Owain Owl Embroidery Pattern

I can’t tell you how much fun I had designing and then embroidering this adorable owl hand embroidery pattern for you. Even before I finished drawing him, Owain Owl was making me giggle.

He’s such a cute, fluffy little owl with lots of personality!

I’ve kept his colors pretty natural looking but I can picture him in all sorts of fun colors. And believe me, he has the personality to handle it. 🙂

Owain Owl Embroidery Pattern

Material needed to make one hoop art Owain Owl:

• 12″ square of fabric
• 8″ wooden embroidery hoop
• Embroidery floss in colors of your choice
• DecoArt paint, if you want to paint the outer hoop

Download and print the pattern (scroll down for the link.)

Remember to set your printer to no scaling or 100%.

Trace the pattern onto the fabric using a light source of some kind.

For years, I taped patterns and fabric to a window and traced them that way. But that can get hard on the arms.

Then a couple of years ago, I bought a Huion LED Lightpad and that made all the difference. I wish I’d bought one a long time ago!

Once the pattern is traced, embroider it in whatever colors you choose.

If you’d like to make one like mine, these are the floss colors used to stitch Owain Owl.

Please note: Two strands of floss are used throughout.

The outline of his head, the circle around his eyes, his wings and tail are backstitched in DMC 433 Medium Brown.

The ruffle of feathers around his eyes, his tummy and tummy feathers are backstitched using DMC 437 Light Tan.

His beak is done in a whipped backstitch in DMC 3776 Light Mahogany.

Owain’s eyes are stitched in DMC Black.

Begin by backstitching the outer circle of his eye. Then make 5 or 6 straight stitches from the inner circle to just inside the backstitching on the outer circle… kind of like the spokes of a wheel. Then fill in with more straight stitches.

Leave the center of his eye unstitched.

Owain’s feet are backstitched in the same color as his beak… DMC 3776 Light Mahogany.

The backstitching on the branch he’s perching on is DMC 640 Very Dark Beige Grey while the backstitching on the small branches and leaves is DMC 3348 Light Yellow Green.

He’s just so cute. Don’t you just want to hug him!

If desired, you can paint the outer hoop in the color of your choice.

Give the hoops a light sanding with fine grit sandpaper.

I used 2 coats of Leaf Green DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic, lightly sanding between coats. Allow to dry completely.

Measure and mark 2″ from the traced hoop line all the way around and cut along that outside line.

To create a nice finished edge that isn’t going to fray, thread a needle with hand quilting thread so you have a double thread about 18″ long (36″ of thread.)

Sew a running stitch all the way around, folding under between 1/4″ and 3/8″ of fabric as you go.

After you’ve run a gathering stitch all the way around the circle, insert the inner embroidery hoop. Pull the threads to begin gathering the fabric around the hoop.

Add the outer hoop. Adjust the embroidery to get it centered just right.

Once you have Owain Owl centered in the hoop the way you want, flip it back over. Pull the gathers tight. Then tie and knot the threads. 

Weave the thread ends into the hem to make them disappear.

Now your hoop is ready to hang.

Or if you want your neighbours to give you looks like you’re crazy… perch him in a tree to take photos. 🙂

I hope you enjoy stitching Owain Owl as much as I did.

The PDF pattern for Owain Owl is available for purchase in my new pattern shop. Simply click the link below to be taken there.

Owain Owl Embroidery Pattern

If you stitch him, please post a photo somewhere on social media and tag me so I can come see. I’m @supermomnocape on Instragram, @1SuperMomNoCape on Twitter and @1SuperMomNoCape on Facebook.

There aren’t any other embroidered owl patterns in the archives but you can find a pattern to sew Archimedes Owl Pincushion in my shop.

And in the last Santa Sack Swap I took part in, I made a tote bag for my partner Debbie with an embroidered owl (not my pattern.) It was her love of owls that was my inspiration to create both the tote and the owl pincushion and later turn it into a pattern.

Be sure to save the Owain Owl Embroidery Pattern to your favorite Pinterest board by clicking on the button underneath this post.

And of course, I’d love it if you share it on Facebook and Twitter as well. 🙂

I would be so pleased if you chose to share by clicking on one of the buttons below!