Milverton Mallard by Nicola Jarvis

Embroidery is one of the most creative and beautiful forms of storytelling one can use.

In her debut book, Life in Seasons | Winter & Spring, Nicola Jarvis channels her exhaustive creative talents and manifests a truly inspiring collection of delightful, stitched artworks to tell her story of the changing seasons in the world around her.

This week we have a real treat for you… we’re bringing you the back story to the fabulous and now famous duck that appears on the front cover of her book that pretty much sells not only the book itself, but also the essence of what Nicola has managed to capture in her creative endeavours.

The project is called Milverton Mallard and here Nicola tells us in a beautifully poetic way about how this design came to be…

‘One of our regular and favourite walks with my dog Quince is to go along the shady lane at the back of our house and over the fields to Old Milverton village and down a sweeping hillside to the Saxon Mill.

In spring it is a bucolic scene of patchwork fields bordered with ancient hedgerows peppered with English oak and ash trees.

Old Milverton sits on high ground and is a ribbon development of brick and stone cottages and farmhouses that lead to the church of St. James the Great at the end of the road.’

‘We walk among the gravestones shaded with apple and crab-apple trees, and through a gate that opens out onto a vast field with Guy’s Cliffe House in the distance.

The pond at the top of the Saxon Mill fields is surrounded by squat alder and goat willow trees, rushes, flag irises, kingcups and lady’s smock to name just a few wildflowers that grow in this area.

Mallard ducks, coots and moorhens inhabit the pond and mute swans nest on the Avon at the bottom of the field where wild honeysuckle and dog roses festoon the trees.

I really enjoy studying the wildflowers in this spot and while doing so, can’t help smiling at the sexual politics in play at this time of year as several mallard drakes are madly pursuing a disinterested hen!’

‘My Milverton Mallard has been decorated with eighteenth century-style crewel embroidery patterns but was also inspired by the artists of the Ceramiche d’Arte Parrini studio, and their painted pottery animals adorned with Mediterranean fruits and flowers.

I discovered these wonderful ornaments when we were on our honeymoon in Amalfi and have developed my own version with needle and thread.’

Once completed Milverton Mallard measures 28cm x 34cm wide (11″ x 13 1⁄2″) and whilst Nicola has chosen to finish her piece as a cushion, this design would look equally as fabulous hanging on a wall.

In our Ready-to-Stitch kit a pre-printed full colour fabric panel has been included, alternatively you can use the pattern sheet including in the back of the book to trace the outline of the Mallard and stitch the design yourself using your own stash.

Nicola’s Milverton Mallard is such an endearing and magnificently designed and embroidered project, it is sure to become one of the iconic signature pieces of Nicola’s career.

Make Your Own Milverton Mallard*

We have all the materials you need to re-create this project yourself, from easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to a Ready-to-Stitch kit with everything sourced for you.

*A couple of tips when stitching Milverton Mallard:

Background – as this piece has been stitched on pre-printed fabric, to re-create it exactly as it appears in the book the kit comes with the pre-printed fabric included or separately. Alternatively, use the pattern sheet from the Life in Seasons book to transfer the design and create your own background elements as desired.

Instructions – As this kit does not include instructions, for step-by-step directions on how to create this project, please refer to the book Life in Seasons, purchased separately.