Free French Knot Sailboat Embroidery Design

Set Sail with Style: A Free Embroidery Pattern Featuring a Fun Colored Sailboat

Bring a touch of summer serenity to your stitching with this charming free sailboat embroidery pattern. Perfect for beginners and seasoned stitchers alike, this design invites you to explore texture and detail through one of the most beloved stitches in embroidery—the French knot.

Design Features

This whimsical sailboat pattern captures gentle waves, bright sunshine, fun colors, and of course, your French knots. The French knots add lovely dimension and color to this free pattern.

Steps for making a French knot:

1. Bring the needle up through the fabric where you want the knot to be.
2. Hold the thread taut with your non-dominant hand.
3. Wrap the thread around the needle 1–3 times (more wraps = bigger knot).
4. Insert the needle back down into the fabric very close to (but not the same hole as) where it came up.
5. Hold the working thread tight as you gently pull the needle through the wraps.
6. Let the knot settle against the fabric—voilà!

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Items needed for this pattern:

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1. Fabric: A piece of light-colored cotton or linen works best.
2. Embroidery Hoop: A 6-inch hoop is a good size for this project.
3. Embroidery Needle: A size 7 or 8 needle is ideal.
4. DMC Floss Colors (suggestions below)
5. Scissors: Small, sharp embroidery scissors for cutting thread.
6. Water-Soluble Fabric Marker: To transfer the pattern onto fabric.

DMC Floss Color Recommendations

Primary colors are always beautiful, but if you’re looking for bolder colors that are not quite primary colors try:

• Red – 321 or 3350
• Yellow – 725 or 3822
• Blue – 825 or 792
• Aqua – 996 or 3849

Embroidery Pattern & Basic Instructions

For this project, you will download the pattern at the bottom of this post.

1. Transfer the Pattern: Print the design and place it under your fabric. Use a lightbox (or tape it to a window) to trace the pattern outline onto your fabric with a water-soluble marker.
2. Setting Up the Hoop: Center the design in your embroidery hoop and tighten it so the fabric is taut but not stretched too tightly.
3. Thread Your Needle: Cut an 18-inch piece of embroidery floss. For a fine look, use two or three strands of floss at a time.
4. Stitches to Use:
   • French Knots: Create small, medium, and large French knots all over, depending on the size of the dots on the pattern.
5. Start Stitching: Work slowly and take your time with each stitch. Embroidery is about patience and enjoying the process. Start anywhere you choose, fill in the area with the French knots, and continue. I prefer to start my pieces at the top of the pattern, but do whatever area you like best.
6. Finishing Touches: Once your sailboat is complete, rinse the fabric with water to remove any remaining pattern markings. Let it dry, and voila, your masterpiece is ready!

Tips for Beginners:

• Practice your stitches on a scrap piece of fabric before starting your project.
• Don’t pull your thread too tightly to avoid puckering the fabric.
• Have fun experimenting with colors and stitches—make your sailboat as vibrant and unique as you like!

Download your pattern here:

Here’s how to get the sailboat pattern: enter your email address in the form below. You’ll be subscribed to my awesome weekly newsletter and be the first to know when a new pattern is available. The welcome email you receive will contain the password to open this pattern and all the other patterns on this site.

Once you have the password, save it to your phone or computer, and enter it below to open up the PDF.

Try some of the other recent patterns related to the ocean:

Jellyfish

Coral Reef

Vibrant Tropical Fish

Island Paradise