Sunflower Embroidery on Clothes: 8 Ideas for Denim, Shirts and Sweatshirts

Sunflower embroidery is one of the easiest ways to give a plain piece of clothing a bright, hand-stitched focal point. The big round center and simple petals read clearly on denim, cotton jersey and linen, and you can scale the same motif from a tiny collar accent to a full jacket back.

Below are eight sunflower ideas, each planned for a specific garment and a specific spot on it. Every project lists the finished size, the needle and stabilizer that suit that fabric, a thread key, which stitch goes where, and the steps in working order.

What You Will Need

• Six-strand cotton embroidery floss in sunflower yellow, golden or deep yellow, dark brown, medium brown and leaf green
• Crewel (embroidery) needles in sizes 5 and 7, plus a size 3 or 4 for heavy denim
• Embroidery hoop, 4 in (10 cm) and 6 in (15 cm)
• Stabilizer: tear-away for woven fabrics, cut-away or no-show mesh for knits
• Water-soluble printable stabilizer or a water-erasable fabric pen for transferring the design
• Small sharp embroidery scissors
• Thimble (useful on denim seams and pocket edges)
• Iron-on fusible interfacing to cover the back of the stitching on knits and kids’ clothes

Before You Start: Stitching on Clothes

A sunflower stitched on a hoop panel and a sunflower stitched on a jacket are different jobs. Clothing moves, stretches, gets washed and rubs against skin, so a few steps matter more than the stitches themselves.

Wash the garment first. New denim and cotton can shrink. Wash and dry the piece the way you will care for it later, then press it flat.

Always use a stabilizer. On woven fabric (denim, linen, chambray) a layer of tear-away behind the design keeps stitches from puckering. On knits (sweatshirts, t-shirts) use cut-away or no-show mesh and leave it in permanently: it stops the knit from stretching and pulling the embroidery out of shape.

Transfer the design with water-soluble stabilizer. Draw or print the sunflower on it, stick it in place, stitch straight through, then rinse it away. This works on dark denim where a pen line would not show.

Hoop only the area you are stitching. Pull the fabric smooth but not stretched. On a sleeve, jeans leg or pocket, slide only the top layer into the hoop and keep the other side of the garment out of the way so you do not stitch through both layers.

Keep the back neat. Start with a waste knot and weave thread ends under existing stitches instead of tying bulky knots. Loose loops on the inside catch on fingers, jewelry and the washing machine drum.

Use fewer strands on fine fabric, more on heavy fabric. Three strands are a good default for denim, two strands for t-shirt jersey and lightweight linen.

1. Sunflower Trio on a Denim Jacket Back Yoke

The yoke is the flat panel across the shoulders on the back of a denim jacket, and it is the most generous canvas on the whole garment. Three sunflowers of different sizes, joined by a curving stem, fill the space without crowding the seams.

Project details

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Design size: about 8 x 3 in (20 x 8 cm); flowers 3 in, 2 in and 1.5 in (7.5, 5 and 4 cm) across
• Garment: medium or heavy denim jacket
• Needle: crewel size 3 or 4
• Hoop: 6 in (15 cm), moved across the yoke as you work
• Stabilizer: tear-away

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 3 strands
• G: golden yellow, 3 strands
• B: dark brown, 3 strands
• M: medium brown, 2 strands
• L: leaf green, 3 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Main stem: chain stitch, L, worked from the left end to the right end in one continuous line
• Leaves: fishbone stitch, L, from the leaf tip toward the stem
• Outer petals: detached chain stitch, Y, one loop per petal, radiating from the center outline
• Inner petals: detached chain stitch, G, set between the outer petals and slightly shorter
• Centers: French knots, B, packed tightly, then a few French knots in M scattered on top

Steps

1. Lay the jacket flat, back facing up. Mark the center of the yoke and place the largest flower slightly off-center so the trio feels natural rather than symmetrical.
2. Attach the transfer and the tear-away stabilizer, then hoop the area around the first flower. Keep the jacket body and sleeves clear of the underside of the hoop.
3. Stitch the main stem in chain stitch. On heavy denim, pull each loop gently so it sits on the surface instead of sinking into the twill.
4. Fill each leaf with fishbone stitch, starting at the tip and alternating stitches from each side into the center line.
5. Draw a circle for each flower center. Work the outer petals in detached chain stitch, starting at the circle edge and anchoring each loop at its tip with a small straight stitch.
6. Add the shorter inner petals in golden yellow between the outer petals. This second layer is what makes the flower look full.
7. Fill each center with dark brown French knots, starting at the outer edge of the circle and spiraling inward. Add a few medium brown knots on top for texture.
8. Tear away the stabilizer around the design, rinse out the transfer, and press from the inside over a towel so the knots are not flattened.

2. Single Sunflower on a Jeans Back Pocket

A back pocket gives you a small, clearly framed area and a design that is seen often. One sunflower with a short stem and a single leaf is enough. The only tricky part is stitching through one layer of the pocket, not the jeans underneath.

Project details

• Difficulty: Beginner
• Design size: about 2.5 x 3.5 in (6 x 9 cm)
• Garment: jeans, back pocket
• Needle: crewel size 3 or 4
• Hoop: 4 in (10 cm), or no hoop if the pocket is too small to fit one
• Stabilizer: tear-away, cut to fit inside the pocket

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 3 strands
• B: dark brown, 3 strands
• L: leaf green, 3 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Stem: whipped back stitch, L
• Leaf: fishbone stitch, L
• Petals: fishbone stitch, Y, each petal filled separately
• Center: French knots, B

Steps

1. Center the design on the pocket, leaving at least 0.5 in (1.3 cm) clear of the top-stitching on every side.
2. Slide the stabilizer inside the pocket so it sits between the pocket and the jeans. This also stops your needle from catching the back of the jeans.
3. If the pocket fits in a hoop, hoop the pocket only. If not, stitch without a hoop and keep the tension light.
4. Back stitch the stem, then whip it by passing the needle under each back stitch without piercing the fabric. This gives a smooth, raised line that shows well on denim.
5. Fill the leaf and each petal with fishbone stitch. Fishbone petals look fuller than single loops and hold up better when the pocket is sat on.
6. Fill the center with French knots, wrapping the thread twice around the needle for each knot.
7. Remove the stabilizer that is not covered by stitching and press from the inside.

3. Mini Sunflower Border Around a Jeans Hem

A row of small sunflowers just above the hem works on cropped or rolled jeans and is a good way to practice the motif before a bigger piece. Each flower uses only straight stitches and knots, so it goes quickly.

Project details

• Difficulty: Beginner
• Design size: flowers about 0.75 in (2 cm) across, spaced 1.5 in (4 cm) apart
• Garment: jeans, lower leg
• Needle: crewel size 5
• Hoop: 4 in (10 cm)
• Stabilizer: tear-away

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 3 strands
• B: dark brown, 3 strands
• L: leaf green, 2 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Petals: straight stitch, Y, 10 to 12 per flower radiating from the center
• Center: French knots, B, 3 to 5 per flower
• Small leaves between flowers: detached chain stitch, L

Steps

1. Decide on the finished hem position first. If you roll your jeans, roll them, then mark the line where the flowers should sit.
2. Mark the flower centers along the line, spacing them evenly. Start at the inner leg seam so any uneven spacing ends up at the least visible spot.
3. Turn the leg inside out if needed and hoop only one layer of the leg. Never hoop the leg flat with both layers inside.
4. Work the petals as straight stitches from the center outward, like the spokes of a wheel.
5. Fill each center with French knots.
6. Add one or two detached chain leaves between each pair of flowers.
7. Move the hoop along the leg and repeat. Tear away the stabilizer when the border is finished.

4. Sunflower Buds on Denim Shirt Collar Points

A small sunflower on each collar point is a quiet detail that looks deliberate. Because the collar is two layers stitched together, you stitch through the top layer only, sliding your needle between the layers.

Project details

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Design size: about 0.75 in (2 cm) across
• Garment: denim or chambray shirt, collar points
• Needle: crewel size 7
• Hoop: none; the collar is too small to hoop
• Stabilizer: a small square of tear-away slipped between the collar layers if you can reach, otherwise none

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 2 strands
• B: dark brown, 2 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Petals: detached chain stitch, Y, 8 per flower
• Center: French knots, B, 3 knots

Steps

1. Button the shirt and fold the collar into its wearing position. Mark the flower position about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) in from each point so it shows when the collar is worn.
2. Bring the needle up through the top collar layer only, coming from between the layers, so nothing shows on the underside of the collar.
3. Work 8 small detached chain petals around a tiny center.
4. Add 3 French knots in the middle.
5. Bury the thread ends between the collar layers.
6. Repeat on the second collar point, checking that both flowers sit at the same distance from the point.

