Free strawberry embroidery pattern

Just like strawberries and cream this fruity little jumper design by Cathy Eliot is sure to become a summer staple!

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Published: July 16, 2022 at 9:00 am

There's nothing more summery than the sweet smell of strawberries floating through the air on a sunny day. Embroider a jumper with sweet summer motifs with this cute strawberry embroidery design by Cathy Eliot. Stitch a mixture of mini strawberries, daisies and foliage to give your favourite top or jumper a summer twist.

This beginner-friendly design is made to be hand-stitched, so you don't need a machine to complete this project. The project uses four types of stitches, you can find more information on these below. Even as a complete newbie to embroidery this free embroidery design is a fabulous place to start, as it is quick, easy and satisfying. We're sure it'll give you the stitching bug!

Do you need some embroidery guidance and top tips? Make sure you take a look at our ultimate guide to embroidery, for lots of advice.

The strawberry embroidery was designed by Cathy Eliot and first appeared in Love Embroidery issue 4. Looking for similar projects? Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly inspiration and free patterns!

Stitches key:

For other stitching help, try our embroidery stitch library.

What you'll need:

  • Summery jumper or top
  • Lightweight, iron-on interfacing: see instructions for size
  • Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of cream, gold, light green, dark green, coral pink, mint, red, yellow
  • Water-erasable fabric pen
  • Basic embroidery kit

Free strawberry embroidery template:

You’ll also need the free strawberry embroidery template.

You will need:

  • Summery jumper or top
  • Iron on interfacing
  • Stranded cotton
  • Water erasable pen
  • Basic embroidery kit

Step 1

Turn your jumper or top inside out and cut a piece of interfacing to cover the whole area you want to embroider. This helps to hold the fabric steady while stitching, particularly when using fine or stretchy fabrics.
strawberry embroidery step 1

Step 2

Press the interfacing lightly in place, then turn the jumper or top RS out. Trace around and cut out the templates for the strawberries, leaves and flowers and arrange them on the jumper or top. Trace around the shapes with a water-erasable pen.
strawberry embroidery step 2

Step 3

Use two strands of stranded cotton for all the colours except gold, which is only one strand. For the daisies, begin by stitching the yellow centre using Split Stitch for the outline. Fill the circle in Satin Stitch, working just over the outline. Repeat this to outline and fill the petals in cream. Add little dots of pollen by making a couple of tiny gold Straight Stitches on each petal.
strawberry embroidery step 3

Step 4

Work the leaf veins in dark green Stem Stitch. Work the leaf outline in light green Split Stitch, then fill with Satin Stitch. Work over the outline leaving the veins visible.
strawberry embroidery step 4

Step 5

Work the strawberries in either red, coral pink or mint, using Split Stitch for the outline then filling in the shape with Satin Stitch. Use small stitches to begin with, to prevent the fabric from wrinkling too much. Once the strawberry is filled in, add the leafy top, by stitching on top of the fruit with layers of light green Straight Stitches. Add the seeds with a few small gold Straight Stitches on top of each other. You can also add small cream circles scattered across the jumper or top at this stage if you want to fill some spaces.
strawberry embroidery step 5

Step 6

Turn the jumper or top inside out and gently peel away the interfacing. Cut just outside the edge of the embroidered shapes, so the rest of the jumper or top is free from interfacing. Rinse off the water-erasable pen, and hand wash only as your work is delicate!
strawberry embroidery step 6

More like the strawberry embroidery

We hope you loved this strawberry embroidery hoop. Are you looking for similar summery projects? Don’t miss our free embroidered buttons pattern, which is an equally satisfying quick make! Try our sun embroidery, or the positivity badges project. We also have this bee embroidery or this lovely embroidered wall hanging.  If you are looking for a simple and relaxing project, try this beautiful yet easy wildflower design or plant embroidery.

About the author

Cathy Eliot

Cathy lives in London and has been embroidering since she was little, ever since she learnt the skill from her aunt. She also loves gardening and is inspired by nature for most of her work, which explains why it’s always so delicate and often features florals. Visit Cathy’s Instagram: @cathyeliot. Visit Cathy’s website.

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