Embroidery Ideas How the patterns are made

Free embroidery letter patterns

Type a name below to get a printable pattern in one of five single-line fonts, or download a whole alphabet. Every letter is drawn as one clean line, so it can be traced and backstitched without guessing where the outline goes. Print at 100% and check the 5 cm scale bar.

Make a name pattern

Font
Capital height

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Printable embroidery alphabets

Each PDF has capitals, lowercase, numbers and symbols on separate pages, with capital letters 20 mm tall and a dashed baseline under every row to keep the letters level when you trace them.

Stitching order, letter by letter

Each line starts at its dot and runs the way the arrow points; numbers start again at 1 in every letter. This is the order the font draws its lines, a natural writing order. Backstitch works in any order as long as each line is stitched in one go. Tick "Show stitching order" in the name maker to see it on your own name; page 2 of the name PDF has it too.

Modern script Capitals in the Modern script font with the stitching order of every line numberedLowercase in the Modern script font with the stitching order of every line numbered
Handwritten Capitals in the Handwritten font with the stitching order of every line numberedLowercase in the Handwritten font with the stitching order of every line numbered
Simple sans Capitals in the Simple sans font with the stitching order of every line numberedLowercase in the Simple sans font with the stitching order of every line numbered
Typewriter Capitals in the Typewriter font with the stitching order of every line numberedLowercase in the Typewriter font with the stitching order of every line numbered
Playful Capitals in the Playful font with the stitching order of every line numberedLowercase in the Playful font with the stitching order of every line numbered

How to stitch letters

  1. Print at "Actual size" and check the 5 cm scale bar with a ruler.
  2. Trace the letters onto your fabric with a light box or a sunny window. On a canvas tote or dark fabric the lines won't show through: use dressmaker's carbon paper, or print the PDF on printable stick-and-stitch stabiliser.
  3. Backstitch each line in one direction, about 3 mm per stitch on straight lines and 2 mm on curves (our guide; shorten further on very tight loops).
  4. Add French knots last, for the dots.

Time in the name maker is stitching time only (not tracing or setting up), our estimate at 4 to 8 backstitches a minute, a French knot counting as three.

Which stitch to use

Backstitch
The usual choice for names: a crisp, even line that is easy to control. Keep stitches short and make them shorter still around tight curves.
Stem stitch
A rope-like line that follows curves well, so it suits the script and handwritten fonts.
Split stitch
Bring the needle up through the middle of the previous stitch for a slightly braided line; it works best with an even number of strands.

Questions

What size should embroidered letters be?
For a first name on a tote bag or a hoop, 20–25 mm capitals are comfortable to stitch. Go down to 15 mm only with fewer strands of floss; small loops in script letters fill in quickly.
How do I transfer the letters to fabric?
Print the PDF at actual size, then trace it with a light box or a sunny window and a water-soluble or heat-erasable pen. On dark or thick fabric such as a canvas tote bag, the lines won’t show through: use dressmaker’s carbon paper, or print the PDF on printable stick-and-stitch stabiliser.
Why do some letters have a dot?
The dot on an i or j, and full stops, are too short to backstitch. Make them with a single French knot.
Can I use these patterns for gifts?
Yes. The patterns are free for personal projects and gifts, and the fonts are under the SIL Open Font License. Please link to this page rather than re-sharing the PDFs.

Fonts and sources

All five fonts are single-line versions made by Evil Mad Scientist and released under the SIL Open Font License: EMS Allure, from Allura by Rob Leuschke (TypeSETit); EMS Felix, from Felipa by Fontstage; EMS Readability, from Source Sans Pro by Paul D. Hunt (Adobe); EMS Nixish, from Nixie One by Jovanny Lemonad; EMS Elfin, from Mountains of Christmas by Crystal Kluge (Tart Workshop). Lines the original pen drew twice are merged so each is stitched once.

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