Daffodils & Violas by Wendy Innes

If prompted to think of spring flowers, one of the first blooms that will come to mind is the beautiful, yellow daffodil. This gorgeous flower is often one of the first to appear, even while the winter lingers. Its brilliant colour and characteristic shape almost always brings joy as it heralds the coming of the sun and warm days to follow.

The daffodil is also known as the Narcissus, a name derived from the Greek myth of the beautiful young man who became so captivated by his own reflection in a pool that he was unable to tear himself away. He eventually died of hunger and thirst, a victim of unrequited love for himself.

However, one story says that the gods took pity and transformed him into the flower that now bears his name.

As the flower blooms in many parts of the world, it carries a range of different meanings, depending on which culture you observe. The Victorian British, in their language of flowers, dubbed it as the symbol of chivalry, respect, courtesy and sunlight although it was also taken to symbolise unrequited love, just as Narcissus himself had experienced. In other parts of the world, the flower variously symbolises love and a happy marriage, food for the soul and winners and heroes.

Wendy Innes has selected the gorgeous yellow daffodil as the highlight of her latest stumpwork masterpiece, Daffodils & Violas, which appears in Inspirations issue #115. The brilliant colour of the three main flowers is set off perfectly by the addition of purple violas, offering the complementary colour on the colour wheel and bringing perfect harmony to the overall design.

The flowers are then framed by deep green leaves worked in both surface stitching and detached elements, offering a delightful balance to the finished piece.

Wendy is well-known for her beautiful stumpwork designs featuring flora and fauna in wonderfully realistic displays. She has the ability to build up her studies, carefully employing surface stitching, padded elements and stitched slips that come together to give the impression that the subject is bursting out of the frame.

Much of the project is stitched using long and short stitch, which allows for delicate shading and gives a realistic finish to the completed piece.

Daffodils & Violas is a project that is guaranteed to bring a sunny smile to your face. The brilliant, bold colours and the delightful shapes of the flowers are the perfect reminder of spring. You will capture the atmosphere of the season in this gorgeous project, and the fresh sight and scent of spring will permeate your house every time you admire Daffodils & Violas on your wall.

Make Your Own Daffodils & Violas

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Daffodils & Violas by Wendy Innes is a display of bright, spring flowers embroidered using stumpwork, raised and surface embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Daffodils & Violas includes everything* you need to re-create these stunning blooms: Fabrics (unprinted), felts, wire, flocking, embroidery threads, beads and needles.

*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.