Graceful Dolphin Embroidery Design, Instant Download

Took a completely different direction from my cartoon dolphin designs with this one -- no round proportions, no accessories. Just a sleek arching leap with clean flowing lines. The body is in bright sky blue, shaded with darker navy along the back and fin edges, white belly highlight strip, bold black outline. It reads more like an illustration than a character -- the kind of thing you'd expect to see in a coastal home goods shop or on a sailing jacket, not a kids toy store.

I had someone order this last spring for a set of personalised beach towels for a sea-themed cottage -- she wanted something that looked nice on adult towels, not just kids items. Thats really what separates the graceful dolphin designs from the cute ones -- adults will wear this too. At 4 colours and 4 colour changes its a straightforward project, no complicated sequence. Stitch count goes from around 5,368 at 2 inches up to 22,699 at the full 6 inch size. The flow of the arc means the design looks good even at smaller sizes because the line doesnt lose definition.

Use medium tearaway on cotton and light canvas. Try the 4 inch version on a beach bag or towel border -- it sits nicely in a row of repeating motifs if youre doing a decorative band. Skip very dark navy fabric, the navy shading disappears against a dark background and you lose the depth. Zip lands in your inbox as soon as payment clears.