A Bunch of Flowers
Create
a delightful card using the simplest of stitches
photos
by Ian Cole
What you need
- A
small piece of coloured canvas (6cm
square) for each card (14, 16 or
18 count)
or
A small piece of canvas and iron-fix silk paints (at least two colours) - Selection
of variegated threads, such as:
Fine cotton (or one strand of stranded cotton): Greens
Glitter thread: Pinks
Medium cotton: Pinks
Mercerised cotton: Pinks - A needle with a large eye, to allow the thicker threads to pass through it
- Small three-fold greetings card with a 4cm square aperture
Preparation
- Pin the canvas onto a board with drawing pins - this prevents the canvas from warping when dampened with the paints.
- Using a brush, paint the canvas with the silk paint; paint in circular motions to enable the paint to cover all holes. To achieve a variegated colour effect, use two colours and blend them together with the brush. Leave to dry.
- Press on the reverse to fix the paint.
- Tack (baste) the size of the card aperture in the centre of the canvas.
What you do
- Using the fine green cotton, work the flower stalks with straight stitches in random directions.
- With the glitter thread, sew approximately seven french knots.
- Using the medium cotton, scatter french knots amongst the glitter thread knots.
- Fill in any remaining gaps with french knots worked in the mercerised cotton.
To complete
Using double sided sticky tape, secure the finished embroidery behind the aperture of the card.
Suggestion
Try working this embroidery on a larger piece of canvas and use more freestyle embroidery stitches to produce a picture.
Supplier
At the time of writing, a kit containing materials to make one card (the coloured canvas, threads and a card) was available for £4 (including UK P&P) from Kates Kloths, Unit 4A, Whitehouse Farm Centre, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 6AW. Telephone 01670 736403 for more details. The kit is available in mauve/pink flowers, green/peach flowers or pink/pink and blue flowers.
