Its an anatomical heart drawn in thick black outline stitching with no fill inside, just the line work showing all the chambers and vessels in that medical illustration style. Strung through the inside and around the lower vessels are a bunch of classic old-fashioned christmas light bulbs, the chunky teardrop-shaped ones, each filled in a different solid colour. Red, green, blue, yellow and cyan. Some bulbs cluster together near the bottom chambers and others dangle down along the vessel lines at the base. Honestly it looks like whoever decorated the heart just raided a box of vintage christmas lights from the attic.
My friend is a nurse and she texted me asking if I had anything christmassy that wasnt too cutesy for a healthcare worker, which is exactly how this one came about. Its got 5 colour changes for the bulb fills plus the outline thread, and 6 sizes from a tiny 2.5 inch wide version up to a 7.5 inch wide one. Stitch counts go from just over 5k stitches at the smallest up to about 16k at the largest. The outline stitching is the main body of it so stitching goes quite fast compared to fully filled designs of the same size.
Run a layer of tearaway stabiliser under your fabric, the outline work doesnt need heavy cutaway unless youre on jersey or fleece. On stretchy fabric swap to a light cutaway and maybe a water-soluble topping if your fabric has any texture. The thin vessel lines at the base of the heart are where you need the machine running steady, slow your speed a touch there or those narrow lines can wobble.
Use white, cream, grey or black fabric. Black is actually great here because the coloured bulbs pop off it and the outline just disappears into the base colour. Use a light-coloured bobbin thread if youre stitching on black so the underside doesnt show through the open outline sections. Text me through the shop if theres any problem with the download or the file itself.
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.
- Nurse and doctor Christmas gifts and medical professional apparelThe 5 inch on a black sweatshirt is perfect for nurses or doctors wanting a christmas top thats not too cutesy.
- Alternative Christmas sweatshirts and holiday hoodiesStitch the 4 inch version onto a canvas tote for a dark-aesthetic holiday bag that stands out from typical festive prints.
- Gothic or dark-aesthetic holiday tote bagsa 5-inch build on the back of a black denim jacket or hoodie makes a bold alternative holiday statement.
- Medical school Christmas party shirtsGreat for medical school end-of-year parties where students want something that references their field.
- Hospital gift shop stocking stuffers and staff giftsUse the 3-in size for a small zip pouch or card wallet as a stocking stuffer gift for a healthcare friend.
- Anatomy enthusiast holiday decor patches and pinsStitch onto iron-on backing for a removable patch for backpacks or jackets, works well at any size.
- Black fabric Christmas items for alternative style giftingThe smaller 2.5 inch size fits on a hat front or beanie cuff for a subtle medical-themed christmas accessory.
Dimensions
6 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 2.51 × 1.75 in | 5,163 |
| 3.51 × 2.45 in | 7,112 |
| 4.51 × 3.14 in | 9,231 |
| 5.51 × 3.84 in | 11,483 |
| 6.51 × 4.53 in | 13,760 |
| 7.51 × 5.23 in | 16,197 |
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.
