Tambourine with rosette hand embroidery pattern

Intermediate · 4 colors · 5 kinds of stitch

Tambourine with rosette: preview of the stitched design

The tambourine is laid flat. The frame is two rounds of stem stitch with eight evenly spaced slots, each outlined in back stitch and holding a pair of jingles (the small metal discs that ring) seen edge on, two short bars of satin stitch, and with three French knots for tacks between each slot and the next; inside the frame runs a scalloped line of back stitch, and on the head (the skin stretched across the frame) is a rosette of eight petals over eight more, all fishbone stitch, round a middle of satin stitch.

Size and details

Intermediate. A great deal of stitching; from a 6 inch hoop up the widest satin stitches are long.

4 colors of floss and 5 kinds of stitch:

The stitched size and the widest satin stitch, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters	Satin stitch up to
3 in (8 cm)	1.9 × 1.9 in	4.8 × 4.8 cm	3/16 in (5 mm)
4 in (10 cm)	2.8 × 2.8 in	7.1 × 7.1 cm	1/4 in (6 mm)
5 in (13 cm)	3.8 × 3.8 in	9.7 × 9.7 cm	5/16 in (8 mm)
6 in (15 cm)	4.7 × 4.7 in	11.9 × 11.9 cm	7/16 in (11 mm)
8 in (20 cm)	6.6 × 6.6 in	16.8 × 16.8 cm	9/16 in (14 mm)

In an 8 inch hoop the widest satin stitch shape is 9/16 in (14 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.
In a 3 or 4 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 3781 Dark Mocha BrownFrame, slots and tacks
DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawJingles and middle of the rosette
DMC 3809 Very Dark TurquoiseScallops and petals behind
DMC 304 Medium RedPetals

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 strandsFrame
Back stitch 2 strandsSlots, scallops
Satin stitch 2 strandsJingles, middle of the rosette
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsTacks
Fishbone stitch 2 strandsPetals behind, petals

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.