Redwork poinsettia seen face on hand embroidery pattern

Easy · 1 color · 3 kinds of stitch

Redwork poinsettia seen face on: preview of the stitched design

This is a redwork poinsettia seen face on. Eight pointed bracts, the leaves that look like petals, stand at equal steps round the center of the flower, one pointing straight up, and each is veined down its length and out to both sides. Between them show the points of eight back bracts, veined in the same way and reaching farther out. The center of the flower is a ring that holds seven buds, one in the middle and six round it. The bracts, the points of the back bracts and the center of the flower are stem stitch, the veins are back stitch and the buds are French knots. It is all one red thread, with no filled shapes.

Size and details

Easy. Simple stitches in one color.

1 color of floss and 3 kinds of stitch, all of them line stitches and knots:

The stitched size, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters
3 in (8 cm)	1.7 × 1.7 in	4.3 × 4.3 cm
4 in (10 cm)	2.6 × 2.6 in	6.6 × 6.6 cm
5 in (13 cm)	3.5 × 3.5 in	8.9 × 8.9 cm
6 in (15 cm)	4.4 × 4.4 in	11.2 × 11.2 cm
8 in (20 cm)	6.1 × 6.1 in	15.5 × 15.5 cm

In a 3 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 RedBracts, points of the back bracts, center of the flower, veins of the bracts, veins of the back bracts and buds in the center of the flower

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 strandsBracts, points of the back bracts, center of the flower
Back stitch 2 strandsVeins of the bracts, veins of the back bracts
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsBuds in the center of the flower

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.