Free Hollyhocks Embroidery Pattern – With Stitch & Color Guide

I’m so excited to share this free hollyhocks embroidery pattern with you! Hollyhocks are such charming flowers – tall, cheerful, and perfect for adding a cottage-garden feel to your needlework. This pattern is simple enough for beginners but still has plenty of detail for more experienced stitchers to enjoy.

Stitches to Use

For this design, I recommend keeping the stitches simple and classic so the beauty of the hollyhocks really shines:

Flowers: Use long and short stitch to fill in each petal. This will create lovely shading and a smooth, natural look.

Leaves: Also work the leaves in long and short stitch, so you can blend different greens for a realistic effect.

Stems: Use stem stitch for the flower stalks and smaller stems. This gives a nice, slightly raised line that works beautifully for plant stems.

Suggested Colors

I’ve chosen a soft and cheerful palette for this project:

Flower Petals: Shades of pink – try a light pink for the outer edges (e.g., DMC 3713 or 818) and a slightly deeper pink for the inner areas (e.g., DMC 603 or 602). You can blend two or three pinks for more depth.

Flower Centers: A soft yellow (e.g., DMC 3078) to give a gentle contrast without overpowering the pink petals.

Leaves: Use medium to deep greens (e.g., DMC 471 for lighter areas and 469 for darker shading).

Stems: A slightly muted green (e.g., DMC 936) works well for the main stalk, with a lighter green for highlights.

Tips for Stitching

When working long and short stitch, start with the lighter shades from the edge of the petals and gradually blend into a darker color toward the flower center.

Keep your stitches smooth and consistent in direction for a polished finish.

* If you’re new to stem stitch, remember to keep your needle coming out on the same side of the thread for a neat twist.

Instead of filling in with long and short stitches, you can also outline the design using stem stitch or backstitch.

Once finished, this hollyhocks piece would look gorgeous framed in a wooden hoop or sewn onto a tote bag for a sweet handmade touch.

Happy stitching!

---Flora