Guest Post: Florists' Cineraria, a Brazilian Embroidery Piece by Judy Borreson Caruso

Judy Borreson Caruso’s lovely Florists’ Cineraria invites stitchers to explore stitching with the rayon threads used in Brazilian embroidery. This embroidery discipline uses rayon threads with surface embroidery stitches such as French knot, bullion stitch, and other wrapped and knotted stitches, to create elegant dimensional embroidery. Florists’ Cineraria offers a wonderful introduction to Brazilian embroidery, and Judy has provided step-by-step instructions for all of the featured stitches to make it easy for beginning-level stitchers to follow.

Notes

The rayon threads used in Brazilian embroidery are Z-twist. Many threads such as cotton floss are manufactured with an S-twist. The thread twist is important as stitches created with Z-twist threads are often stitched differently than stitches created with S-twist threads. Read the directions for each stitch to ensure you are executing the stitch correctly.

The EdMar™ rayon thread skeins are cut at the knot. Slide thread out from the tag loop and cut the threads that are directly attached at the knot. Slowly untwist the thread. There will be meter-length threads. Stitch with these meter-length threads. A needle-threader may help in getting the thread through the needle eye. Before stitching, one end of the thread is placed through the needle eye, leaving a 4-inch tail, and the other thread end is secured with a quilter’s knot or a double knot with a ¼ inch tail.

When you are done stitching with a thread or there are only 4-5 inches left on the needle, bring the thread to the back. On the backside of the fabric, slide the thread through some existing threads, if available, and secure with a quilter’s knot or two overhand knots. Leave a ¼ inch tail beyond the knot when cutting.

When you are done stitching, place the piece in cool water with mild hand dishwashing soap and soak for a few hours. The blue lines will disappear. Rinse in cool water. Place the piece upside down on a fluffy towel and roll to remove excess water. Then place in a hoop to stretch the piece and dry using a hand air dryer on air-only or low setting. If the threads bleed, soak longer and dry as quickly as you can.

Embroidery Level:

Advanced Beginner

Materials and Instruments

Cineraria design – Click here to download
7” x 7” (or larger) high-thread-count fabric such as trigger cloth (lighter cloth such as quilting fabric may be used when lined with muslin)
Milliners needles in sizes 1, 5, and 7
Canvas needle, optional
6” x 6” embroidery hoop, or hoop size that fits the fabric
EdMar™ rayon thread: Glory 206, Iris 121, Iris 204, Iris 233, Lola 233 (or colors of your choosing)
Marvy LePen washout ink pen or medium-colored Crayola Fine Line Washable Marker
Embroidery scissors

Stitches You Will Use (photo guide included below):

Alternating satin stitch leaf stitch
Lazy daisy stitch
Bullion stitch
Detached buttonhole stitch
French knots
Straight stitch
Couching stitch

Instructions

Transferring Design to the Fabric and Placing in the Hoop

Iron the fabric first, if needed. Tape the paper design to a light board, window, or transparent glass tabletop. Center the fabric on top of the design and secure it with tape. Trace with the washable marker of your choice.

Do not apply heat to the marker lines. They may become permanent. When you are done stitching, you will wash in cool water to remove the lines.

Place fabric (and muslin, if needed) in the hoop. If you are using a plastic hoop with a screw, note that the bottom piece says “this side up” on one edge. The screw piece lies above the fabric and the other hoop piece lies under the fabric.

Stitching the Cineraria

Leaves

Using Iris 121 and Milliners #5 needle, stitch leaves with alternating satin stitch leaf stitch. After all the stitching is complete, finish the leaves with Glory 206. See leaf finishing information at the end of these directions.

**Alternating Satin Stitch Leaf Figure 1.** Hide thread in middle of leaf (not on the vein) so that the knot tails won’t show.

**Alternating Satin Stitch Leaf Figure 2.**
Bring the needle up at the tip of the leaf.

**Alternating Satin Stitch Leaf Figure 3.** Bring the needle down at the top of the leaf vein. The leaf vein should extend from the base of the leaf to about ½ to ⅔ up the center of the leaf. If a vein is not drawn on the fabric, use a washable marker to draw one.

**Alternating Satin Stitch Leaf Figure 4.** Bring the needle up at the right side of the leaf just below the tip and back down in the same tip of vein.

**Alternating Satin Stitch Leaf Figure 5.** Draw thread up on the left side of the leaf tip and go down into the same tip of vein. For the next pair of right/left stitches, go down the vein one thread-width. Continue down the vein with right/left stitches sharing the same vein location, keeping the angle of the thread consistent.

Alternating Satin Stitch Leaf Figure 6. Completed leaf.

Petals

Each flower has 5 double petals. Using Iris 233 and Milliners #5 needle, create a 10-wrap bullion inside each rectangle. Each flower will have 10 bullions. Using Lola 233 and Milliners’ #1 needle, stitch a lazy daisy stitch around each bullion (10 lazy-daisy stitches). For the lazy daisy stitch, bring the threaded needle up at the base of the petal, below the bullion to start the stitch.

**Bullion Figure 1 Right-Handed.** Bring the needle up at A and down at B, scooping just to the right of A. Do not pull through. It may be easier to stitch from left to right.

**Bullion Figure 1 Left- Handed.** This is similar to the Right-Handed version, except the needle tip is to the left of A. Do not pull through. It may be easier to stitch from right to left.

