Bananas in DMC - PAT0502 - Downloadable PDF

Bananas Embroidery Pattern by Jodie Ruffle x DMC (PAT0502) – Free Downloadable PDF

This free downloadable embroidery pattern is a charming collaboration between designer Jodie Ruffle and DMC, featuring a decorative banana motif rendered in a rich palette of hand embroidery stitches. Suitable for intermediate embroiderers, this design offers a wonderful opportunity to practise blending and shading techniques while creating a vibrant, eye-catching piece of textile art. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and includes both a full colour guide and a technical stitch diagram to guide you through the project.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is an embroidered banana motif, designed as a decorative needlework piece. The colour guide and diagram suggest a naturalistic, illustrative rendering of bananas with carefully shaded tones, making it ideal for framing as wall art, applying to a tote bag, or incorporating into a hoop display. The design is part of the DMC Library collection of free patterns and tutorials.

Techniques and Stitches Used

This intermediate-level pattern draws on a combination of classic hand embroidery techniques to build up colour, texture, and fine detail within the banana design. The following stitches are used:

• Backstitch – A fundamental outlining stitch used to define the crisp edges and contours of the banana motif. Backstitch creates a clean, continuous line that gives the design its structured, illustrative quality.
• Long and Short Stitch – Also known as passé empiétant in French, this is the primary shading technique used throughout the design. By alternating longer and shorter stitches in successive rows, embroiderers can blend multiple thread colours seamlessly, creating smooth gradients that give the bananas a realistic, three-dimensional appearance.
• French Knot – A classic raised stitch used to add textural detail and decorative accents to the composition. French knots require the thread to be wrapped around the needle before insertion, producing a small, neat raised dot on the fabric surface.

The combination of long and short stitch shading with backstitch outlining is a hallmark of traditional botanical and illustrative embroidery styles, making this pattern an excellent intermediate project for those looking to develop their blending and colour-mixing skills with thread.

Colour Palette and DMC Thread References

The pattern includes a detailed colour guide referencing a range of DMC embroidery thread colours, identified in the diagram by codes across multiple colour groups. The palette spans warm yellows, greens, and naturalistic accent tones appropriate for a realistic banana rendering. Specific colour references shown in the guide include groups labelled across categories such as B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B9, B10, C8, D6, D7, D8, E3, E4, A6, all corresponding to specific DMC stranded cotton thread shades.

Materials

As with all standard hand embroidery projects of this type, you will need:

• DMC stranded cotton embroidery floss – in the specific colour references provided within the PDF colour guide
• Embroidery fabric – such as evenweave, linen, or cotton fabric suitable for surface embroidery
• Embroidery needle – a sharp or crewel needle appropriate for the number of strands being used
• Embroidery hoop – to keep the fabric taut and even while stitching

Pattern Format and Availability

The Bananas in DMC – PAT0502 pattern by Jodie Ruffle x DMC is available as a free downloadable PDF through the DMC Library. The PDF includes a colour diagram, a technical stitch chart, and written instructions covering all three stitches used. It is presented bilingually in English and French, reflecting DMC's international community of needlework enthusiasts.