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Materials:

" Machine embroidery thread: 2 shades of green, 1 or 2 shades of pink, Yellow

" Bobbins wound in same thread or white embroidery thread

" Tear Away stabilizer (two layers), or Perfect Sew Wash Away Stabilizer

" Water soluble fabric marker

" Machine embroidery hoop wrapped with stay tape to make it tighter)

" Darning foot or Spring embroidery needle

Helpful, but not required:

" Sharp embroidery scissors

" Pin point tweezers for removing stabilizer

General techniques:

• Put on a darning foot or use a spring embroidery needle (no foot or ankle). Drop feed teeth and release presser foot pressure if required for the foot you're using.
• Set your machine for the needle to stop down if you have that option.
• Bring up the bobbin thread and hold both tails when you start to sew. ALWAYS BE SURE THE PRESSER FOOT LIFTING LEVER IS DOWN, even if you have no foot on the machine.
• Reduce top thread tension so the bobbin thread shows as little as possible. If you're trying to use a white thread and have trouble adjusting the tension to keep it from showing, use the same color thread on the bobbin as the top.
• Use tiny stitches to start your stitching. After doing several, cut the thread tails and continue. End your stitching with several tiny stitches, too. It's not necessary to clip your bobbin thread as you move from place to place.
• When moving from one place to another with the same color, pull out some of the top thread and hold it out of the way.

Procedure:

NOW YOU'RE READY!

1. Trace the design on the fabric, but don't put all the details in. If using Perfect Sew, apply it as directed on the bottle and trace the design when the fabric's dry.
2. Put the fabric in the hoop and get it nice and tight. If you haven't used Perfect Sew, put two layers of Stitch and Tear under the hoop.
3. Sew the leaves and veins.
4. Wind a bobbin in pink to do the flowers. Stitch the outline twice, then go in toward the center and add more color. Leave some of the center open for yellow. Do the thistles with the same color and slightly longer stitches.
5. Wind a bobbin in yellow. Stitch some yellow into the centers of all the flowers.
6. Use the dark green in the bobbin and add some random grass and branches with the lighter green in the needle. (These aren't drawn on the pattern.) You can also add some more leaves and put color in the dark leaves if you like.
7. Put the yellow back in and add some little flowers in the grasses.
8. Now that you've straight stitched your first masterpiece, sign your name!
9. Clip threads on the back and gently pull away stabilizer, one layer at a time. A fine point tweezer is helpful to get stabilizer out of smaller areas. (You probably won't have enough patience to be able to get it all out.) If you've used Perfect Sew, thoroughly rinse the whole piece.
10. Wet fabric to remove the blue lines, (unless you've already done this,) and let it dry completely. Press wrinkles out.