DMC Summer Daisy - PAT1537 - Downloadable PDF

DMC Summer Daisy (PAT1537) – Free Downloadable Embroidery Pattern Overview

The DMC Summer Daisy (also known as Marguerite d'Été in French) is a free downloadable PDF pattern from the DMC Library that guides crafters through creating a charming, textured daisy design using the punch needle technique. The finished piece measures approximately 17 cm × 17 cm, making it an ideal project for a framed textile artwork, a decorative hoop display, or an embellishment for home décor. This is an intermediate-level embroidery project that combines the tactile appeal of 3D punch needle embroidery with a classic floral motif.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a Summer Daisy — a bold, graphic floral design rendered in raised, looped texture through the punch needle method. The result is a soft, almost sculptural textile piece with a distinctly dimensional surface, quite different from traditional flat hand embroidery. The daisy motif is worked in a palette of five carefully selected DMC thread colours, creating natural contrast between petals, centre, and background.

Technique: Punch Needle Embroidery

This pattern uses the punch needle technique, a form of 3D embroidery that involves pushing a hollow, threaded needle repeatedly through a fabric ground to create loops on the surface. Unlike conventional embroidery stitches worked from the top of the fabric, punch needle is worked from the back of the fabric, with the loops forming on the front to build up a plush, raised texture. The DMC pattern specifically instructs the use of the Smooth stitch, which is worked on the front of the fabric, creating an even, consistent loop pile across the design.

Punch needle embroidery is well suited to intermediate crafters who are comfortable with basic embroidery concepts and are ready to explore a more dimensional, tool-based approach. The technique is relatively quick to learn but benefits from practice in maintaining consistent loop height and tension.

Stitches Used

• Smooth Stitch (Lisse): The sole stitch used throughout this design. It is worked directly on the front of the fabric, producing a flat, smooth loop surface. The pattern uses stitch code letter A to denote all Smooth stitch areas across the colour diagram.

Materials: Thread and Tools

Yarn / Thread

The pattern calls for DMC Natura XL yarn, a chunky-weight cotton thread well suited to punch needle work on open-weave fabrics. Five colours from the Natura XL range are used, each requiring one skein, worked with 1 strand at a time. The specific DMC Natura XL colour codes used are:

• Natura XL Code 31 – 1 skein
• Natura XL Code 01 – 1 skein
• Natura XL Code 10 – 1 skein
• Natura XL Code 08 – 1 skein
• Natura XL Code 73 – 1 skein

All skein quantities are calculated specifically for the design size of 17 cm × 17 cm. DMC Natura XL is a 100% cotton yarn known for its softness, vibrant colour retention, and suitability for craft and embroidery applications, making it an excellent choice for punch needle projects where consistent thread weight is essential for even loop formation.

Needle / Tool

The required tool is the DMC Punchneedle Regular 10, a wooden-handled punch needle instrument designed to work with medium to chunky yarns. The number 10 refers to the needle gauge, which is matched to the weight of the DMC Natura XL thread. The PDF instructions describe threading the yarn through the wooden needle as the first step in the setup process.

Fabric

The recommended ground fabric is Aida cloth at 2.4 points per centimetre (6 ct / 6 count). Aida is a woven evenweave fabric with an open, grid-like structure that allows the punch needle to pass through cleanly and consistently. The 6-count weight