A red cardinal sits dead centre on top, perched right above the text block like its keeping watch. Below him two tall charcoal candles stand on each side, and between them the quote runs in that mixed lettering style: 'Always' in loose flowing red script, the next two words in solid block caps, 'forever' in red script again, then two more caps, and 'heart' finishing it off in script with a small red heart below. The whole design is wider than it is tall, more of a landscape proportion, which is actually useful for cushion panels and tote bags where a square or portrait design can feel cramped.
And this is one of the higher-density designs Ive digitised this year. At 645 stitches per square centimetre the satin work is tight and the thread coverage is very solid. But that high density means you need a cutaway stabiliser with a bit of body to it, not a flimsy one. Medium-weight to heavy-medium cutaway is what keeps the whole piece flat. The cardinal body uses directional satin so even at smaller sizes you can see the feather structure.
Stitch count runs from about 9,300 on the smallest size to just over 21,000 at the largest. The biggest size at 7.5 inches wide and 4.4 inches tall fits a standard cushion cover front with room around the edges. I had a customer reach out last winter who'd bought this for a sympathy gift and stitched it on a beige linen cushion cover, she said it was the most-commented piece shed ever made. Works on cotton, linen, canvas and felt. Skip thin silks or very open-weave fabrics since the density will cause distortion without the right backing.
Use a tearaway on stable wovens if you want clean removal from the back, but anything that shifts even abit hooped up should get cutaway. The landscape proportion also means it sits really nicely as a horizontal framed piece, stitched on natural linen and mounted in a rectangular frame rather than a round hoop. Add a topping on fleece or textured fabric so the satin script doesnt sink.
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.
- Horizontal framed linen memorial pieceThe wide landscape proportion sits naturally inside a rectangular linen frame rather than a round hoop, which makes a cleaner wall piece.
- Cushion cover front panel for a sympathy giftOn a plain cream or grey linen cushion the wide format fills the panel front without needing to be scaled up uncomfortably.
- Canvas tote memorial bagOn the front of a natural cotton tote the horizontal layout gives the bag a centred, balanced look that works well.
- Sweatshirt front chest panelStitched across the front chest of a plain sweatshirt the wider design reads more like a graphic print than a small embroidered badge.
- Cotton tea towel or kitchen textileThe medium sizes work along the bottom edge of a kitchen tea towel as a border rather than a centred motif.
- Fleece blanket centre stripStitched as a horizontal band across the centre of a fleece throw it adds a quiet personal touch to a practical gift.
- Memory quilt rectangular blockCut a rectangle of stitched linen and use it as a single block in a horizontal memory quilt strip.
- Fabric gift wrap panel on a sympathy hamperStitch on a piece of canvas or felt, back with heavy interfacing and use it as a decorative panel on the outside of a gift box.
Dimensions
5 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 3.50 × 2.05 in | 9,353 |
| 4.51 × 2.64 in | 12,009 |
| 5.51 × 3.22 in | 14,901 |
| 6.51 × 3.81 in | 17,911 |
| 7.51 × 4.39 in | 21,280 |
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.
Reviews
No reviews yet for this design. Be the first to share your make once you have stitched it. Tag us on Instagram and we will feature your work.
You may also like
Other designs from this collection you might love
Blue Flower Fairy Embroidery Design, Instant Do...
Cherry Blossom Branch Embroidery Design, Spring...
Frog Love Embroidery Design, Cute Valentine Fro...
Your Opinion Is Not Part of the Recipe Embroide...
Fustergluck Kitchen Rooster Embroidery Design, ...
Spring Floral Gnome Embroidery Design, Machine ...
Bee Farm Raw Honey Embroidery Design, Machine E...
Coastal Lighthouse Embroidery Design, Machine E...
Red Tulip Embroidery Design, Machine Embroidery...
Raven on Tree Embroidery Design, Machine Embroi...
Celestial Alpaca Embroidery Design, Machine Emb...
Dog High Five Embroidery Design, Machine Embroi...
Browse by category
Pick a theme, find the perfect design for your next project
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.
