Read on to download the festive patterns and get started on your new March activity. The designs are in a favorite style of mine, called Kawaii, which is Japanese for “super cute.” And what could be cuter than some Irish icons with smiling faces? These patterns are suitable for beginners, but they are also relaxing for more advanced stitchers. Because of their happy style, they would also be fun to stitch with or for kids. They would make a great mini quilt or table runner. Try making them into some ornaments for St. Patrick’s Day, or you could use the ornament technique and shrink the designs, then add a pin back to the reverse side so you can wear a shamrock on March 17. Now, grab your favorite shades of green, and perhaps a rainbow, and get ready to start stitching. Use your favorite transfer method and embroider the patterns however you like.
Fabric and Floss Ideas
Of course, these will look great on linen or other basic fabrics. You might also try embroidering the words or shamrock on green fabric with white or light green floss. For the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the pot can be stitched in black, green or gold. Then choose a rainbow of thread colors for the rainbow. Give your work a bit of sparkle by adding in some green metallic thread or blending filament.
Stitch Suggestions
These patterns can be embroidered with basic stitches, such as backstitch or stem stitch. Use french knots for the eyes, as well as for the dotted stripes in the rainbow. For the mouths, use a scallop stitch. This is worked like a detached chain stitch with open ends. This stitch also works well for forming the tiny shamrock on the hat. Of course, you can choose to make these patterns as fancy as you want, and adding fill stitching will boldly do that.
