DMC Do What You Love - PAT1182S - Downloadable PDF

DMC Do What You Love Embroidery Pattern (PAT1182S) – Free Downloadable PDF

Overview

The DMC Do What You Love pattern (PAT1182S) is a free downloadable PDF embroidery design from the DMC Library, part of the celebrated DMC 1000 Patterns collection. The finished design measures approximately 17.2 cm and features an inspirational "Do What You Love" motif, making it a charming and meaningful piece suitable for framing, hoop art, or incorporating into a variety of textile projects. This pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it ideal for embroiderers who are comfortable with basic stitches and ready to develop their shading and blending skills.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a decorative hand embroidery design centred around the uplifting phrase "Do What You Love." The finished piece is well suited for display as hoop art or framed embroidery, and the design lends itself beautifully to personalised gifts, home décor accents, and creative textile projects. The bilingual presentation of the pattern (English and French) reflects DMC's global crafting community.

Techniques Used

• Long and Short Stitch (Passé Empiétant): This is the primary technique featured in the pattern. Long and short stitch is a classic embroidery method used to fill larger areas with smooth, blended colour. Alternating long and short stitches are worked in rows, with subsequent rows interlocking into the previous ones, creating seamless colour gradations and a painterly, realistic effect. It is a foundational technique in needle painting and decorative embroidery.
• Colour Blending: The included colour guide and technical chart indicate the use of multiple DMC thread colours (referenced as colour zones such as A2 and B1 within the diagram), guiding the embroiderer through careful placement of shades to achieve depth and dimension in the finished design.

Stitches Used

• Long and Short Stitch – the core filling stitch used throughout the design to build up colour and texture across the motif

Materials Required

• DMC Embroidery Thread (Stranded Cotton): The pattern specifies the number of strands and skeins required, calculated for the design size of 17.2 cm. Specific DMC thread colour numbers are referenced within the colour guide included in the PDF.
• Embroidery Needle: A standard embroidery or crewel needle appropriate for stranded cotton thread is recommended. The number of strands used at a time will be specified within the pattern instructions.
• Embroidery Fabric: An evenweave or plain-weave fabric suitable for surface embroidery is required to transfer and stitch the design.
• Embroidery Hoop: A hoop of an appropriate size to accommodate the 17.2 cm design is recommended to keep fabric taut during stitching.

Pattern Format and Accessibility

This pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF directly from DMC. The document includes a full colour guide, a technical chart, and step-by-step instructions in both English and French. The pattern is part of DMC's broader #dmc1000patterns initiative, which offers a vast library of free embroidery designs to crafters worldwide. Finished creations can be shared with the global DMC community using the hashtags #dmcthreads and #dmc1000patterns across social media platforms including Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

Skill Level

Rated intermediate, this pattern is best suited to embroiderers who have a foundational understanding of hand embroidery and are looking to practise and refine the long and short stitch technique. The colour blending requirements add a satisfying challenge that will help develop more advanced needle painting skills.