I do like geraniums, they’re undemanding plants that like my soil and shady spots, I’ve a few round the garden of differing sizes and colours. The magenta pink geranium in the photo below is geranium psilostemon. It got rather large and spread from the bottom level to the raised bed and up to the roses beyond! I’ve actually dug this bit out and moved it to the top of the garden where it can spread to it’s hearts content

Last year when as was stitching little embroideries for my garden book I used little designs from SookieSo which included a gate with flowers behind and a little single flower. I stitched them both with magenta flowers like the geranium.

When I found out I would be in hospital as a daycase last week I set too to make a page for my garden book from these two embroideries. I could then do crazy patchwork stitching whilst I waited for my turn.

It took quite a while to decide on fabrics and positions, I wanted it a bit lighter than the last one I did and more regular shapes too. The bright pink ditsy print is a scrap of Liberty fabric left from Helen’s Christmas present, The little butterfly was one I bought on line, the colours seemed to go well and added a bit of calm.The pink flower print looks a bit like geranium so I decided to fussy cut a square. It wasn’t easy working out size with it, in the end I cut a paper window the page size and used that. It’s all mounted om calico which gives a bit of stability and is useful for starting and finishing threads.

So this is what I started with…

I didn’t get much done in hospital in the end as I was second on the list, so not long to wait. However I’ve been stitching it on an evening since and last night I finished it.

I used fairly simple stitches, feather, lazy-daisy, whipped running stitch, fly and chain stitch and of course lots of French knots!

My initial plan was to leave the bottom left hand print just as it was with just the seam embroidery, however I got tempted into embroidering round the flowers and leaves. I was regretting it half way through as it did take longer than expected and I wasn’t sure the leaves were looking right. Now it’s finished I’m pleased I did it!

I’m particularly pleased with the border underneath the words, I haven’t decided if the lace needs something like buttons over the end but I tried some and nothing jumped out, it’s a fraction short. I might put it away for a while and then look at it with fresh eyes.

I had a count up and I’ve got eight pages completed, I’m half way round the summerhouse area, then I’ve just got the Amber and Amethyst garden to stitch, a map of the garden and a few little ones to crazy patchwork. I’m getting there!