Paradise Lost by Helen Richman

Have you ever been to a place with the word lost in its name?

Lost Hills, Lost River, Lost Cove, Lost Springs, even Lost City are all real places that you can visit.

We’re not sure why these places were once lost or how they were found, but it would be handy if there was somewhere called Lost Keys or Lost Needles we could visit!

While there are many reasons why a location ends up with a name like lost, when you consider the name of our feature project for this week, paradise is one place we never want to lose…

Paradise Lost is a wonderful crewel embroidered cushion featuring a fanciful bird the likes of which have long inhabited the branches of traditional crewel embroidery, inspired by the exotic designs brought to England from China and India.

Complete with lavish plumage and striking patterning, this beautiful bird provides a lively contrast to its surroundings as it sits happily on a branch amongst a trio of stylised flowers and sprig of berries.

Stitched onto linen twill with crewel wool, the cushion is finished with a four-colour twisted cord and small tassel at each corner.

One of the design elements that makes this project especially stunning is the chosen colour palette.

Worked in delicate hues of rose pink and China blue, the harmonious symmetry of colours complement each other beautifully, creating a cohesive effect that's particularly pleasing to the eye.

So who is this clever designer, Helen Richman?

Paradise Lost is Helen’s debut appearance in an Inspirations publication, so here’s a big warm welcome to you Helen, and thank you for allowing us the privilege of publishing your piece.

Helen hails from Somerset, England and is renowned for her skills in stumpwork, silk shading, goldwork, and crewelwork.

Her designs are often characterised by her appreciation for wildlife and nature, themes that frequently inspire her projects.

Helen completed her formal training at the Royal School of Needlework, teaches workshops across the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, and has even published her own book Stumpwork Embroidery: Techniques and Projects.

Today we all get to enjoy her creative and technical genius with her magnificent piece Paradise Lost that appears as part of our Handpicked Collection 4.

Your interpretation of Paradise Lost may be that this beautiful fantasy bird was once real and now the only remaining evidence lives on in our embroidery.

Or perhaps it’s just another place named lost that has since been found and you can stitch your own version of what visiting Paradise Lost might look like.

Either way, this graceful and stunning cushion is a beautiful way of bringing a little bit of found paradise into your home.

PS – you can discover more about the fabulously talented Helen Richman by checking out her website The Bluebird Embroidery Company and following her on Facebook and Instagram.

Kits for Paradise Lost are available at the link below and include everything you need to re-create this wonderful cushion including printed instructions. The design is even pre-printed onto the linen twill and all the threads, including those required to create the four colour twisted cord and the tassels, are supplied.