I meant to add that I used Sulky 12 wt. thread (on a spool), a size 8 embroidery needle, and a small wood hoop to do this embroidery. The Sulky thread gives a finer line and doesn't tangle up as badly as the regular DMC floss. I like the look of the 12 wt. thread very much.

What beautiful hand work you do. Can I be on your Christmas list? LOL The butterflies are my favorites!
Hope everyone that receives them appreciates and enjoys them.

How lovely! Are they your own designs?

Thank you for sharing your embroidered towels, they are lovely. It is so much more fun to use special towels.

Very nice stitching. You made me smile as I just picked up a whole roll of cloth with the idea of doing some "Ukrainian style" embroidery on it. It is very pricey to purchase when you can find it and the labor to do it is quite intensive as you have to deal with counting out stitches (basically a counted cross stitch) to make very wide bands of pattern. I've done a small cloth a few years back and enjoyed it so when I found an unopened tube of cloth at the local thrift, I decided to do more. Sometimes it is nice to switch to something different but still in the stiching line. Thanks for adding this subject.

The dolphin and seahorse designs I purchased at a quilt show. The vendor had examples done using the 12 wt. thread and I liked the look of it very much, so I bought a bag kit that had those designs. My sister has a beach house so those will be for her.

There are many sites on the internet that offer free embroidery patterns. Here is a link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Pattern Bee free stuff