5. Sunflower on a Crewneck Sweatshirt

A sweatshirt is soft and stretchy, so it needs a permanent stabilizer behind the design. With that in place, a medium sunflower on the left chest or centered under the neckline is one of the most wearable projects in this list.

Project details

• Difficulty: Beginner
• Design size: about 3 x 3.5 in (7.5 x 9 cm)
• Garment: cotton or cotton-blend fleece sweatshirt
• Needle: crewel size 5
• Hoop: 6 in (15 cm)
• Stabilizer: cut-away or no-show mesh, left in after stitching

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 3 strands
• G: golden yellow, 3 strands
• B: dark brown, 3 strands
• L: leaf green, 3 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Stem: chain stitch, L
• Leaves: fishbone stitch, L
• Petals: detached chain stitch in two layers, Y outside and G inside
• Center: French knots, B

Steps

1. Try the sweatshirt on and mark where the design should sit. On the left chest it usually starts about 3 in (7.5 cm) below the shoulder seam.
2. Iron or pin cut-away stabilizer to the inside behind the design area, then attach the transfer on the front.
3. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together without stretching the knit. If the ribbing or the fabric looks pulled, re-hoop.
4. Stitch the stem in chain stitch and fill the leaves with fishbone stitch.
5. Work the outer petals in yellow detached chain stitch, then the inner layer in golden yellow.
6. Fill the center with French knots.
7. Trim the stabilizer to about 0.25 in (6 mm) from the stitching, rounding the corners. Cover the back with a piece of fusible interfacing so it does not scratch.

6. Small Sunflower on a T-Shirt Chest

T-shirt jersey is thin and stretchy, so keep the design small and the stitches light. A single sunflower about the size of a quarter-dollar coin is enough to make a plain tee look handmade.

Project details

• Difficulty: Beginner
• Design size: about 1.25 in (3 cm) across
• Garment: cotton jersey t-shirt
• Needle: crewel size 7
• Hoop: 4 in (10 cm)
• Stabilizer: no-show mesh, left in after stitching

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 2 strands
• B: dark brown, 2 strands
• L: leaf green, 2 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Petals: detached chain stitch, Y, 10 to 12 petals
• Center: French knots, B
• Short stem: back stitch, L
• One leaf: detached chain stitch, L

Steps

1. Mark the position on the left chest, where a breast pocket would sit.
2. Apply no-show mesh behind the area and hoop it gently; jersey distorts if you pull it tight.
3. Work the petals with two strands so the stitches do not stretch the holes in the knit.
4. Fill the center with French knots, keeping each knot snug.
5. Add a short back-stitched stem and one detached chain leaf.
6. Trim the mesh close to the design and cover the back with fusible interfacing.

7. Sunflower Vine Along a Linen Shirt Placket

A placket is the strip of fabric that holds the buttons. A thin vine with small sunflowers running down beside it turns a simple linen shirt into something you would not find in a store. Stitch on the shirt body next to the placket, not on the placket itself, so the buttons still work.

Project details

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Design size: vine about 8 in (20 cm) long; flowers 0.75 to 1 in (2 to 2.5 cm) across
• Garment: linen or cotton shirt
• Needle: crewel size 7
• Hoop: 6 in (15 cm), moved down as you work
• Stabilizer: tear-away, lightweight

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 2 strands
• B: dark brown, 2 strands
• L: leaf green, 2 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Vine: whipped back stitch, L
• Leaves: detached chain stitch, L, in pairs along the vine
• Petals: straight stitch, Y
• Centers: French knots, B

Steps

1. Draw a gently curving line about 0.75 in (2 cm) from the placket edge, starting below the collar.
2. Mark three to five flower positions along the line, alternating sides of the vine.
3. Back stitch the vine, then whip it for a smooth, continuous line.
4. Add pairs of detached chain leaves along the vine.
5. Work the petals as straight stitches radiating from each center, then fill the centers with French knots.
6. Remove the stabilizer carefully; linen frays easily, so tear toward the stitches, not away from them.

8. Sunflower on Kids’ Dungarees Bib

The bib of kids’ dungarees is flat and right at eye level, so a single bold sunflower works well. Children’s clothes are washed often and pulled at, so this project uses compact stitches and a covered back.

