The lion walks straight at you, head low, body filling the vertical frame. Normal lion, abnormal colour. The mane explodes in electric yellow and lime green at the crown then dips into deep purple and electric blue across the face and cheeks. The shoulders and flanks switch to hot orange-red, the snout is pink, the eyes are pale and alert. Fourteen colours total and every single one earns its place, none of them are filler transitions. Its a pop art take on a wildlife subject and it dosent try to be subtle about it.
Fill style is flat colour blocking with crisp black outline separation between zones. No gradients, no blended satin shading, each colour section is its own clean fill so colour changes run in a logical sequence. Density at 919 stitches per square inch is moderate for 14 colours, which means stitch time stays manageable. Five sizes from 1.88 by 3.49 up to 4.04 by 7.49 inches, so its a tall vertical design. Works best on a jacket front panel, a bag front face, or a cap panel rather than a sleeve badge.
I got a repeat order on this one last November from a womens boutique gym in Cape Town that puts it on the backs of training crop tops in black fabric. They said the neon against matte black jersey is exactly the kind of thing members share on instagram without prompting. Run light cutaway stretch fabric without exception, the 14 colour changes and the density will pull a lighter tearaway off the hoop partway through.
Pick black or very dark charcoal fabric for best results: the whole colour palette works best off a near-black base. White fabric technically works but the lion colour map reads very differently without the dark negative space holding the zones apart. Avoid mid-tones like navy or dark grey, the lion blends in instead of standing out. Hoop the piece firmly and float a topping on any textured fabric surface.
Stitch this on black cropped jackets, dark canvas tote fronts, black baseball caps or dark denim. Use the 4-inch centred on a jacket back or the 2.5-inch on a cap panel for something that gets noticed without going too large.
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.
- Black crop jacket back panel statement pieceCentre the 4-inch on the back of a black crop jacket for a wearable art piece that reads clearly from across a room
- Dark canvas tote bag frontPlace the 3-inch on the front of a dark canvas tote so the neon lion faces forward and the black fabric acts as the built-in background
- Sports and gym crop top backStitch the 2.5-inch on the back yoke of a gym crop top in black stretch fabric where the neon colours hold under studio lighting
- Black baseball cap front panelUse the smallest size on a black baseball cap front panel so the vertical lion fills the panel from brim to crown button
- Dark denim jacket chest pocket areaPosition the 2-inch near the chest pocket zone of a dark denim jacket as a pop of neon colour against the indigo base
- Streetwear beanie or snapbackPlace the small size on the front cuff of a black beanie or on the front panel of a snapback for a streetwear-leaning accessory
- Art and design school bag or portfolio coverStitch the mid build on a black canvas portfolio bag or art school tote where bold graphic work is part of the identity
- Wildlife charity merchandise on black teesUse the 3-inch on black tees for a wildlife charity event or fundraiser where the pop-art style draws attention without a printed look
Dimensions
5 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 1.88 × 3.49 in | 11,144 |
| 2.42 × 4.49 in | 14,984 |
| 2.97 × 5.50 in | 19,093 |
| 3.48 × 6.50 in | 23,279 |
| 4.04 × 7.49 in | 27,815 |
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.
