Ancient Figure
Ancient Figure is a free machine embroidery design digitized at 128.5 × 232.2 mm with 28,199 stitches in 10 thread colors. Expect roughly 47 minutes of stitch-out time on a home machine. Download it below in DST format, ready to transfer to your machine.
Download Files
Free for personal stitching. Need another format (DST, JEF, EXP…)? More formats are on the way. Design License →
Stitching Color Sequence
Thread order as programmed in the file — follow along at your machine. This file format doesn't store thread colors — the colors shown are a suggested palette. Swap in any threads you like.
| # | Thread | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 434 · Light Brown | 394 |
| 2 | 3716 · Very Light Dusty Rose | 6,072 |
| 3 | 3013 · Light Khaki Green | 4,723 |
| 4 | 3777 · Very Dark Terra Cotta | 660 |
| 5 | 899 · Medium Rose | 5,518 |
| 6 | 909 · Very Dark Emerald | 1,756 |
| 7 | 550 · Very Dark Violet | 4,800 |
| 8 | 815 · Medium Garnet | 114 |
| 9 | 704 · Bright Chartreuse | 3,787 |
| 10 | 3746 · Dark Blue Violet | 29 |
About This Design
This traditional Chinese dancing figure design stitches out at 128.5 × 232.2 mm (5.1 × 9.1 in) and uses 10 thread colors across 9 color changes. Total count is 28,199 stitches at a density of about 94.5 stitches/cm².
At The Machine
- Estimated stitch-out time: ~47 minutes at 600 spm
- Color changes: 9, automatic trims: 54
- Follow the color sequence table above — thread numbers refer to the chart programmed in the file; match them to your brand by color.
Fabric & Hooping
At about 94.5 stitches/cm² the fill is moderate: one layer of medium-weight cut-away handles most wovens, while knits want a second layer or a fusible backing. At 128.5 × 232.2 mm plan on 6×10 in or larger, and mark your centre lines before hooping.
Thread Colors in This Design
DST files store stitch data but no thread information, so the colors below are our suggested DMC match. Swap in whatever you have in a similar shade:
- 434 Light Brown
- 3716 Very Light Dusty Rose
- 3013 Light Khaki Green
- 3777 Very Dark Terra Cotta
- 899 Medium Rose
- 909 Very Dark Emerald
- 550 Very Dark Violet
- 815 Medium Garnet
- 704 Bright Chartreuse
- 3746 Dark Blue Violet
Stitching Notes
10 colors across 9 changes makes this a real thread-management job: lay the spools out in sequence order first and keep the color chart to hand. DST stores stitch data only, which is why the color list is a suggestion rather than the digitizer's original choice.
What to Make With It
A picture-style design wants a flat, stable surface where it can be seen whole: a framed hoop piece, a quilt centre, a cushion front or the back of a jacket. Avoid stretchy garments, which distort the shape.
Categories
Thread Palette
10 colors — DMC floss
This file format doesn't store thread colors — the colors shown are a suggested palette. Swap in any threads you like.
- 434Light Brown
- 3716Very Light Dusty Rose
- 3013Light Khaki Green
- 3777Very Dark Terra Cotta
- 899Medium Rose
- 909Very Dark Emerald
- 550Very Dark Violet
- 815Medium Garnet