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Christmas Garden



I needed a Christmas pattern in the line and my other "gardens" - Sampler and Quilt - made me think of a Christmas Garden.  It was inspired by Martha Stewart and the beautiful mantles that show up in her Christmas magazines. 

I put off designing this one for a long time.  The amaryllis scared me.  It is a complex flower for the amount of space I needed to fill and I didn't want it to use outlines.  Finally, I just sat down with some Christmas magazines and started sketching. 

This time the containers where very simple done in rich reds and greens and embellished with metallics.  Many people look for excuses to add metallics to their stitching because they love the sparkle.  I typically look for excuses to exclude the metallics because I don't like dealing with them.  It ruins scissors, frays and it doesn't glide nicely through the fabric.  However, in this design the metallics where necessary.  Besides the containers, the christmas trees have metallic ornaments and the pointsettia center is metallic.

I eventually managed to pull off an amaryllis that I like and I think it actually resembles a real amaryllis.  On the other hand, I'm not sure about the pointsettia.  The overdyed thread I used wasn't quite right.  In order to not be too Martha Stewart, the garden is not symmetrical, especially the Christmas trees.  I like real trees and they are never perfectly symmetrical.

So far, there are three samplers in my "garden" series.  As usual, I have ideas for more gardens that I haven't designed yet.  I'll get to them soon.
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  1. AnonymousOctober 28, 2009 at 7:24 PM

    I just finished reading the entire thing from start to finish and I am so impressed with your work ethic and the fact that you finish all your projects. (we definately do not have that in common) I am so excited about all your designs, I love them, and I hope others will buy them and love them too. Your expertise in stitching and all the help and advice you have given me have helped me grow as a stitcher. I am priviledged to have you as a friend also. Pat Stroud

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