Fun flower embroidery

[jemimah]

I made this for the marvellous mimiw in the Ongoing Wish Swap. She had a few stylised garden/flower designs on her wist, but rather than an exact copy, I got some inspiration, and came up with my own design. It was really enjoyable to stitch (I made something similar for babalina too, will load a pic when I find it!)





This is a really fun project if you want to play around, and practice old stitches or try new ones. I started by ironing on the corduroy piece for the ground, and roughly marked a couple of circles with my disappearing purple marker. Then I got out my stitch dictionary and started playing around with a whole variety of stitches.

For the stitches in this hoop, I used some old classics (blanket, chain, herringbone, french knots), some fun favourites (checkered chain, cretan, whipped spider, coral, colonial knots, cable chain), and a couple of new-to-me stitches that I really like (pekinese, basque). All in 2 strands of DMC on cotton fabric.

It's a great way to work on your embroidery skills - a bit like an old-fashioned sampler, but you get a cute hoop at the end of it! Because it's a fun, casual style, you don't need to get too worried about everything lining up (just use disappearing marker if you want a guideline) - I deliberately made mine not symmetrical, so it didn't look too stiff.

If you like it, have a go at making your own version! I'd love to see it

(And if there's some interest, I'd be happy to do a tutorial or stitchalong sometime )

[Puppy_girl]

cute!  i love the colors you used.  which stitch is the kinda loopy one you used for a couple of the flowers?

[nilmerg]

Love it. wisted.

[pjherbert]

jemimah - I love this, it is beautiful! good job, I would love to hang it on my wall!

[jemimah]

... which stitch is the kinda loopy one you used for a couple of the flowers?

The loopy one on the outside of two flowers is basque stitch (according to my book, though it may have another name too). It's my new favourite, like a cross between blanket and chain.

... and thanks!

[calluna]

Wonderful work, and it looks like it was much more fun to create than a traditional sampler of stitches.

[MareMare]

So pretty! I love the style and the colors. Totally pinning it

[spectrumsparksie]

Very cute.  Love the colours and the idea. 

[onegroovyday]

very pretty Jemimah, love all the different stitches and the colors are wonderful..... cant wait to get the hoop you did for me

[teachart]

This is so wonderful jemimah! I want to live in this little blue flower world!