Spring Floral Embroidery Shoes + free embroidery pattern

Hello everyone!

Spring has sprung! These floral embroidered shoes are perfect for spring. The pattern template is free to download and I’ve also made a time lapse of my progress.

I’ve been loving seeing everyone’s spring photos in northern hemisphere 🙂 Its technically autumn in Auckland, this year’s summer has been really long and the weather is still very sunny! So, the weather is still nice and dry which is perfect for embroidered shoes.

Scroll down for the time lapse and pattern download.

You can also purchase this pattern + stitch & colour guide (which has detailed descriptions and diagrams for all the stitches required + colour guide and stitch key) as an ad-free printable PDF on Etsy.

I found these shoes for $3! at Kmart NZ and thought that they would be perfect to embroider on. I’ve been asked a few questions about embroidering shoes so I thought I’d run through the details here –

Is it hard to stitch through shoes?

Not at all! In fact, for the pair of sneakers I chose, I enjoyed that I didn’t need an embroidery hoop and that the fabric was taut all the time.

I would recommend choosing shoes that have no extra padding/lining on the areas you want to stitch. Also shoes with laces are the easier to stitch on (rather than canvas slip ons) because you can undo the laces and your hand can easily fit inside.

I also suggest using a slightly larger needle than normal and using a new, sharp needle. (I like DMC embroidery needles)

Do I need interfacing/lining?

You don’t need interfacing or lining yay! Shoe material tends to be a lot thicker than quilting cotton or garment material (e.g. tote bags or shirts). This does mean that your knots/back of your embroidery will be ‘exposed’ inside your show. Personally, I don’t glue or stitch any backing on to the embroidered area. As long as you wear socks you shouldn’t be able to feel anything at all.

Can I use normal embroidery thread?

Yes! You can use normal embroidery thread but just makes sure it’s good quality and colour fast (e.g. DMC embroidery floss). The colours might run under the rain if you use poor quality thread or fade quickly when you wear your shoes under the sun.

Free embroidery pattern download - HERE

Etsy: Step-by-step Pattern + Stitch Guide here.

This pattern would also be suitable to stitch on an embroidery hoop, a shirt or a tote bag!

The pattern also comes with a full guide which is perfect for beginners! Click here

The pattern guide comes with a stitch guide with detailed diagrams of the stitches, colour guide with the exact DMC thread colours I used and instructions on how to mount an embroidery hoop, transfer the pattern and finish the hoop. The guide also includes colour coded diagrams and printable templates for both shoes.

Want more embroidery patterns? Check out

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