Wild Heart in DMC - PAT0668 - Downloadable PDF

Wild Heart Embroidery Pattern by femme-broidery x DMC (PAT0668)

The Wild Heart pattern is a free downloadable PDF embroidery design created through a collaboration between femme-broidery and DMC. This charming hand embroidery project features a heart motif worked in a compact, decorative style, making it an ideal introduction to surface embroidery for beginner stitchers. The finished design measures approximately 8.8 cm x 11.2 cm, making it perfectly sized for embroidery hoops, patches, tote bags, clothing, or framed textile art.

What Is Being Made

The Wild Heart design is a hand-embroidered motif worked onto fabric. The heart theme is rendered with expressive linework using classic embroidery stitches, giving the finished piece a bold yet elegant appearance. Because of its manageable size and limited color palette, this project is well suited to beginners who want to practice foundational embroidery techniques while producing a beautiful, finished result.

Techniques Used

This pattern introduces three essential hand embroidery techniques that form the backbone of surface embroidery. Together, these stitches allow the embroiderer to create both smooth outlines and textured, dimensional lines within the design:

• Stem Stitch (Point de tige) — coded as A in the pattern. Stem stitch is a classic outline stitch worked by overlapping stitches at a slight angle, producing a smooth, rope-like line. It is commonly used for curved outlines, lettering, and flowing shapes, making it ideal for a heart motif.
• Chain Stitch (Point de chaînette) — coded as B in the pattern. Chain stitch creates a series of looped stitches that link together like the links of a chain. It produces a wider, more textured line than stem stitch and is often used to fill areas or create bold outlines with a decorative quality.
• Backstitch (Point arrière) — coded as C in the pattern. Backstitch is one of the most fundamental embroidery stitches, creating a solid, continuous line by working each stitch back to meet the end of the previous one. It is precise and clean, frequently used for fine details and outlines.

Stitches and Thread Strands

The pattern specifies two different strand counts depending on the stitch being worked. Stem stitch and chain stitch are worked using 6 strands of embroidery thread, creating bold, prominent lines with good coverage. Backstitch is worked using 3 strands, producing finer, more delicate detail lines that complement the heavier stitching. This combination of strand weights adds visual depth and dimension to the finished embroidery.

Materials and Thread Colors

The pattern is designed to be stitched with DMC Mouliné Spécial Art 117, the brand's iconic six-strand divisible embroidery floss. Only two colors are required, keeping the project simple and accessible:

• DMC 310 — Black, 1 skein
• DMC 166 — Moss Green, 1 skein

This two-color palette gives the Wild Heart design a striking, graphic quality. The contrast between the deep black and the earthy moss green creates a bold yet organic aesthetic that suits the wild, nature-inspired theme of the design.

Fabric and Tools

The instructions recommend using a Magic Sheet together with a transfer pen and transfer paper to transfer the design accurately onto the chosen fabric. A No. 12 needle is specified for working the embroidery. The No. 12 is a fine embroidery needle well suited to working with multiple strands of DMC Mouliné Spécial Art 117 on a variety of fabric types.

Pattern Format and Availability

The Wild Heart pattern by femme-broidery x DMC is available as a free downloadable PDF and includes a full colour guide, a technical stitch diagram, and written instructions in both English and French. The pattern is part of the DMC Library collection and is suitable for anyone beginning their embroidery journey or looking for a quick, satisfying project to complete.