Project details

• Difficulty: Beginner
• Design size: about 2.5 in (6 cm) across
• Garment: denim or twill kids’ dungarees (overalls), bib
• Needle: crewel size 5
• Hoop: 4 in (10 cm)
• Stabilizer: tear-away, plus fusible interfacing over the back when finished

Thread key

• Y: sunflower yellow, 3 strands
• B: dark brown, 3 strands
• L: leaf green, 3 strands

Stitch guide by area

• Petals: fishbone stitch, Y
• Center: French knots, B, wrapped twice and pulled snug
• Two leaves at the base: fishbone stitch, L

Steps

1. Unbutton the straps and lay the bib flat. If there is a bib pocket, stitch above it or on the pocket with stabilizer slipped inside, as in project 2.
2. Hoop only the front layer of the bib.
3. Fill each petal with fishbone stitch. Fishbone has no long loose threads, so small fingers cannot pull it.
4. Fill the center with French knots, each wrapped twice and pulled snug.
5. Add the two leaves at the base of the flower.
6. Remove the tear-away stabilizer and iron fusible interfacing over the back of the stitching so it is soft against the child’s clothes underneath.

Stitch Guide

These are all the stitches used in the projects above. Each one links to the Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank, where you can watch a short demonstration.

Detached Chain Stitch (Lazy Daisy)

Bring the needle up at the base of the petal and go back down into the same hole, leaving a loop. Bring the needle up at the tip of the petal inside the loop and take a tiny straight stitch over it to hold it in place. Used for petals and small leaves.

See detached chain stitch at RSN Stitch Bank

Chain Stitch

Work a line of linked loops: each new loop starts inside the previous one. Used for stems where you want a thick, textured line.

See chain stitch at RSN Stitch Bank

Back Stitch

Bring the needle up one stitch length ahead on the line and take it back down at the end of the previous stitch. Used for thin stems and as the base of whipped back stitch.

See back stitch at RSN Stitch Bank

Whipped Back Stitch

Work a line of back stitch, then pass the needle under each stitch from the same side without piercing the fabric. Used for smooth, raised stems and vines.

See whipped back stitch at RSN Stitch Bank

Fishbone Stitch

Start at the tip of the shape and work slanted stitches alternately from each side into the center line, overlapping slightly. Used for leaves and solid petals.

See fishbone stitch at RSN Stitch Bank

Straight Stitch

A single stitch from one point to another. Worked as spokes around a center, straight stitches make quick, light petals.

See straight stitch at RSN Stitch Bank

French Knot

Bring the needle up, wrap the thread once or twice around it, and take it back down right next to where it came up, not into the same hole. Hold the thread taut as you pull through. Used to fill sunflower centers.

See French knot at RSN Stitch Bank

Washing and Caring for Embroidered Clothes

Turn the garment inside out before washing so the embroidery does not rub against other clothes. Use a gentle cycle in cold water, or hand wash. Skip the dryer if you can and dry flat or on a hanger; heat and tumbling are what loosen French knots fastest. To press, lay the embroidery face down on a folded towel and iron from the inside so the stitches keep their texture.

If a thread end works loose after washing, thread it onto a needle and weave it under nearby stitches on the inside. Do not cut it close to the fabric, or the stitch next to it can unravel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you hand embroider a sunflower on stretchy fabric?

Yes, as long as you put a cut-away or no-show mesh stabilizer behind the design and leave it in. Without it, the knit stretches while you stitch and the sunflower puckers when you take it out of the hoop.

How many strands of floss should I use on denim?

Three strands is a good default for denim. On heavy jacket denim you can go up to four for stems and petals, but keep French knots at two or three strands so they stay neat.

What is the easiest sunflower to embroider on clothes?

The mini sunflower from project 3: straight-stitch petals and a few French knots. It needs only two stitches and works on almost any fabric.

Do I need a hoop to embroider clothing?

For most areas, yes, because it keeps the fabric even. For very small or awkward spots such as collar points or narrow pockets, you can stitch without a hoop if you keep the thread tension light.

How do I keep the inside of the embroidery from scratching?

Trim the stabilizer close to the stitching and iron a piece of soft fusible interfacing over the back. This is especially worth doing on sweatshirts, t-shirts and children’s clothes.