Sometimes we’ve got the itch to stitch but don’t have an embroidery pattern on hand. If the itch to shop happens at the same time, well, time to visit a local shop and select something from the wonderful eye candy that tempts me! But if what if you don’t feel like shopping? Maybe you don’t want to deal with traffic. Perhaps the weather is yucky. Maybe the kids just settled down for a nap. Or maybe you just don’t feel like putting on shoes. Interwebs to the rescue! We’ve rounded up some great resources for free hand embroidery patterns.
Lucky for you, we’ve found some blogs and websites that offer free hand embroidery patterns! Some are for personal use only, some are designs in the public domain, some are vintage, some are modern, some are simple and some are complex – but there’s a pattern for whatever mood strikes. All are free!
Free Embroidery Patterns
Looking for inspiration for your next embroidery project? Browse through these great resources for free embroidery patterns.
Find one? Then what? We've written an article with different ways to transfer that great design to your fabric so you can get stitching.
Stitch Doodles has a broad variety of hand embroidery patterns for every occasion, including free embroidery patterns for beginners!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Looking for beginner friendly hand embroidery designs? CrewelGhoul has some great designs that use only a few embroidery supplies to get you started stitching.
If you love vintage embroidery, check out Craft Gossip – they share an entire library of popular original and vintage designs. Many of the categories are labeled with dates, so if you’re trying to channel an era you can find it here!
Creative Live has five free patterns for the modern embroidery artist. The designs have clean lines and a touch of modern edginess, so these are not your grandmother’s embroidery designs! Plus, there are links to other great embroidery sites.
Check out the great variety of vintage styles from French-Knots. With these designs from her personal collection, you will find lots here for children and Christmas so you can get a head start on the Holidays!
Knitting-and is another overflowing source of vintage embroidery designs, along with an eclectic collection you can make with computer fonts. So if you need a skull and crossbones design – or other unusual subject – in a hurry, you’ll find it here.
Mary Corbet has an archive of original patterns that goes back for years! She updates her list regularly, so there are always new designs on Mary’s site. Her collection on Needle ‘n’ Thread includes very pretty stylized designs. Many have a vintage feel with a modern look. And her stitch tutorials are awesome!
If you are looking for a few more modern embroidery patterns, then you should check out Patchwork Posse! There are free designs here that can be completed with just a few beginner stitches so it’s easy to get started with modern embroidery!
Pintangle connects you with an extensive library of embroidery designs, including alphabets for beautiful monograms. Because sometimes elegant is the only way to go! For intricate designs, printable transfer papers offer real precision, so the designs are more beginner-friendly.
You will love the cute, youthful embroidery patterns from Squishy-Cute Designs. There are six projects here that could become an adorable seasonal sampler. Fun as one-off projects, too!
If you need a stitch refresher, check out our story on 10 Easy Embroidery Stitches to Embellish Your Projects! Then you can visit Create Whimsy’s Embroidery Page to see what other artists are up to.
Love a design and not sure how to transfer it to your fabric? We’ve got Six Great Ideas for Transferring Your Design to Fabric.
