This

hand embroidery of a bald eagle in flight surrounded by pink flowers and green foliage is a moderately advanced project due to the detailed shading and layering involved. Below is a step-by-step guide including stitch types, suggested DMC thread colors, and process tips to recreate this piece by hand.

🧵 EMBROIDERY GUIDE: Bald Eagle and Floral Wreath

✂️ MATERIALS:

• Fabric: Cotton or linen (preferably off-white or light beige)
• Embroidery hoop: 6 to 8 inches
• Needles: Size 7–9 embroidery needle
• Threads: DMC 6-strand embroidery floss

🦅 BALD EAGLE DETAILS

1. 

Head and Neck (White)

• Stitch: Long and short stitch (for feather texture)
• DMC Colors: Blanc (B5200) and Ecru (for slight shading)
• Tips: Start at the beak and work outward in small sections to maintain a feathery look.

2. 

Beak and Talons (Yellow/Orange)

• Stitch: Satin stitch for smooth, bold coverage
• DMC Colors: 742 (light tangerine), 743 (medium yellow), 3820 (golden yellow)
• Tips: Use 2-3 strands for a bold effect and slight blending between colors for dimension.

3. 

Body and Wings (Brown)

• Stitch: Long and short stitch (mainly for wings/body) + Split stitch (edges)
• DMC Colors:
  • 838 (very dark coffee brown)
  • 801 (coffee brown)
  • 433 (medium brown)
• Tips: Start with the darkest tones at the base of the feathers and layer lighter shades as you move outward.

4. 

Wing Tips and Underside (Dark Blue/Grey)

• Stitch: Long and short + stem stitch (edges)
• DMC Colors:
  • 336 (navy blue)
  • 312 (steel blue)
  • 317 (pewter grey) for underside feathers
• Tips: Feather strokes should follow the natural curve of the wing to show motion.

🌸 FLOWERS

1. 

Petals (Pink)

• Stitch: Satin stitch (main fill), backstitch (outlines if desired)
• DMC Colors:
  • 3716 (pale pink)
  • 760 (medium pink)
  • 601 (deep pink for accents)
• Tips: Layer the satin stitch from petal base outward to create dimension.

2. 

Flower Centers

• Stitch: French knots
• DMC Color: 3799 (dark grey) or 844 (dark steel grey)

🌿 FOLIAGE AND BRANCH

1. 

Leaves and Stems

• Stitch: Fishbone stitch (leaves), stem stitch (stems), satin stitch (leaf veins)
• DMC Colors:
  • 3345 (dark green)
  • 3347 (medium green)
  • 471 (light green)

2. 

Branch

• Stitch: Stem stitch or padded satin stitch for raised effect
• DMC Colors: 839 (dark brown), 801 (medium brown)
• Tips: Follow the curve of the branch and add shading using two strands of a darker brown on the underside.

🌼 SMALL ACCENT FLOWERS (Purple)

• Stitch: Lazy daisy stitch or satin stitch
• DMC Colors:
  • 3740 (dark antique violet)
  • 209 (lavender)

🧑‍🎨 GENERAL TIPS

• Use 2 strands of floss for most detailing.
• Keep your stitch direction consistent to mimic feather and petal textures.
• Use blending techniques by combining 1 strand of two different colors for smoother transitions.
• Work from the center outwards on each element to maintain control and shape.

Would you like a printable stitch guide or diagram of the layout as well?