**Bullion Figure 2 Right-Handed.** Wrap the needle clockwise, bringing the thread around the front of the needle to start.

**Bullion Figure 2 Left-Handed.** Wrap the needle clockwise, bringing the thread under the needle and around the back of the needle to start.

**Bullion Figure 3.** When you have the desired number of wraps, twirl the needle ½ turn clockwise to release some of the tension, if needed, and pull through.

**Bullion Figure 4.** Lay the bullion on the fabric. Run your needle under the bullion to even it out, if needed.

**Bullion Figure 5.** Bring the needle down just past the end in a straight line. If the distance on the fabric and the distance covered by the bullion are even, the bullion should lie flat on the fabric. To make the bullions form a loop above the fabric, more bullion wraps are needed.

**Lazy Daisy Stitch (sometimes called Single Chain stitch) Figure 1.** Bring the needle up at the base of the stitch. If you are right-handed, bring the needle back in to the right of the first needle up spot and scoop the needle point to the spot where you want the end of the stitch to be. If you are left-handed, bring the needle back in on the left side of the first needle up spot and scoop the needle point to where you want the end of the stitch to be. Pull through. This is a single chain stitch. Loop the thread around the needle tip and pull through.

**Lazy Daisy Figure 2.** Pull the thread through and bring the thread down over the loop.

Petal Details

Using Iris 204 and a Milliners #5 needle or a canvas needle, stitch detached buttonhole stitches on the lazy daisy stitches at the tip of each petal. Come up about 3 stitches down from the top of a petal (¼ inch or so) and stitch 3-4 detached buttonhole stitches on one side of the lazy daisy stitch, then come around the tip of the petal and place 3-4 more detached buttonhole stitches going down the other side of the lazy daisy. Bring the thread to the back and then go to the next lazy daisy stitch. The detached buttonhole stitches will abut each other where the lazy daisy stitches meet each other in the middle of the double petal. The buttonhole “loops” should go to the outside of the flower.

**Detached Buttonhole Stitch Figure 1.** Create a foundation stitch for the detached buttonhole, such as a straight stitch, stem stitch, or chain stitch. This example uses a straight stitch. Bring the thread up near one end.
If you are right-handed, it may be easier to work from left to right. If you are left-handed, it may be easier to work from right to left.

**Detached Buttonhole Stitch Figure 2.** Stitch a buttonhole stitch over the foundation stitch, working on top of the fabric. Create the detached buttonhole by holding the stitching thread above the foundation thread, bringing the stitching thread over the foundation thread and bringing the stitching thread under the foundation thread through the loop. You can use the eye of the needle or switch to a canvas needle. In this example, the buttonhole stitch nubs are going away from the stitcher.
These stitches are all stitched on top of the fabric.
If using a sharp-pointed needle, use the needle eye when stitching over the lazy daisy thread loop.

**Detached Buttonhole Stitch Figure 3.** Place the desired number of buttonhole stitches on the foundation. This example has four stitches. Bring thread to the back of the fabric after the last stitch.

Flower Centers

Fill the flower center with 3-wrap French knots with Iris 204 and a Milliners #5 needle. Stitch a total of five 3-wrap French knots with Glory 206 and a Milliners #7 needle. Each knot sits between the double petals where they meet at the center edge. See photograph.

**French Knot Figure 1 Right-Handed.** Bring the needle up and place the needle parallel to the fabric with the thread on top.

French Knot Figure 1 Left-Handed. Bring the needle up and place the needle parallel to the fabric with thread under the needle. (See right-handed directions, just place the thread under the needle)

**French Knot Figure 2 Right-Handed.** Wrap the thread over the needle (“waterfall”). This is one wrap. Work with the needle eye in your right hand.

**French Knot Figure 2 Left-Handed.** Wrap the thread from under to over the needle. Work with the needle eye in your left hand. Photo shows thread starting over the top – it should start under the needle.

**French Knot Figure 3.** Place the needle tip beside the original needle-up spot. Do not place it in the same hole as you will likely pull the knot to the back of the fabric.

**French Knot Figure 4.** The knot will turn out better if you hold the remaining thread taut with your other hand as you pull the needle through.

Finishing the leaves (optional)

To accent the leaves, stitch a straight stitch on the leaf vein with Glory 206. Also, stitch a border with Glory 206 around the outside of the leaves with a couching stitch. For the couching stitch, come up at the leaf tip and down along the right outside edge of the leaf, placing the needle in at the end (it may be at the bottom of the leaf). Couch the thread down in two or three places. Then stitch the left side edge of the leaf.

**Couching Stitch Figure 1.** Bring thread up at A and down at B, keeping the thread loose. Make sure the thread is loose enough so that it will fit over the line.

**Couching Stitch Figure 2.** Bring the needle up about ¼ inch from end (C), just outside the line.

**Couching Stitch Figure 3.** Lay the thread on top of the fabric along the line. Bring the needle down on the other side of the line so that the couching stitch lays perpendicular to the thread on top of the fabric. Continue down the line. In especially curvy areas, couching threads need to be placed closer together to get the curved line. Couching threads should be just long enough to cover the width of the line of thread.

© 2025 Judy Borreson Caruso
All rights reserved. Pattern is for personal, non-commercial use only. This pattern or any portion thereof remains the copyrighted work of Judy Borreson Caruso, and may not be reproduced, reused, resold, edited, published, transmitted, or uploaded in any way without express permission.