Cosmos oval frame hand embroidery pattern

Intermediate · 5 colors · 3 kinds of stitch

Cosmos oval frame: preview of the stitched design

This oval frame is wider than it is tall: two leafy branches rise from a cosmos at the foot and leave the top open, with room inside for a name or a monogram. The branches are stem stitch and the leaves are satin stitch in a dark and a light green; the cosmos has rose-pink satin stitch petals round a gold satin stitch center with one French knot in it.

Size and details

Intermediate. Long satin stitches from a 6 inch hoop up.

5 colors of floss and 3 kinds of stitch:

The stitched size and the widest satin stitch, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters	Satin stitch up to
3 in (8 cm)	1.8 × 1.4 in	4.6 × 3.6 cm	1/8 in (3 mm)
4 in (10 cm)	2.7 × 2.1 in	6.9 × 5.3 cm	1/4 in (6 mm)
5 in (13 cm)	3.6 × 2.8 in	9.1 × 7.1 cm	5/16 in (8 mm)
6 in (15 cm)	4.5 × 3.5 in	11.4 × 8.9 cm	3/8 in (10 mm)
8 in (20 cm)	6.2 × 4.9 in	15.7 × 12.4 cm	1/2 in (13 mm)

In an 8 inch hoop the widest satin stitch shape is 1/2 in (13 mm) across. Satin stitches longer than about 12 mm (just under 1/2 in) tend to work loose: divide the shape into sections, or work it in long and short stitch.
In a 3 inch hoop the French knot is drawn smaller than about 2 mm (a little over 1/16 in). Use one strand of floss for it there, or choose a larger hoop.

The pattern is drawn inside a circle about half an inch (1.3 cm) smaller all around than the hoop.

What you need

DMC 986 Very Dark Forest GreenBranches and darker half of each leaf
DMC 320 Medium Pistachio GreenLighter half of each leaf
DMC 3350 Ultra Dark Dusty RoseCosmos petals
DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawCosmos center
DMC 3781 Dark Mocha BrownCosmos center knot

The floss is six-strand cotton; the stitch guide says how many strands to use. You also need a hoop, an embroidery needle (a size 7 to 9 suits two or three strands) and plain cotton or linen fabric. To frame the piece in its hoop, cut a square 3 inches (8 cm) wider than the hoop: a 9 inch (23 cm) square for a 6 inch hoop.

Stitch guide

Stem stitch 2 or 3 strandsBranches
Satin stitch 2 strandsLeaves (each half slanted to the center vein, in its own color), cosmos petals, cosmos center
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsCosmos center knot

Getting it onto your fabric

The PDF holds the pattern twice at actual size: once as drawn, and once mirrored for an iron-on transfer pen. Print it at 100% with scaling off and check the one-inch square (25.4 mm) with a ruler before you trace. How to transfer a pattern explains tracing, carbon paper and the other ways. The files are under Downloads.