One of my favorite patterns and best-seller embroidery kits, the Peculiar People makes the perfect gift or embroidery decoration for your home.
Let me show you how I stitched this peculiar pattern and create a celestial decoration for your space. Allow your mind to rest and enjoy the beauty of creating!
Disclaimer: This post might contain some affiliate links, you can find my full Disclosure Policy here.
Project Overview
PROJECT SIZE: 10cm x 10cm (4 x 4in)
STITCHES USED: Padded satin stitch, French knot
With this pattern, we will have a look into how to transfer designs onto dark fabrics and how to create these beautiful raised shapes using the padded satin stitch.
Tools and Materials
Preparing Your Fabric
Before tracing the pattern cut your fabric into a 10inch (25cm) square. For this project, I used cotton fabric which I previously washed, and iron to remove any creases.
1. Cut your fabric into a 10inch (25cm) square
2. Iron your fabric to remove any creases
If you like to add zig-zagged margins as I did, you can use the Dressmaking Zig Zag Scissors. This will create a tidier finish to your margins. Just use the zig-zag scissors when you would normally cut your fabric.
3. Create zig-zagged margins for your fabric
4. Use Zig Zag Scissors when cutting your fabric
Download the Free Hand Embroidery Pattern
Download the Peculiar People pattern from my Free Pattern Library. To get access to the Free Pattern Library fill out the form below and I will send you an email with your password. You can read more about my Free Pattern Library here.
Once you have downloaded the pattern, print the Cut and Trace file on A4 paper.
The pattern you have downloaded is full size, so when printed on the A4 paper will have the exact size to fit into a 6inch hoop. You just need to have the Fill Entire Paper option selected.
Note: If you do not own a printer, you can just trace the pattern on A4 paper, then trace it onto your fabric using one of the methods explained below.
Transferring the Embroidery onto the Fabric
Transferring patterns manually onto dark fabrics requires a different approach than the usual lightbok or window method. The easiest way to transfer the design onto black fabric was to use white carbon transfer paper.
To transfer the pattern manually using white carbon transfer paper, you can use this simple method:
1. Crop the tracing pattern as indicated
2. Place the white carbon paper (face down)
3. Secure the tracing paper and pattern with masking tape
4. Trace the pattern onto your fabric using a fine-tipped HB pencil or HB mechanical pencil
5. The pattern you downloaded includes a few directional lines which will help you later when stitching
6. Keep tracing until you transferred the entire design onto your fabric
This result would be good enough if you would start stitching straight away. But if you don’t, or if you’re using this technique for preparing an Embroidery Kit for a client, then you will have to reinforce the traced pattern. Imagine you send your client the Kit and by the time it arrives the traced pattern fades away!
For reinforcing the pattern I am using the SAKURA – Gelly Pen Basic White.
Go very gently one more time with the gelly pen over the traced pattern. Use gentle moves and don’t put too much pressure on the gelly pen. You want your outlines to be thin, especially for delicate patterns like this one.
7. Go one more time with the white gelly pen over the traced pattern. Use gentle moves and don’t apply too much pressure on the pen when re-inforcing the traced pattern.
Stitch Color Palette and Thread List
The pattern was created using just the primary colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue. For the skin, I used a peachy yellow shade and for the stars DMC Blanc (White) and a lighter shade of Blue.
If you wish to create your own color palettes I wrote a helpful guide on How to create your own color palette or you can have a look at other Color Palettes I created for your inspiration.
For the entire work, I used DMC stranded cotton. It’s your choice if you prefer one brand over another, both DMC and Anchor manufacturers offer good-quality stranded cotton in a wide variety of colors. If your brand of choice is DMC, please use the thread colors below. I also included a conversion chart DMC to Anchor and DMC to HEX RGB (in case you decide to use the pattern for digital display works).
NOTE: Please bear in mind that a perfect color match between brands is not really possible.
The Peculiar People pattern was stitched with one strand of thread. For the stars you can alternate between using two and three strands. Use this simple method to separate the thread:
The stranded cotton embroidery thread is made up of 6 strands. For a finer delicate outcome, you need to split the thread and use just one strand for the entire work. When stitching the stars use two and three strands.
