pattern // stitch all the time, disco occasionally

My sister Grace is a big fan of Harry Styles, so in honor of his album "Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally." I thought it would be fun to update an old design I made of a disco ball embroidery pattern. Instead of just stitching this, I asked Grace to assist by painting in all the little squares. The result is something truly special, if I do say so myself. That's all thanks to my sister's talent. (Goodness knows I had no intention of filling these in with satin stitch!)

This is a free pattern, and there are lots of ways you can stitch it. Metallic thread would be a-MAZ-ing, it would look cute on a t-shirt, or if you're brave you can satin stitch the sections. We used acryic paint on linen, then added back stitch and a few sequins. It's one method of embroidery tinting!

DOWNLOAD THE DISCO BALL EMBROIDERY PATTERN

Want to see how this all came together? Here we go!



The fabric here is white Essex Linen. You can use any fabric you like, but natural fibers are a good idea. When in doubt, test some paint on the material.

Trace with a regular pencil.



Place the fabric in a 7-inch embroidery hoop while you are painting.

This part is where you can get creative. Using acrylic paint, each little square gets filled in with different colors. The idea is to have an area that has the highlight, with darker colors around the edges. They aren't supposed to be a perfect gradient and sometimes there can be some random bits of color.

I asked Grace to make this a more pink one, but if you search for disco ball painting, you'll see some great inspiration. Just mix the paint a little at a time, keep it bright, and you'll have something fun.



After the paint is completely dry, start stitching. Use six strands and a chenille needle so that the embroidery really stands out. The thread color I used here was DMC 02.

Because the paint makes a fairly solid surface, you need to be intentional with your stitches. If you poke the needle through where the paint is, it will leave a hole, so be gentle as you come up through the fabric. Check that the needle is coming through in the correct spot before it fully comes through.

The face and sparkle markings on the disco ball won't show after painting, so you may need to re-trace those. Or just freehand stitch them.



If you want to add some sequins, use two or three strands. Stitch the sequins down with a little star shape.

I only added the sequins to the sparkles on the disco ball, but I may go back and add some more.



And you're all finished! This is such a fun project, whether you love Harry Styles or simply enjoy a bit of sparkle in your life.

Happy Stitching!