Lilac: Elaine’s Botanicals

Dionne    Embroidery and Crewel, What's New     double running stitch, Elaine's botanicals, embroidery, french knots, stem stitch

These heady scented flowers are almost past their best at this time of year.  Their rich aroma fills the night air and the colours are those of romance and passion with soft pinks through to purples with a few lovely blues thrown in.  Stitching this little design means you can enjoy it all year round instead of just in early spring, or mid spring in the highlands.

With mostly stem stitch, double running stitch and a few french knots, Lilac is one of the easier embroidery designs amongst the range from Elaine’s Botanicals.

Gertrude enters our Hall of Fame

Dionne    Embroidery and Crewel     hall of fame

Gertrude came in 9 months ago and asked me to help her choose the materials to create a cushion.  She was inspired by her trip to Spain last year where she visited the Cathedral and former Great Mosque of Córdoba, known to the locals as the Mezquita-Catedral.  More particularly she loved the wall panels of the Cathedral that was inserted into the Mosque following the re-taking of Spain by the Christian Church.  Her inspiration was the beautiful moulded marble and she showed me pictures of it from her guide book.  We selected Eva Rosenstand linen and matching DMC Perle 5, 8 and 12 for Gertrude to plot its recreation.

I am unable to share a copy of the images she showed me due to copyright but I have included some online links to images from the Royal Chapel to give you some idea of what she was aiming for.  Both are from the official Art, Culture and Tourism in Cordoba site. Mosque Royal Chapel 09, Mosque Royal Chapel 04.  While these are not exactly the same, they give you some idea of the complexity and ambitious nature of the project.

Last month Gertrude brought in her masterpiece to show me, and here it is up close.

Expanded Roseworks Range

Dionne    Embroidery and Crewel, What's New     embroidery, golden persian flower, kismet, roseworks embroidery designs, terry toad and reggie rat, woodland friends

Check out the new additions to our Roseworks Embroidery Designs selection.  Woodland Friends and Kismet have been part of Colleen’s range for some time but they have just joined ours.

Woodland Friends is a delightful companion piece to Forest Floor and her 2010 offering Terry Toad and Reggie Rat go Fishing.

Kismet is a lovely companion piece to Golden Persian Flower.  Roseworks Embroidery Designs have been a welcome addition to our Embroidery room and customers love them as much as we do.  All of these designs and many more are available online and in store now.

Lavender: Elaine’s Botanicals

Dionne    Embroidery and Crewel     back stitch, buillion, chain stitch, Elaine's botanicals, lavender

I love lavender, but I am a traditionalist.  Soooo not into all these varietals in every colour of pink under the sun, … there is even a white one!

… and don’t get me started on those crazy looking things with rabbit ears.  I just don’t get it.  Why?  The traditional lavender bush, lavendula augustafolia has the best aroma, the essential oil has amazing healing and anti-microbial properties.  Why mess with nature?  

We have a hedge of these outside our house, I planted them back in 2004, I like pruning them, … hard!  Very therapeutic.

Craig has planted alternating purple and pink out the front of Victoria House, I am not convinced but since the garden is his, I am keeping quiet.

If you had ever planned to perfect your bullion stitches, then this is the embroidery project for you, the rest of the design is completed in chain and back stitch.  Elaines Botanicals design is the traditional “Munsted” Lavender.  I love it, you will too.  We suggest you try using the hand over-dyed threads from either Weeks Dye Works or The Gentle Art Shaker Threads for subtle tonal variation.  We have both.

Good things DO come in small packages

Dionne    Cross Stitch, Embroidery and Crewel, Tapestry and Needlepoint, What's New     mill hill, roseworks embroidery, twill designs

Have just expanded our range of Roseworks Designs Embroidery range to include the too gorgeous mini Jacobean flowers; Minuet, Pavane, Prelude and Sonata.  Love them so much I have decided that mini-projects do deserve their own category online.  Just a little something to do, when you are not looking for a big project.  They have joined our Twill Designs which are needlepoint and mini Mill Hill kits in cross stitch with beading embellishment. 

…. Hmmm …. now I just need a couple of mini projects in knitting and crochet and I have covered all our bases.  Watch this space.