DMC Botanical Medicinal Plants - PAT1380S - Downloadable PDF

DMC Botanical Medicinal Plants Cross Stitch Pattern (PAT1380S) – Free Downloadable PDF

About This Pattern

This free downloadable PDF from DMC presents a stunning botanical medicinal plants design rendered in the style of a classic planche botanique — a traditional botanical illustration plate. The finished piece captures the timeless elegance of antique herbal reference prints, making it a beautiful decorative embroidery project for home interiors, nature lovers, and needlework enthusiasts alike. The pattern is presented as a coloured cross stitch chart (diagramme point de croix en couleurs), making it straightforward to follow even while working across multiple botanical elements within the composition.

What Is Being Made

Stitchers will create a botanical medicinal plants illustration in cross stitch, designed to evoke the look of a framed vintage herbarium print. The design features multiple plant specimens arranged in the style of a scientific botanical plate, celebrating the rich visual tradition of medicinal plant illustration. Once completed and framed, this piece makes an impressive wall display with a sophisticated, nature-inspired aesthetic.

Techniques Used

• Cross stitch — the primary and sole technique used throughout this pattern. Each symbol on the coloured chart corresponds to a specific DMC thread colour, and stitches are worked over an even-weave or Aida fabric grid to build up the botanical image.
• Colour chart reading — stitchers follow a diagramme point de croix en couleurs, meaning the chart uses colour-coded symbols to guide thread placement across the design, which is particularly helpful for a multi-toned botanical composition like this one.

Stitches Used

• Cross stitch — the foundational stitch of the entire design, formed by two diagonal stitches crossing at the centre to create an X shape. Worked consistently in the same direction across the piece, cross stitch builds up solid areas of colour to define leaves, stems, flowers, and botanical detail.

Materials Required

This pattern is designed to be stitched using DMC embroidery floss (stranded cotton). The colour palette referenced in the chart includes the following DMC thread shades:

• DMC 310 (Black)
• DMC 500 (Very Dark Blue Green)
• DMC 561 (Very Dark Jade)
• DMC 562 (Medium Jade)
• DMC 612 (Medium Light Drab Brown)
• DMC 703 (Chartreuse)
• DMC 741 (Medium Tangerine)
• DMC 743 (Medium Yellow)
• DMC 16
• Blanc (White)

In addition to DMC stranded cotton floss, you will need an embroidery needle suitable for cross stitch (typically a blunt-tipped tapestry needle in size 24 or 26), along with Aida or even-weave embroidery fabric in your preferred count. A hoop or embroidery frame is recommended to keep fabric taut and stitches even throughout the project.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty. While cross stitch itself is a beginner-friendly technique, the multi-colour botanical composition — with its range of greens, yellows, and accent tones — requires confident colour management and the ability to read a detailed coloured chart accurately. Stitchers who are comfortable working with numerous thread changes and following a complex grid will find this pattern both engaging and rewarding.

Pattern Format

The DMC Botanical Medicinal Plants design is available as a free downloadable PDF directly from DMC. The PDF includes the full coloured cross stitch chart across multiple pages, along with the complete thread colour key listing all required DMC floss numbers. As a free pattern from the DMC library (bibliothèque DMC), it represents excellent value for embroid