Lace heart frame hand embroidery pattern

Intermediate · 3 colors · 3 kinds of stitch

Lace heart frame: preview of the stitched design

A heart in stem stitch is edged with fifteen equal scallops of buttonhole stitch like lace, one of them bridging the cleft, and a pointed drop at the point. A gold French knot sits in the middle of every scallop and of the drop, and a row of 26 rose French knots runs inside the line. The middle is left open for an initial or a date.

Size and details

Intermediate. Dozens of French knots.

3 colors of floss and 3 kinds of stitch:

The stitched size, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters
3 in (8 cm)	1.4 × 1.4 in	3.6 × 3.6 cm
4 in (10 cm)	2 × 2 in	5.1 × 5.1 cm
5 in (13 cm)	2.7 × 2.7 in	6.9 × 6.9 cm
6 in (15 cm)	3.4 × 3.4 in	8.6 × 8.6 cm
8 in (20 cm)	4.7 × 4.7 in	11.9 × 11.9 cm

In a 3 or 4 inch hoop the French knots are drawn smaller than about 2 mm (a little over 1/16 in). Use one strand of floss for them 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 304 Medium RedHeart line
DMC 3350 Ultra Dark Dusty RoseScallops with the drop at the point and inner knots
DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawKnots in the scallops and in the drop

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 strandsHeart line
Buttonhole stitch 2 strandsScallops with the drop at the point
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsKnots in the scallops and in the drop, inner knots

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.