Buttonhole flowers

I stitched these buttonhole flowers for my 4-year-old nephew.


While I was stitching, he sat beside me, watched me stitching over, helped me select the threads, and asked a lot of questions. It was fun working with him around. However, I never finished this. You can see the leaves are not done....

Sweet Pea --- Almost Done

I am almost done with the sweet pea project.



Leaves are done, however a quarter of a leaf is pending. One flower is to be stitched. I left it unstitched and started embroidering the leaves. Now, I am going to stitch the remaining petals of the flower, the stems, and the tendrils. Planning to finish it today.

My progress so far

This is my progress so far in the sweet pea embroidery project.



My thanks to Mary Corbet for her tips on long and short stitch on her website Needle'nThread.com. Am an ardent follower of her website. My long and short shading usually looks bad. But after reading her tips on needle painting and articles about Trish Burr, I started learning this technique quite seriously. I know that I have not achieved a great success in long and short embroidery techniques, but I could see some improvement at least.

Okay, bye. I will keep you posted....

Sweet pea update

I am done with the second flower out of the four flowers in the bunch. Here is the image:

Free Decorative Embroidery PDF Pattern

Today I would like to share a free embroidery pattern which I created. This motif will look attractive when stitched as a repeated design along the edges of curtains, table cloths, or skirts. You can also embroider it on bibs, tote bags, cushion covers, or even t-shirts. Here is the pattern:



This is just a rough sketch which I drew just 20 mins before.

Here is the one I drew using the graphic software, to give you some color ideas.

Suggestions for the stitches to be used:

For the flower center use, french knots or satin stitch. For the layer around the center, use buttonhole or satin stitch of contrast color, or you can fill it with two rows of stem stitch or chain stitch. The leaf-like petals can be stitched with satin stitch. I you want to have two color shades you can fill it up with long and short. You can also just outline the pattern with chain stitch or back stitch. 

Sew a shisha mirror at the center and beads arround the leaves or inside the leaves for an embellished look.

PDF pattern download link:

Free Decorative Embroidery Pattern   


I have not tried this design yet. However, if you try this, please send your work to this email id: flora.flowers.boo@gmail.com. I would be happy to show your work to others.

Also follow up with the upcoming posts. I have plans to provide a lot of free designs. I will update on the progress of my sweet pea project tomorrow. Happy stitching. Have fun.

Embroidered sweet peas

Sweet Peas in Thread: My Needlepainting Journey Begins

Hi everyone,

I’m thrilled to share a little glimpse into a project that’s been bringing me so much joy lately. I’ve recently embarked on a hand embroidery adventure using the long-and-short stitch technique—also fondly known as needlepainting. For those unfamiliar, needlepainting is a style of embroidery that mimics the soft gradients and textures of painted artwork using nothing but thread and patience. It’s a beautiful blend of precision and artistry, and I’ve fallen head over heels for it.

For this project, I’m stitching a bunch of four sweet pea flowers—three in delicate shades of pink and one in a rich violet—onto a cushion cover. Sweet peas have such a graceful, fluttery charm, and I thought they’d be the perfect subject to bring to life with thread. Here's the design I’m working from, which outlines the placement and flow of each bloom. It’s still a work in progress, but I wanted to share the first completed flower with you all.

The Violet Sweet Pea

Take a look at the image below—this is the violet sweet pea, the first flower I’ve stitched in this series.

The petals are worked in a blend of purples, pinks, whites, and soft grays using satin stitch techniques to create depth and dimension. While I don’t think it’s come out perfectly (what ever does?), I’m genuinely happy with the color combination. The transitions between shades feel soft and natural, and the overall effect is quite striking against the green fabric. There’s something magical about watching a flat piece of cloth slowly transform into a textured, blooming artwork.

Around the violet flower, you’ll notice the outlines of the remaining sweet peas—still waiting to be stitched. I’m excited to see how the pink ones will complement the violet and bring balance to the composition. Each petal is a tiny canvas, and every stitch is a brushstroke.

Looking Ahead
As I continue this project, I’d love to share my process, tips, and learnings with you all. Needlepainting is a technique that rewards patience and experimentation, and I believe anyone with a love for detail and color can enjoy it. In my upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing progress photos, insights into thread blending, and maybe even a few tutorials for those curious to try it themselves.

Thank you for joining me on this creative journey. Wishing you all a wonderful start to the new year—may it be filled with inspiration, color, and the joy of making things by hand.

Happy stitching!
--Flora