Sat down with this portrait because I kinda wanted to do something that felt very intentional with the afro shape. The hair isnt just big and round, its actually digitised to follow the outline of the African continent. You see it clearly once its stitched out. The headband runs in red, yellow and green stripes sitting just above the hairline, and she's wearing a wide turquoise collar with small gold-yellow spike pendants hanging from it.
Ten colours in total: a warm orange-brown skin base, brown hair, salmon undertone, dark red lips, turquoise collar, yellow pendants, dark green headband stripe, red stripe, solid black outlines and shadow work, and a near-black for deep shadow detail. Nine colour changes, so youre looking at a proper sequence to work through. the punch came out of my software, which kept the skin tone layering clean so the face reads naturally across all 5 sizes.
Smallest size is 3.51 in wide at 9,256 stitches, largest is 7.51 in at 31,901. The stitch count stays manageable even at the top size because the density is 662, a bit lower than my more textured designs, which means it sits nicely on cotton without pulling. Use heavyweight cutaway for the fill density and add a topping on any knit or terry fabric to stop the stitches sinking in.
A customer ordered the 5-inch detail on natural linen tote last spring and it came out really well. The colour contrast between the turquoise collar and the warm brown skin reads beautifully on cream linen. Stitch it on a tshirt, a denim shirt, a canvas bag, whatever suits. Just make sure your bobbin tension is set right before starting on the skin tones, they show thread-pull more than the darker stops do. Avoid satin or slippery polyester without a backing sheet as the colour stops tend to shift.
Send me a quick chat if your colour sequence is off and Ill walk you through 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.
- Afrocentric tote bags and canvas shoppersThe 10-colour portrait reads powerfully on natural cotton canvas totes with the warm skin tones standing out clearly.
- Cultural celebration tshirts and sweatshirtsThe Africa-shaped afro silhouette makes it a standout design for cultural celebration tshirts at the 5-inch size.
- Black history month themed apparel and accessoriesCustomers use this regularly for black history month apparel runs on both light and dark-ground fabrics.
- Denim jacket back art and sleeve panelsAt 7.5 inches wide it fills a jacket back panel nicely and the turquoise collar adds colour without overloading the design.
- Framed hoop wall art celebrating African heritageStitched in a 7-inch wooden hoop on linen it makes a really beautiful wall piece with no frame needed.
- Kente-themed pillow covers and cushion accentsPairs naturally with kente-print fabric borders on pillow covers for a culturally layered home decor piece.
- Gift bags and fabric pouches for cultural eventsGreat for smaller gift bags when stitched at 3.5 in chest run on cotton muslin pouches.
Dimensions
5 sizes included. Stitch counts shown for the largest colorway.
| Size (in) | Stitches |
|---|---|
| 3.51 × 3.00 in | 9,256 |
| 4.51 × 3.86 in | 13,564 |
| 5.51 × 4.71 in | 18,899 |
| 6.51 × 5.57 in | 24,994 |
| 7.51 × 6.42 in | 31,901 |
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.
