DMC Christmas Robins Embroidery Pattern - PAT1811 - Downloadable PDF

DMC Christmas Robins Embroidery Pattern (PAT1811) – Free Downloadable PDF

The DMC Christmas Robins Embroidery Pattern (PAT1811) is a free downloadable PDF from the DMC Library that guides embroiderers through creating a charming festive design featuring Christmas robins — one of the most beloved motifs of the holiday season. Known in French as Rouges-Gorges de Noël, this design captures the warmth and character of the iconic robin redbreast in a decorative embroidery format, making it ideal for seasonal home décor, framed artwork, or handmade gifts.

The finished design measures 17 cm x 17 cm, making it a well-proportioned project that is satisfying to complete without being overwhelming. As a pattern rated at intermediate difficulty, it is best suited to embroiderers who are comfortable with basic stitches and ready to work with a multi-colour thread palette and varying strand counts.

What Is Being Made

Embroiderers will stitch a detailed Christmas robins scene worked in a rich palette of colours drawn from the DMC Mouliné Spécial Art 117 thread range. The design is built up using a colour-coded diagram and a technical chart, allowing stitchers to place each colour accurately across the composition. The result is a vibrant, seasonally themed embroidery piece that celebrates the classic imagery of robins at Christmastime.

Techniques Used

• Surface embroidery – The primary technique used throughout the design, where stitches are worked on top of the fabric rather than counted through an evenweave grid.
• Backstitch (Point arrière) – Used for fine detail work, outlines, and definition within the design. Backstitch creates clean, continuous lines that give the robins and surrounding elements their crisp, illustrated quality. For backstitch sections, 2 strands of thread are specified.
• Fill stitching – The main body of the design is filled using 4 strands of DMC Mouliné Spécial, building up solid areas of colour to give the robins and background elements depth and richness.

Stitches Used

• Backstitch – Worked with 2 strands for outlining and fine detail, this stitch is fundamental to defining the shapes within the Christmas robins design.
• Fill/surface stitches – Worked with 4 strands for the broader colour areas, creating the bold, colourful sections of the composition as indicated on the colour diagram.

Colours and Thread

The pattern uses 13 colours from the DMC Mouliné Spécial Art 117 range, with one skein of each colour required for the stated design size. The full colour list includes:

• DMC 608 – a bright orange-red, ideal for the robin's signature red breast
• DMC 817 – a deep coral red for rich contrast
• DMC 991 – a deep teal green for foliage and seasonal greenery
• DMC 502 – a soft blue-green for subtle tonal variation
• DMC 3813 – a pale sage green for lighter foliage tones
• DMC 162 – a very light blue for background or highlight areas
• DMC 611 – a warm drab brown for natural textures such as branches or bark
• DMC 612 – a lighter drab brown, complementing 611 for dimensional shading
• DMC 610 – a dark drab brown for deep shadow and definition
• DMC 01 – a white or near-white for highlights and pale detail
• DMC 02 – a light grey for soft neutral areas
• DMC 3799 – a very dark pewter grey for strong outlines and deep shadow
• DMC 310 – black, used for the finest detail and darkest accents