Wool Embroidery

My interest in sewing and all things hand crafty started around my mid teens when Mum bought me a counted cross stitch kit. I was hooked and finished the project within weeks because I was so enthusiastic about it. Mum can’t sew and has no interest in handcrafts except to admire them, and my aunts from my Dad’s side of the family sew out of necessity, hence I feel privilege to do it for pure enjoyment.

Mum has been spring cleaning and found a whole heap of cushions in the linen cupboard which is now my craft cupboard. These cushions which I made for Mum around 1995 were one of my first projects, inspired by Kaye Pyke’s Classic Cushions and Elegant Embroidery. I poured over these treasured books for hours, and loved the floral wool embroidery on calico the best. I used DMC embroidery wool which was more economical and readily available than the Paternayan Paterna Persian virgin wool that was recommended. The calico is now looking worse for wear, so we’ve decided to unpick the cushion, and frame the embroidery instead. 

I look at the cushions now and wonder how I managed to create such even satin stitches (for the ribbon). I should revisit embroidery, as it's not as constrained as cross stitch, and I'm free to use the colours I love.

The embroidery stitches used are simple ~ french knots, bullion, lazy daisy, back stitch and straight stitch.