This is the great blue heron design at 7.5 inches tall and its done as a proper wildlife plate on cream fabric, not a cartoon bird. Tall slim heron stands in shallow water with reeds and wheat stalks around the legs, head turned slightly left and a long orange beak pointing forward. The plumes on the back of his head fall down behind his neck like a small tassel and theyre what makes the bird read as a heron and not a crane.
Body feathers are stitched directional in soft slate blue with darker wing feathers laid over the top in pale grey, so you actually get layered plumage and not just a flat blue shape. His throat is white, the beak is bright orange satin and the eye is a small black bead, theres a yellow ring around it. The legs are thin black satin columns dropping down into the water and around them the reeds rise up in pale teal green and sand wheat tones.
Out front and behind the heron the wheat stalks fan out in a soft tan and yellow palette which honestly grounds the whole scene. Underneath his feet a small grey water shadow ripples out so he reads as wading rather than just standing on a flat patch. The whole composition feels like an old field guide page suprised onto fabric.
I sell alot of these to bird watchers and wildlife photographers wifes who want a hand stitched gift. Last spring one customer ordered a mid range version for a fishing camp lodge cushion set and another buyer recieved a few smaller copies for a coastal cottage tea towel package. Cabin throws, hunters den wall art, fathers day shirt fronts. The kind of design that doesnt date.
Comes in 9 sizes from 3.27 by 3.5 inches up to 7 by 7.5 inches. Stitches climb from 16,899 up to 42,548 so plan around 35 minutes hooped on the biggest. 8 thread stops which isnt bad given how layered the body looks, the colours repeat over wings, beak and reeds. Drop in a medium cutaway because the heaviest area sits at 810 spi in the wing fills. Run it on cotton, linen or twill bases in cream, sand or oatmeal so the slate blues read clean. Avoid dark navy bases, the slate blue feathers fade into the cloth and you lose the wing layering completely.
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.
- Cabin throw pillow accentCentred on a heavy linen cushion this brings calm wildlife energy to a cabin sofa without being cliche.
- Bird watcher tote bagStitched on a heavy cotton tote it makes a thoughtful gift for a birder who already has every mug there is.
- Coastal cottage tea towelPop a smaller size on the corner of a cream tea towel as a coastal cottage accent that reads handmade.
- Hunters den wall hoop artStretch the biggest size in a 9 inch wood hoop and hang in a hunters den for instant wildlife wall art.
- Fathers day shirt frontOn the front of a charcoal pocket tee it works for a fathers day gift for the dad who actually birds.
- Fishing lodge cushion setA medium size on the chair backs of a fishing lodge cushion set ties the marsh palette into the room.
- Naturalist journal coverStitched on the front of a fabric covered notebook it suits a birding logbook or a nature sketch journal.
Dimensions
9 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 3.27 × 3.50 in | 16,899 |
| 3.74 × 4.00 in | 19,623 |
| 4.20 × 4.50 in | 22,368 |
| 4.67 × 5.00 in | 25,549 |
| 5.14 × 5.50 in | 28,700 |
| 5.60 × 6.00 in | 31,955 |
| 6.07 × 6.50 in | 35,471 |
| 6.54 × 7.00 in | 39,043 |
| 7.00 × 7.50 in | 42,548 |
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.
