Garden Pansies in DMC - PAT0596 - Downloadable PDF

Garden Pansies Embroidery Pattern – DMC Secret Garden Collection (PAT0596)

This free downloadable PDF embroidery pattern from DMC is part of the charming Secret Garden collection, titled Garden Pansies (Pensées de Jardin in French). It is an intermediate-level embroidery design featuring beautifully detailed pansy blooms, worked at a finished design size of approximately 17 cm x 10 cm. The pattern is presented bilingually in English and French, making it accessible to a wide international audience of embroidery enthusiasts.

What Is Being Made

The design depicts lush garden pansies rendered in rich, blended thread colours. Pansies are a classic embroidery subject, beloved for their velvety, multi-toned petals and expressive faces, and this pattern captures that botanical detail with careful shading and texture. The finished piece is suitable for framing, mounting on fabric, or incorporating into a larger textile project. The design is sized to work beautifully as a standalone decorative panel or as part of a series within the broader Secret Garden collection.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs three core hand embroidery techniques that together create a painterly, dimensional effect:

• Long and Short Stitch (Passé Empiétant): This is the primary filling technique used throughout the pansy petals. Long and short stitch involves alternating rows of longer and shorter stitches that interlock, allowing thread colours to blend seamlessly into one another. It is the traditional method for achieving smooth tonal gradations in needle painting and botanical embroidery, giving the petals their characteristic soft, lifelike shading.
• Split Stitch (Point Fendu): Split stitch is used for outlining and defining the edges of the design elements. Each new stitch is brought up through the centre of the previous stitch, splitting it, which creates a neat, rope-like line ideal for clean contours and structural definition within the composition.
• French Knot (Point de Nœud): French knots add textural detail and dimension to the design. Formed by wrapping the thread around the needle before inserting it back into the fabric, these small raised knots are perfect for depicting flower centres, stamens, or decorative accents within the pansy blooms.

Stitches Used

• Long and Short Stitch – for petal shading and colour blending
• Split Stitch – for outlining and structural lines
• French Knot – for textural and decorative detail

Colour Palette and Thread Materials

The pattern uses DMC Mouliné Spécial Art 117 embroidery floss, worked with 2 strands throughout. Ten carefully selected thread colours are called for, each requiring 1 skein, calculated for the stated design size of 17 cm x 10 cm. The colour codes used are:

• DMC 151
• DMC 3833
• DMC 3831
• DMC 150
• DMC 814
• DMC 745
• DMC 742
• DMC 964
• DMC 992
• DMC 3814

This palette blends deep purples, mauves, soft yellows, and cool greens — colours that authentically reflect the natural tones of garden pansies. The combination of warm petal shades and fresh foliage greens gives the finished embroidery a vibrant yet naturalistic appearance.

Tools and Materials Required

• Needle: A No. 12 embroidery needle is recommended, suitable for fine work with 2 strands of Mouliné floss on fabric.
• Fabric: The pattern recommends using a DMC Magic Sheet together with a