In My Garden by Catherine Laurençon

The love affair between embroiderers and flowers is well known. Flowers are perhaps one of the most stitched subjects, with blooms appearing in almost every known technique.

There are many reasons why flowers are so perfect for embroidery, including their endless variety, the often sinuous and elegant shapes and, of course, the myriad array of stunning colours.

The colours of flowers run the gamut from yellows and whites through to deep purples and reds, with every shade and hue in between. Some are brilliant while others are muted but there is no end of inspiration for the colour obsessed embroiderer.

Flowers display their gorgeous colours for one primary purpose – to attract the pollinators whose job it is to help the plant to reproduce.

The colour emerges from pigments in the genes of the plant – anthocyanins for reds, pinks, blues and purples and carotenoids for yellow, red and orange.

Whether the flower is bright or dull depends on what is required for reproduction. If bees or birds are essential, the flower will be bright to attract them. If reproduction happens via wind or air, then it is likely the colour will be duller so that birds or insects are not attracted.

Nothing happens in nature by accident, but the happy result is that we get the pleasure of flowers of every possible colour imaginable.

Catherine Laurençon is well known for her love of flowers and her appreciation for their colours and has the unfailing ability to translate that love through needle and thread. The stunning pink blooms from her project ‘In My Garden’ from Inspirations issue #107 are a perfect example of her skill.

The flowers in this piece display a cascading variation of colour, starting with the deep salmon of the nearest flower, and working backwards to the rear blossoms which are delicately picked out in outline, the colour indicated through minute specs of pink and deep central highlights.

The stitched study is then completed with the inclusion of the stalks and leaves of the plant, cleverly picked out in greens and blues to really emphasise the depth of field.

Worked on a fine, white linen, this piece emerges via Catherine’s characteristic technique. Although ostensibly long and short stitch, Catherine’s style of threadpainting asks that no stitch is ever too long, with the colour and shading being built up progressively.

This makes the result appear three-dimensional in the same way that botanical painters did centuries ago. It also gives the stitcher a great deal of control over the colour blending.

If you’ve never stitched one of Catherine’s pieces before, ‘In My Garden’ is the perfect place to start. By following the clear, step by step instructions, you are guaranteed to capture the intelligent beauty of nature which, unlike the botanical subject upon which it is based, will never fade.

Make Your Own | In My Garden

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

In My Garden by Catherine Laurençon is a pretty scene of sweet garden blooms in a soft palette of pinks and greens.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for In My Garden includes everything* you need to re-create these pretty blossoms: Fabric (unprinted), embroidery threads and needle.

*Please Note: To cater for flexibility of purchase, instructions are not included with our kits. For step-by-step directions on how to create this project, please refer to the magazine/digital pattern.