Tulip and heart square sampler hand embroidery pattern

Intermediate · 5 colors · 5 kinds of stitch

Tulip and heart square sampler: preview of the stitched design

A square sampler set on its point holds three kinds of ornament, one inside the next: sprays, a vine and two border lines. Eight green stalks in stem stitch run out from a gold middle wheel in woven wheel stitch. Toward each corner a stalk carries a teal satin stitch tulip with a gold middle petal and a pair of green fishbone stitch leaves; toward each side a shorter one carries a raspberry satin stitch heart. Round them a green vine stem in stem stitch, bearing fishbone stitch vine leaves, runs between four gold corner roses in woven wheel stitch. A navy inner border line in stem stitch and a navy chain stitch square close the whole in.

Size and details

Intermediate. Uses woven wheels.

5 colors of floss and 5 kinds of stitch:

The stitched size and the widest satin stitch, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters	Satin stitch up to
3 in (8 cm)	1.9 × 1.9 in	4.8 × 4.8 cm	1/8 in (3 mm)
4 in (10 cm)	2.9 × 2.9 in	7.4 × 7.4 cm	3/16 in (5 mm)
5 in (13 cm)	3.9 × 3.9 in	9.9 × 9.9 cm	3/16 in (5 mm)
6 in (15 cm)	4.8 × 4.8 in	12.2 × 12.2 cm	1/4 in (6 mm)
8 in (20 cm)	6.8 × 6.8 in	17.3 × 17.3 cm	3/8 in (10 mm)

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

What you need

DMC 320 Medium Pistachio GreenVine stem, vine leaves, stalks and leaves
DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawCorner roses, middle petals of the tulips and middle wheel
DMC 3831 Dark RaspberryHearts
DMC 3809 Very Dark TurquoiseTulips
DMC 336 Navy BlueChain stitch square and inner border line

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 strandsVine stem, stalks, inner border line
Fishbone stitch 2 strandsVine leaves, leaves
Woven wheel stitch 2 strandsCorner roses, middle wheel
Satin stitch 2 strandsHearts, middle petals of the tulips, tulips
Chain stitch 2 or 3 strandsChain stitch square

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.