Just finished embroidering a white Pillowcase Two H Birds. Usually, I draw my own pattern but these two hummingbirds are from an iron-on pattern by Aunt Martha’s Transfer iron-on patterns.
Here is the pillowcase all washed, ironed, and folded on the dining room table. I really took the easy way out on this, with the pattern and also failing to take pictures as the project gradually progressed. You’ll have to use your imagination.
This hummer on the left side has his beak inserted into the middle flower on the vine where I went with orange or pink petals with a dark maroon center. I used some unusual colors to show his feathers underneath his body in purple. His wings match some of the vine greens with the addition of turquoise in his flying feathers.
This hummingbird on the right started out as a basic green feathered dude. I added dark blue for shadows then a red under his neck, adding the black outline and feathers for his beak, feathers, and eye outline. Finally, I put some random golden brown scattered across his whole body. I like the way that the flecks of golden brown kind of make it look like his body is shimmering. I think I will use this process in satin stitching in the future again. His flowers utilize the same color as the bird on the left but there is only one blossom on this side.
and frog,
H is for hand,
heart,
hummingbird, (and orchid above it)
I is for ice cream,
K is for kitten,
At this stage of the embroidery on the 03 green hummingbird tutorial, my focus is on finishing the details and blending in or outlining shapes. I do that by adding touches of different colors to accentuate here and there. The addition of light blue edges to the wingtips and the tail feathers was a good start on wings and tail, but more is needed.
Here is the finished hummingbird green hummingbird up close. Using a medium turquoise embroidery floss I outline above and below his eye and also along the top surface of his body. To mix stitches in with the satin stitch areas already complete I also run the stitches into existing satin areas randomly. Similarly, darker threads are added to both the orange under his neck and the green body below between his wing and tail. Turquoise is added as a thicker division line between his wing and tail feathers.
We are continuing the embroidery on the pillowcase with a green hummingbird flying up to a vine full of honeysuckle blossoms. The honeysuckle vine leaves and vines are outlined in green and blossoms are satin stitched in orange. Now, I can direct my efforts back to finishing the hummingbird shading and texturing.
In this picture, you can see that I am in the process of adding a cool blue shadow to the wing and tail feathers right now. His long black beak is satin stitched along with his eye. A black outline follows the belly line from under his chin to his tail. A loose satin stitch pattern in a mustard brown fills between his feathers in both his wings and his tail. I have added random stitches of medium green in the neon yellow of the leading edge of his wings for more texture.
Looking back at the honeysuckle vine there is not enough definition between the tubes of the blossoms and the petals. Those surfaces are blending together and getting lost as I look at them. So, a darker red is satin stitched intermittently into the bottom surface of the tubes to help show a shadow shape and separate from the petals above. Also, a darker red outline is stitched along the dark side edges of each petal.
After darkening the edges of the petals, looking at them again, it still feels like it needs more. So, I use black to fill the center of the blossom petals and outline the shadow of the petal. Now I can see the shape and different layers of the honeysuckle blossoms at a glance.
A white pillowcase embroidery tutorial with a 01 green hummingbird flying up to a vine full of honeysuckle blossoms. We are viewing the hummingbird from slightly above on the side. I drew the hummingbird sketch and honeysuckle vine loosely not trying to be exact. Be careful about what you choose to use to make your lines for patterns with. Unfortunately, even though the package instructions said they would. I have had some products from the sewing store that did not wash out or iron off. Disappointing to say the least. 
The main body of the bird is satin stitched in a medium green and his wing tops are light almost neon green. He has an orange patch under the neck with a little white area to catch your eye. Further, the wing feathers are suggested with lines using a darker medium green.
The vines are outlined using two different greens, a medium where the light hits the surfaces and a blue-green where shadow resides. The middle line of the leaves and foliage holding the blossoms are all done in the lighter neon green.
A Hummingbird Pillowcase with embroidery halfway done. This is a handmade dark blue pillowcase that is sewn from sheets purchased when they are on sale. I first draw out an outline to follow for embroidering the hummingbird as it flies over some small flowers which I decide to make with yellow satin stitches with an orange outline. The leaves and stems are light green. After getting this portion done, I feel like it is not enough.
So, I use my iron-away pens to draw another set of pink flowers for the hummingbird to be going after. Here it is completed with the hummingbird and flowers on bothe sides. I love drawing these little guys and then stitching them into life with my embroidery thread in the evenings. This one is being given to a very special lady for her birthday.
I got an unexpected surprise when I put the tablecloth on our dining room table to take progressive pictures of the embroidery. It extended way over both ends of the table even with all of its leaves intact. It was actually laying down on the floor.
Hummingbirds 09-11 are complete and here is the last corner of the tablecloth with them on it.
Number 09 is a character made with a mixture of different greens, blue on his wings, and some white spacing between the stitching to highlight his shape. He is perched on a branch for a second, staring at you. There are some considerations required to be able to correctly build believable foliage around the characters. The outline of the branch that he is perched on has to go between his claws, not through them.
Hummingbird 10 and number 11 are close together. 10 is the closest, and he is done in teal, aqua blue, and other blues. We are looking at him from above seeing his wings spread out on both sides of him. Number 11 is above and in a dive maneuver position and we see him from the side. He is made of mostly greens with a bright shiny orange area under his neck. His shadows and feathers have black outlines.
Hummingbirds 6_8 are done now. Here they are on the last corner of the tablecloth.
Hummingbird 6 is a mixture of lavender and purples with dark blue shadows on his ever-moving wings and tail feathers. Here he is with foliage beginning around him. To be truthful, I have never actually seen a purple hummingbird, have you? Now you have.
#7 hummingbird #7 is a character made with a mixture of oranges, reds, and dark shadows outlined in black. He is pictured in a side view and has a stark white underside to his neck as he perches. Perched hummingbirds are a rather rare sight to see in real life, so Mr. RedOrange here is a rarity.
Humming Bird 08 is mostly green but many other colors are used to round him out and add highlight or shadow. He is a character made with a mixture of purple, green, and even orange with dark shadows done in black. He is frozen in mid-flight as we look at him from the side. Typical satin stitches fill his body area but there are breaks and changes in direction to help portray feathers.
Humming birds 4 & 5 were just finished on this “tablecloth embroidery project”.
Four is a green-capped dude with a green neck and black on his wings and tail feathers. He has an orange body with yellow highlights. He is busy but frozen in mid-flight just as he reaches into a blossom full of nectar.
Hummingbird number 05 is another orange guy with green and teal highlights on his wings. His tail feathers are orange outlines. When the foliage gets drawn he is perched on a limb ready to reach into a nectar-filled blossom.
Hummingbirds 01-03 are complete on this smaller tablecloth (60″ square). 
#2 is a side view of a hummingbird in flight and he is stitched using a mixture of blues, and teal with black accents.
#3 is an underbelly view of a hummingbird in flight and he is made using blue, grays, green, and some black along with orange for his beak and feet. There are new stitching techniques tried on both of their wing feathers in an effort to display the ever-present movement better.
If you compare the first image of him with the second one you will see additional stitches and more colors added as the tablecloth progresses.
That is what I do, I embroider hummingbirds on tablecloths. These are sketches I have drawn to use as patterns to stitch these little characters on this one. The sketches are drawn with an iron-on purple pencil that I bought at the fabric store. There are nine positions drawn and I plan to mix and match them around randomly.