Well I have my dancing shoes on! Last night I finished – ish my stitched patio garden for my fabric book about my garden. I say -ish as I might just put a few more stitches on it…might!
This is the piece that was inspired by the on-line course I did called ‘Stitch – a – garden’ by Nicki Franklyn of the Stitchery. It was an excellent course and gave me lots of ideas about different stitches to use and painting my fabric. I’m sure she’ll be repeating it if any one is interested. The course was aimed at one picture, like a map of the garden, as my walls are full of pictures I decided to make a book instead. As our back garden neatly divides into three areas I’m stitching a map of each one, this is the first!
Three weeks ago I was just finishing stitching the raised bed but I still had a lot of stitching for the border by the conservatory…
I’ve been a busy bee stitching the lower border, adding roses on the big standard rose bush, peonies, brunnera, rhodedendron, hebe, irises, together with several others which nicely fill gaps in. My last few stitches were little seed stitches in variegated brown to just represent the soil, they just help the areas between the plants to look stitched rather than forgotton about.
I wasn’t sure when I started stitching this piece how the perspectives would work out, I have mixed up view points but I think it works, possibly because it is so busy! The main structures are pictured as from above, possibly just above the arch, so the arbour shape is seen and the rose arch is straight across the path, the pots and planters are circles with stitching in the middle. The flowers are pictured as viewed from standing in the patio so they will be sideways on when the page is in the portrait view as it will be in the book. This is the bit I procrastinated most about but I think it works.
The areas where I might just put a few more stitches are the two green bushes, one is a box and the other a eunonymous, so they are just plain green shrubs but I think the eye is drawn to those more than it should be.
I now need to stitch a similar ‘map’ of the beer garden AKA the amber and amethyst garden and the summerhouse garden too with the lawn and the pond. Hopefully they won’t take as long now I vaguely know what I’m doing, this one has taken about four months!
This stitch-a-long is organised by Avis from Stitching by the Sea, we post every three weeks on our own chosen project, just often enough to keep the motivation going. Please follow the links to see what everyone else is stitching.
Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,
Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy,
AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret
thecraftycreek 
Oh this garden is so pretty. It is easy to recognize so many of those flowers and I love the explosion of color and the variety of stitches. I agree that those plain green bushes need some green leaves. I can’t wait to see the next garden.
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This totally works, Margaret! It is a great representation! 😊
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This is such a lovely project and a beautiful keepsake. Love all the variety of stitches.
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You are really progressing on this project! Hugs
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I love the business of this project, it totally works and looks fabulous 🙂 You did an outstanding job on this! I want to sit in your garden and get lost in a book 🙂
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I love Nicky Franklins stitchery lane – but have yet to start the kits. Did you use ribbon embroidery for the roses?
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I just used regular DMC thread for the roses, the French knot ones are done with 4 threads and about 3 wraps I think, nice and chunky 🙂
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It’s me again…love love your garden & variety of colors & stitches…
Such talent….
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I’ve been looking at all the flowers for ages. It’s easy to get lost in your garden 🙂
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I just love this Margaret!
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Gorgeous!
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That’s turned out beautifully – I really like the way you can identify particular plants and flowers
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One Happy Dance for this garden! I really like the different perspective that you have stitched your garden in!
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what a very pretty piece.
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absolutely beautiful!
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Incredible work Margaret! I have enjoyed watching your progress on this piece and look forward to the other 2 taking shape.
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No wonder you did a dance!
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You will spend hours looking through the book and being reminded of your garden, when you finally move to your new house. xx
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I love this piece so much — both your garden and your stitched representation are spectacular!
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I had to come back and see your finish! It’s wonderful!! Love the colors, textures, and perspectives.
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Thank you, just got another 2 areas to do now 🙂
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