Leaf Cuttings in DMC - PAT0332 - Downloadable PDF

DMC Leaf Cuttings Embroidery Pattern (PAT0332) – Free Downloadable PDF

This free downloadable embroidery pattern from DMC is titled Inside the Greenhouse – Leaf Cuttings (Dans la Serre – Feuilles Diverses in French). It is part of the DMC Library / Bibliothèque DMC collection and is available as a free PDF, making it an accessible project for embroiderers who want to build their botanical stitching skills. The design celebrates the quiet beauty of a greenhouse setting, featuring a variety of botanical leaf cuttings rendered in detailed needlework.

What Is Being Made

The finished piece is a botanical embroidery design depicting an assortment of leaf cuttings as one might find arranged inside a greenhouse. The composition includes multiple leaf varieties, each distinguished by its own shape, texture, and color, creating a lush, nature-inspired embroidered panel. This type of botanical embroidery is a popular decorative art form, suitable for framing, mounting in an embroidery hoop, or incorporating into home décor projects such as cushions or wall hangings.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty. It is best suited to embroiderers who are already comfortable with basic hand embroidery techniques and are ready to work with a more complex color palette and detailed botanical shapes. Beginners who have completed a few smaller projects may also find it an achievable and rewarding challenge.

Techniques and Stitches

As a DMC hand embroidery pattern, Leaf Cuttings employs the classic techniques associated with botanical and decorative needlework. Working from the provided colour guide and technical chart included in the PDF, stitchers follow a diagrammed design to recreate the leaf forms with precision. Typical techniques used in DMC botanical patterns of this style include:

• Satin stitch – used to fill leaf shapes smoothly and create a clean, polished surface that mimics the flat planes of real foliage
• Stem stitch or outline stitch – commonly employed to define the edges of leaves, stems, and veins with a neat, flowing line
• Long and short stitch – ideal for blending multiple thread colors across larger leaf areas to achieve a naturalistic, shaded effect
• Back stitch – used for fine detail lines such as leaf veins and botanical outlines
• Split stitch – another technique frequently used for smooth outlines and as a foundation for padded or raised areas

The PDF includes both a colour guide / diagramme en couleur and a technical chart / diagramme technique, giving stitchers clear visual references for thread placement and color assignment across the design. The color guide references a substantial palette of DMC thread colors, labeled with codes across multiple color groups (including references such as A2, A3, A4, A5, A12, B1, B2, B4, B6, B7, B8, B9, B10, B11, B12, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C8, and C10), reflecting the rich variety of greens, neutrals, and accent tones needed to bring the diverse leaf cuttings to life.

Materials Required

This is a hand embroidery pattern requiring standard embroidery supplies. Key materials include:

• DMC stranded cotton embroidery floss – the pattern is designed specifically around DMC thread colors, and the colour guide references specific DMC shade codes to ensure accurate color matching
• Embroidery fabric – typically an evenweave or plain-weave fabric such as Aida, linen, or cotton, chosen to suit the stitcher's preferred working style
• Embroidery needles – standard hand embroidery needles (crewel or tapestry needles) appropriate for the chosen fabric and thread weight
• Embroidery hoop or frame – recommended to keep the fabric taut and even during stitching, which is especially important for satin stitch and long-and-short stitch techniques

Pattern Format and Availability

The Leaf Cuttings pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF directly from DMC