Stitching the padding might take a bit of time if using just one strand. To speed up the process you can use two strands for the padding too.
In order to separate your thread, pull out and cut about 30-40cm length of thread from the skein, more or less the distance between your fingers and your elbow. Separate one strand and thread your needle. Use a needle size 5-7.
1. Cut about 30-40cm of thread
2. Separate one strand
3. Pull the separated strand while holding firmly the rest
4. Thread your needle (size 5-7)
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Stitching the Pattern
Before stitching let’s take a minute to think about the order of work. Since the skin sits under the swimsuits, start by stitching the skin first, then the swimsuits and caps.
For the people use just one strand of thread. When stitching the stars you can alternate between using two and three strands of thread.
SKIN: Fill the skin with Satin Stitch using DMC 948.
SWIMSUITS & CAPS: Fill the swimsuits and caps with Satin Stitch using DMC 347 (Salmon Very Dark) and DMC 803 (Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark).
STARS: Add the stars using French Knots alternating between DMC White and DMC 3840 (Lavender Blue Light).
When stitching the pattern things like the natural dynamics of the swimmers in the design will be considered. Your stitch direction should follow the directional lines provided in the downloaded pattern.
1. Before filling the skin with Satin Stitch, first outline with Split Stitch, this will define better the edges –using DMC 948
2. In order to create a raised shape fill in the outline you created with adjacent columns of Split Stitch – using DMC 948
3. Keep filling the outlines with adjacent columns of Split Stitch – using DMC 948
4. The First layer of the skin is done, this filling is also called padding, next step will be to add on top of it the Satin Stitch
5. On top of the padding you just created, start adding another layer using Satin Stitch. This technique is also called Padded Satin Stitch and creates a nice slightly raised shape. Follow the directional lines provided in the downloaded pattern. The Satin Stitch layer you’re adding should be worked at an angle, following the natural dynamics of the people in the design. The satin stitches should form a 90 degrees angle with the padding underneath.
6. Keep filling the second layer with Satin Stitch until the padding is completely covered. Your stitches should be very close together, but not overlapping each other or too loose leaving gaps in between.
7. Repeat the same process when filling the swimsuit and the cap – using DMC 347. Remember to follow the directional guidelines in the downloaded pattern.
8. Fill in the swimmer on the left-hand side by following the same process – using DMC 803 for the swimsuit and cap.
You might be tempted to go on and fill in the shapes with Satin Stitch without creating an outline and padding first. It is indeed a faster process, but I want to show you what a major difference the outline and padding makes.
On the left hand side is a pattern I stitched without any outlines and padding, on the right hand side is the one I stitched following the process explained above. The difference is huge! It’s really worth spending a bit more time and stitch it the right way.
No outline and padding under the Satin Stitch
Outline and padding under the Satin Stitch
Another major difference between the two is that the left one was stitched before I invested in a magnifying light. I didn’t know how much I need it until I got it. It really makes all the difference!
Yayyyyy!! Stitching is done and we have just one step before the embroidered decoration is ready for display!
Finishing Your Embroidery
For this project I decided to leave my final embroidery in the same hoop I stitched it. The Elbesee wooden hoops are not great just for stitching, but they look amazing up on the wall too.
You could take out your embroidery and frame it using any photo frame or a display hoop, but in both cases, you will have to finish the back of your embroidery.
The easiest method to finish the back of your hoop is to use a Running Stitch and if needed cut out the excess fabric. If you wish to cover the back of your hoop, you could do so by cutting a piece of black felt and then stitch or glue it to the back of your embroidery hoop.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed this tutorial!
I really hope you enjoyed the tutorial and please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or suggestions about stitching the Peculiar People pattern.
I would love to see your progress and end result too. Don’t forget to tag @makenstitch on Instagram and hashtag it #makenstitch so I can see your creations!
You can download the Peculiar People pattern from my Free Pattern Library. To get access to the Free Pattern Library fill out the form below and I will send you an email with your password.
The downloaded pattern can only be used for personal projects. You can read more about my Free Pattern Library here. Happy stitching!
More Embroidery Projects
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