A bright red cardinal perched on a bare black branch, facing left, with a small heart-shaped cutout right in the breast feathers. Off in the background on the thinner branch tips theres 2 smaller cardinals, barely there, like theyre just sitting quietly. Below the branch the words Forever in our Hearts are written in flowing script across 3 lines, with a few small heart outlines scattered around the text. Its a simple two-colour piece, red and black, and it doesnt need to be more than that to say what it says.
The red cardinal is done with directional stitching so the feathers have actual texture and the body reads as a bird rather than a flat red blob. Good density at 446 stitches per square inch keeps the red sections solid without the fabric pulling. 5 sizes from 2.45 inches wide up to 5.26 inches, heights from 3.5 to 7.5 inches. Stitch counts run 7,287 to 17,614. Punched in Wilcom EmbroideryStudio, and I spent extra time on the bird to get the feather direction right. Use a cutaway stabiliser to keep the dense red sections flat on cotton or linen. Hoop tight and centre the full design including the script lines below the bird.
Customers use this for memorial cushion covers, remembrance tote bags, anniversary keepsakes for a first year after a loss. One customer told me she stitched the 4-inch size onto a small canvas pouch and filled it with a handwritten note and some dried lavender as a sympathy gift. Youre gonna see this design used most on cream and ivory linen, which is where it looks its best. Dont skip the cutaway even on woven fabric, the bird body stitching is dense enough to pull without it.
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.
- Memorial cushion or pillow cover for a lost loved oneStitch the 4-5 inch size on natural linen for a cushion cover, the red cardinal reads well on cream or ivory.
- Sympathy gift pouch or keepsake bagMake a small canvas or cotton pouch with the 3-inch size as a sympathy gift with a handwritten note inside.
- Remembrance tote bag for an anniversary of lossStitch on a plain tote bag and give as a one-year memorial anniversary gift for a grieving family.
- Funeral service programme gift or favourFrame in a 6-inch hoop with cream muslin as a simple memorial hoop art piece to hang on a wall.
- Cardinal-themed hoop art for a mantle or wallUse the largest 5-inch size on a fleece throw panel for a memorial lap blanket, warm and practical.
- Memorial throw blanket or lap quilt panelStitch onto a heavyweight cotton banner fabric for an outdoor garden memorial marker.
- Garden flag or outdoor memorial bannerPop onto a small fabric card holder front as a remembrance keepsake they can keep long after.
- Personalised card holder with embroidered panelStitch onto white canvas with red thread only for a subtle version, removing the black outline colour.
Dimensions
5 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 2.45 × 3.50 in | 7,287 |
| 3.16 × 4.50 in | 9,545 |
| 3.85 × 5.50 in | 12,069 |
| 4.55 × 6.50 in | 14,689 |
| 5.26 × 7.50 in | 17,614 |
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.
