Pulled together this design after a run of requests for culturally specific character embroidery. A 9-colour bust portrait, hands resting under the chin in that relaxed thoughtful pose, big cartoon eyes, and a headwrap taking up roughly the top third of the whole composition. Pan-African colour palette throughout: green, yellow, and red in overlapping sections with a large leaf motif repeating across the wrap, and brown locs tumbling out from under the right side. Nine colours in total, which isnt unusual for detailed cultural work like this.
Density sits at 924 stitches per square inch, making it one of the denser designs in the range. Biggest size is 5.21 by 7.01 inches at 33,757 stitches, smallest is 2.24 by 3.01 inches at 11,072. my main digitising tool handled the colour sequencing so the headwrap sections stitch from back to front, meaning the green base layer goes down first and the leaf detail fills register on top without gaps. The locs use a heavy directional fill angled to follow the natural curve of the hair falling away from the wrap. Use a medium to heavy cutaway stabiliser at the larger sizes, the density demands it.
A customer messaged me a few months back saying she made a set of tote bags for a Kwanzaa celebration and people at the event kept asking where she sourced the design. Thats exactly the response Im going for. Specific enough to feel meaningful, clean enough that it works on everyday carry items too. Pop it on a canvas tote, put it on a denim shirt pocket, or stitch it on the bib section of a childs apron and it reads with the same confidence at every size.
Warm cream, burnt orange, forest green, and chocolate brown backgrounds all complement the headwrap colours without washing out the yellow sections. Skip white if youre using a thick stabiliser because bleed-through on the green can cause issues on lighter bases. Use a 75/11 needle for cotton and canvas, bump to an 80/12 for denim or heavy twill, and float a topping layer on any textured surface so the small facial detail stitches dont sink into the weave.
What people are using this design for
A starting point. The design works for plenty more than just this list, this is what folks have stitched it onto most.
- Canvas tote for a Kwanzaa or cultural celebration giftStitch the 5-inch centred on a tote face and pair it with Kwanzaa-themed tissue paper for a celebration gift that feels personal and made with care
- Girls backpack badge or pocket panelSew the 3-inch on a girls backpack side pocket or luggage tag so it travels with her every single day
- Denim shirt chest pocket personalisationPlace the medium size on the chest pocket of a denim shirt for a subtle cultural statement piece that works at school or at weekend markets
- Child apron bib embroidery for an African heritage eventStitch the 4-inch onto the bib section of a kids canvas apron for a heritage cooking day or African cultural school event
- Throw cushion for a culturally inspired living roomCentre the largest size on a cream or burnt-orange throw cushion so the Pan-African palette anchors the whole sofa corner
- Linen drawstring pouch for a natural hair care kitStitch the small size on a linen drawstring pouch and fill it with shea butter and a wide-tooth comb as a natural hair care gift
- Framed hoop art celebrating African identityMount the largest size in a 9-inch embroidery hoop with burnt orange fabric backing and hang it as wall art in a girls bedroom
Dimensions
5 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 3.01 × 2.24 in | 11,072 |
| 4.01 × 2.98 in | 15,656 |
| 5.01 × 3.72 in | 21,001 |
| 6.01 × 4.46 in | 27,002 |
| 7.01 × 5.21 in | 33,757 |
Files & Formats
Eight machine formats included in one zip. Whichever your machine reads, its in the pack.
Plus a color chart for thread matching. See full format guide.
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About the artist
Reyazul Masud Riham, hand-drawing every design on this site
Every design on Re Embroidery is hand-digitized by one person. Each file gets sketched, color-matched, and stitch-tested on real fabric before it earns a place in the shop. No team. No auto-conversion from images. Just slow, deliberate work, sometimes three or four days per design.
That's the joy I work for.
The hard part is finding my designs re-uploaded and resold elsewhere. So when you buy from Re Embroidery, you're paying one real person for the file you're about to download. That matters.
