“Edith, dear, you’re a woman with a brain and reasonable ability; stop whining and find something to do!”

—Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

I’m just a tiny bit obsessed with Downton Abbey. (Really, aren’t we all?) And, as you’ve probably guessed, I absolutely love me some cranky-pants Dowager Countess—she’s just so delightfully acerbic! Are you crushing on Dame Maggie too? Stitch up a tribute in fabric and floss with my Downton Abbey-inspired Dowager Countess embroidery pattern!

I provided the outlines, but you can customize the colors, clothes, and, especially, the HAT to suit your own ideal Dowager style!

Supplies:
* Team Dowager Embroidery Pattern PDF
* Embroidery floss in your favorite colors
* Fabric, 10" x 10" square
* Beads and other embellishments (optional)

Tools:
* Computer with printer
* Embroidery needles
* 7" embroidery hoop
* Embroidery scissors
* Water soluble fabric marker

**Please note that the links provided above are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.**

Here’s now mine turned out:

I embroidered my Dowager Countess using straight stitches for the outlines and a wide variety of textured stitches for the details, including french knots and bead embellishments for the hat, diagonal laid work for the jacket, and chain and split stitches for the shirt and collar. I also added some silver embroidery floss to the hair to add some shimmer.

These are only suggestions—you can get as creative as you want with your own stitching!

The back view. I know all of you other stitchers want to see it so you can judge me! ;)

I think the face and jacket look kind of like a watercolor painting from this side. I like it.

Here are a few detail shots of the textured stitching:

To make your own:
Print out the Team Dowager Embroidery Pattern PDF, and then trace it onto your fabric with a water soluble fabric marker.

I’m so excited for episode 5! How many of you are going to be stitching while you watch this Sunday?

If you embroider your own Dowager Countess—especially if you get creative with the hat—I definitely want to see photos!

Edit: In case you were wondering, this embroidery pattern was inspired by the cast photo below: