Lotus Flower Embroidery

Lotus flower, stitched with running stitch in DMC Perle Cotton onto cotton

The lotus grows up out of muddy water and opens clean and whole. It seemed like the right flower for a pattern about making something beautiful from whatever is on hand.

I stitched this lotus with nothing more than running stitch, the first stitch most of us learn and the one I come back to most. I used white DMC Perle Cotton on a piece of pink shot cotton by Kaffe Fassett. The slightly uneven spacing of hand stitching is what gives the lines their life, so don't worry about making every stitch match. A pattern like this works for a first embroidery project, and it also suits a stitcher who just wants a slow, quiet evening with a needle.

Running stitch is also the foundation of sashiko-inspired stitching and of the running stitches found in Indian Kantha. The same simple stitch that draws this flower can reinforce a worn knee, close a tear, or turn a stain into a new surface design. That is what visible mending is about: the repair doesn't hide, and it tells the story of the object.

You don't need to buy anything new to begin. Use a scrap of cotton, a linen napkin, the back of a shirt that's past its prime, or a mending project that needs some attention. Choose a thread you already own, even if it's a different color than mine. I've kept a commitment to use what I have for years, and it has taught me that the materials already in our drawers hold more possibility than we think.

Download the free pattern PDF below, print it, and transfer the design to your fabric. A window and a pencil work well for cotton, or you can use your favorite transfer method. If you make one, I would love to see it, so leave a comment and tell me what fabric and thread you chose.