Melting Smiley Face Embroidery Design, Instant Download

Its a melting smiley face and it looks exactly like what youd expect from a y2k retro shop tee. The face is a big round disc of neon yellow, filled in with horizontal satin stitching so the surface has that smooth flat look. Two squinting eyes sit up top, black filled teardrops sort of tipped sideways, and the smile is this loose wobbly grin thats starting to slide. The whole bottom half of the face is dissolving, long looping black goo tendrils dripping down and curling at the ends. Kinda like the face is melting off a wall.

Three colours total in the design: yellow body at 3,804 stitches in the smallest size, black outlines and drips doing the heavy lifting at 4,107, and a tiny white highlight just 206 stitches catching the top of the circle to give it that glossy round illusion. Simple palette but Wilcom did the directional stitching on the drip tendrils properly so they actually curve and flow, not just flat shapes.

I get alot of orders for this one from people running y2k-themed Depop shops and small streetwear labels. One customer last spring ordered the 4.99-inch version for a batch of black oversized tees and said it was the fastest-selling thing in her drop. And honestly thats been the pattern, the bigger sizes on dark fabric move faster than anything.

Stitch it on black, charcoal or deep navy cotton for maximum contrast. The yellow really sings on dark fabric and those looping goo lines need that negative space to read clearly. Skip white or cream backgrounds because the neon yellow washes out and you lose the pop of the design. Use a tearaway stabiliser on stable woven cotton, switch to cutaway if youre hooping jersey. Hoop firm, the long drip lines need it.

Smallest size is 2.34 by 3.51 inches at 8,119 stitches. Biggest runs to 4.99 by 7.51 inches at 25,685 stitches. But theres a lil sweet spot at the 3.67-inch mid size that fits a chest pocket placement perfectly. Hit me up if the file gives you trouble and Ill get it sorted.