DMC A Red Geranium - PAT1326 - Downloadable PDF

DMC PAT1326 – A Red Geranium Free Downloadable Cross Stitch Pattern

This free downloadable embroidery pattern from DMC, titled A Red Geranium (or Un Géranium Rouge in French), is a beautifully detailed coloured cross stitch chart designed for intermediate-level needleworkers. Released as part of the extensive DMC Library (Bibliothèque DMC), this pattern captures the vivid, layered beauty of a red geranium bloom in classic counted cross stitch style.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a cross-stitched depiction of a red geranium, a popular and recognisable flowering plant often associated with window boxes, cottage gardens, and vibrant summer colour. The design uses rich, warm tones to recreate the characteristic clustered blooms and lush green foliage of the geranium. This type of botanical cross stitch subject is a perennial favourite among embroidery enthusiasts and makes an excellent piece for framing or displaying as home décor.

Techniques Used

• Counted cross stitch – the primary technique throughout the entire design. The stitcher works from a printed or digital colour chart, counting threads on the fabric to place each stitch precisely.
• Colour charting – the pattern is presented as a coloured cross stitch chart, meaning each symbol or coloured square on the grid corresponds to a specific DMC thread colour, making it straightforward to follow even for those relatively new to counted work.
• Quarter cross stitches (1/4 stitches) – referenced within the chart pages, these partial stitches are used to add finer detail and smoother curves to the design, particularly useful when rendering rounded petal and leaf shapes.

Stitches Used

• Full cross stitch – the foundational stitch of the design, worked over one square of Aida fabric to build up the main areas of colour and form.
• Quarter cross stitch (¼ stitch) – used selectively to refine edges and create more naturalistic, curved outlines within the botanical motif, giving the geranium its characteristic soft silhouette.

Materials Required

Thread

The pattern calls for DMC Six Strand Embroidery Floss, Art. 117 (also known as DMC Mouliné Spécial 25, Art. 117). This is DMC's iconic, widely available stranded cotton thread, known for its consistent dye quality, sheen, and extensive colour range. The specific DMC thread colours referenced in the chart include:

• DMC 3706 – a warm, medium salmon-rose, used to capture the lighter tones within the geranium blooms
• DMC 701 – a bright, medium green, ideal for rendering lush foliage
• DMC 498 – a deep, rich red, providing the darker, more saturated tones of the geranium petals
• DMC 164 – a soft, light fern green, used to add depth and variation to the leafy areas
• DMC 369 – a very pale, delicate green, likely used for highlights and lighter leaf sections

Fabric

The recommended ground fabric is Aida 14 count (14 CT), also described as Toile Aida 5.5 pts/cm. Aida is the most popular fabric choice for counted cross stitch, featuring an even-weave grid of holes that makes counting and placing stitches simple and accurate. The 14-count weight offers a good balance between stitch size and design detail, making it well suited to an intermediate-level project like this botanical piece.

Needles

While not explicitly stated in the pattern content, cross stitch worked on 14-count Aida is conventionally stitched with a blunt-tipped tapestry needle, typically a size 24 or 26, which passes cleanly through the fabric holes without splitting the weave.

Pattern Format and Accessibility

This is a free downloadable PDF available directly from the DMC Library, making it an accessible