Butterfly Lana in DMC - PAT0083 - Downloadable PDF

Butterfly Lana – DMC Cross Stitch Pattern (PAT0083)

The Butterfly Lana pattern by DMC (pattern code PAT0083) is a charming cross stitch embroidery design featuring a pair of decorative butterflies. Available as a free downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level project is a wonderful choice for stitchers who have moved beyond the basics and are ready to combine detailed colour work with fine finishing techniques. The finished piece measures approximately 18 × 11.5 cm on 14-count (5.5 pts/cm) Aida fabric, making it a neat, manageable project suitable for framing, card-making, or incorporating into a wide range of textile crafts.

What Is Being Made

The design depicts two butterflies — referred to in the pattern's bilingual (English/French) instructions as Butterfly Lana / Papillons Lana. The butterflies are rendered with delicate wing detail and subtle colour gradation, achieved through a carefully selected palette of six DMC Mouliné Spécial ART 117 thread colours. The result is a naturalistic yet decorative motif that works beautifully as a standalone piece or as part of a larger nature-themed collection.

Techniques Used

• Cross Stitch (Point de Croix): The primary technique used to fill in the body and wings of the butterflies. Cross stitch involves forming an X-shaped stitch over a counted grid of fabric threads, creating a pixelated yet elegant image when worked in multiple colours. This pattern uses 2 strands of DMC Mouliné Spécial for all cross stitch areas, which gives good coverage on 14- or 16-count Aida.
• Backstitch (Point Arrière): Used as an outlining and detail technique to define the edges of the butterfly wings and add fine linear elements that cross stitch alone cannot achieve. Backstitch is worked with just 1 strand of thread, producing a crisp, precise line. Two colours — 310 (black) and 349 (red) — are specified for the backstitch sections, both of which are already included in the cross stitch thread requirements, so no additional skeins are needed.

Stitches Used

• Cross Stitch — worked over counted Aida fabric using 2 strands of DMC Mouliné Spécial ART 117
• Backstitch — worked using 1 strand of DMC Mouliné Spécial ART 117 for fine outlines and detail

Colour Palette

The pattern uses six colours of DMC Mouliné Spécial ART 117 stranded cotton embroidery thread. Each colour requires only one skein, keeping material costs low. The colours specified are:

• 3865 — a soft, warm white used for light wing areas
• 3824 — a pale peach or salmon tone adding warmth to the design
• 842 — a light beige-brown for subtle mid-tone shading
• 413 — a dark pewter grey providing depth and contrast
• 349 — a vivid red used in both cross stitch and backstitch detail
• 310 — black, used in both cross stitch fills and backstitch outlines for strong definition

The combination of warm neutrals, bold red, and deep black gives the butterflies a striking, graphic quality while retaining a sense of natural elegance.

Materials Required

• Fabric: Aida fabric at 14-count (5.5 pts/cm) or 16-count (6 pts/cm) — the thread and skein quantities in the pattern are calculated specifically for these fabric counts
• Thread: DMC Mouliné Spécial ART 117 stranded cotton in six colours (3865, 3824, 842, 413, 349, 310), one skein of each
• Needle: A