch.

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

What you need

DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawHandles
DMC 414 Dark Steel GrayBacks of the blades
DMC 3752 Very Light Antique BlueBevels of the blades
DMC 3350 Ultra Dark Dusty RoseCollars and screw

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

Satin stitch 2 strandsHandles, backs of the blades, bevels of the blades, collars, screw

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.