OINK

OINK Embroidery Pattern by Mollie Johanson – Beginner Pig Design

The OINK embroidery pattern by Mollie Johanson is a charming, beginner-friendly downloadable PDF embroidery design featuring an adorable pig illustration. This pattern is perfect for those who are just starting their hand embroidery journey, as well as seasoned stitchers looking for a quick and delightful project. The design captures a sweet, whimsical piggy complete with expressive details like eyes, nostrils, nails, and a grassy setting.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a hand-embroidered pig design, affectionately titled OINK. The finished piece is a decorative embroidery suitable for framing, use on fabric goods, or display as a standalone hoop art project. The pig is depicted with playful, characterful details that make it an ideal project for animal lovers and fans of cute, illustrative needlework.

Techniques Used

• Pattern transfer: Mollie Johanson recommends printing the PDF and using a light tracing method — taping the printed page to a brightly lit window and tracing the design onto fabric. Alternative transfer methods include transfer paper or a transfer pen or pencil, following the manufacturer's instructions for those tools.
• Watercolor tinting: To achieve the pig's characteristic pink coloring, the designer suggests watercolor tinting the fabric rather than filling the shape entirely with thread. This is a lovely mixed-media technique that adds soft, painterly color while keeping the stitching clean and graphic.
• Color selection: While specific DMC thread colors are suggested, the pattern encourages creative freedom, noting that choosing colors is half the fun.

Stitches Used

• Backstitch — the primary stitch used throughout the entire pattern, ideal for creating clean outlines and fine detail lines. Backstitch is one of the most fundamental embroidery stitches and is an excellent starting point for beginners.
• Straight stitches — used specifically for the nostrils and grass, adding simple, effective texture and detail with minimal complexity.
• Colonial knots — used for the eyes and nails, giving these features a raised, dimensional quality. The colonial knot is a slightly more advanced knot stitch than a French knot, producing a firm, neat result on the fabric surface.

Materials Referenced

The designer specifies DMC embroidery floss in four colors as the suggested thread palette:

• DMC Blanc — a clean white
• DMC 3021 — a deep brown-grey
• DMC 760 — a soft salmon pink
• DMC 470 — a medium avocado green

No specific fabric, needle size, or hoop size is stated in the pattern content, though standard embroidery fabric such as cotton or linen and a standard embroidery needle would be appropriate for this type of project. Watercolor paints and a brush would also be needed if using the recommended watercolor tinting technique for the pig's body.

Pattern Format and Usage

The OINK pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, designed by independent designer Mollie Johanson of molliejohanson.com. It is intended for personal use only; selling finished embroidered items made from this pattern or redistributing the file is not permitted per the designer's copyright terms. This pattern is rated as beginner difficulty, making it an accessible and rewarding project for those new to hand embroidery.