Freestanding embroidery designs have been specially digitized for water-soluble stabilizer. After the stabilizer is removed, beautiful embroidery remains.

When you download the design, you will find a total of 3 files. The file "a" is the petal piece, file "b" is the flower center, and file "c" is the lace leaf.

There are a couple of different kinds of water-soluble stabilizer. One is clear and plastic, and that brand is Sulky Ultra Solvy. The other is soft and fibrous, called Vilene. Both will work very well. Vilene is used in this demonstration.

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle. That means it will make smaller holes in the stabilizer.

As the embroidered daffodil pieces will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin to match every thread color used in the design.

Hoop the stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load file "a". Follow the color change sheet, and embroider the first color of the design.

After the first color is finished embroidering, change the bobbin out to match the next thread color.

Continue to embroider the design. Watch the color change sheet carefully, and make sure to match the bobbin color to every thread color used in the embroidery.

After embroidering, trim away the excess stabilizer.

The stabilizer's packaging should give instructions for removing the excess. For Vilene, soak the embroidered pieces for a few moments.

Allow the piece to air dry, and then press it with a pressing cloth on top.

Repeat the steps above to embroider the rest of the pieces. To make a complete daffodil, make sure to embroider two copies of the petal piece (labeled with an "a").

Take the center piece (piece "b"), and fold it along one of the two triangle darts with the wrong sides of the embroidery together. Using a hand sewing needle and the same thread as used in the embroidery, stitch the dart closed. Repeat to sew the second dart.

Once the darts are completed, line up the two side edges of the center piece, and hand sew it together to make a cone. Leave a small hole at the bottom for a wire, and also make sure the right side of the embroidery is on the outside.

Cut the wire to 10" long, and curl the end with a needle nose pliers.

Slide the center piece onto the wire, so that the curled end of the wire ends up inside the cone. Hot glue the wire in place inside against the bottom.

Then slide the first petal piece (piece "a") onto the wire so that the right side of the embroidery is facing the center piece. Line up the long seam of the center piece with the center of one petal. This will be the bottom of the daffodil. Then use a hand sewing needle and matching thread to sew the petals onto the center piece. This will prevent the petals from falling off the wire or spinning.

Add the 2nd petal piece ("a") onto the wire with the right side of the embroidery facing the center piece. Off set the petals between the petals of the first petal piece, and sew them together with a hand sewing needle to keep them from spinning.

Once the flower is completed, position the lace leaf on the wire as desired. Use a hot glue gun to glue the end of it in place, and allow the glue to dry completely before continuing.

Finally, wrap the wire in floral tape to finish off the stem. Wrap over glued end of the leaf as well to reinforce it onto the wire.