How to Make Dried Flower Basket Embroidery
The unlikely origin of this design is a collection of bookbinders' endpapers. My grandmother owns several boxes of papers from all periods, illustrating a huge variety of techniques, ranging from marbling and batique to embossing and lithography.
Marbled papers were first imported into England in the middle of the seventeenth century, as wrappers for toys from Nuremberg. The wrappers were sold to bookbinders who used them as end and lining papers.
Many of the papers had most unusual repeating motifs that looked to me like the extraordinary flower heads that dried flower specialists produce nowadays, often in deep bright colors that are a far cry from the faded dusty blooms that were the dried flowers of the past.
I particularly liked the pattern that resembled jolly smiling faces with punk hairdos (see the image below).
Marbled papers were first imported into England in the middle of the seventeenth century, as wrappers for toys from Nuremberg. The wrappers were sold to bookbinders who used them as end and lining papers.
Many of the papers had most unusual repeating motifs that looked to me like the extraordinary flower heads that dried flower specialists produce nowadays, often in deep bright colors that are a far cry from the faded dusty blooms that were the dried flowers of the past.
I particularly liked the pattern that resembled jolly smiling faces with punk hairdos (see the image below).
The basket paper clinched the idea for this design. I wanted to include a marbled paper but found it difficult to reproduce in stitching—though I have seen it done well since this completing this design. The nearest I got to marbling was with the tablecloth, which reflects the shapes and colors of a paper that had particular appeal.
The endpaper pattern samples shown below are just a few that gave me the flower heads for this Dried Flower Basket.
The endpaper pattern samples shown below are just a few that gave me the flower heads for this Dried Flower Basket.
The basket itself is stitched with two shades of embroidery cotton, threaded together on the needle and allowed to mix at random. Looking at baskets, you will see that the light catches each strand of cane, creating a strong contrast of light and shade.
French knots appear again, this time in abundance, softening the edges in the way that gypsophila does to a bunch of flowers. You can add as many or as few as you like. If you are unhappy about a shape, a French knot can often mask it well. See this post for detailed instructions.
Incidentally, my family thinks a plain background would improve this design.
French knots appear again, this time in abundance, softening the edges in the way that gypsophila does to a bunch of flowers. You can add as many or as few as you like. If you are unhappy about a shape, a French knot can often mask it well. See this post for detailed instructions.
Incidentally, my family thinks a plain background would improve this design.
DRIED FLOWER BASKET
To embroider the basket, work the plain blue stitches first.
Then thread the two embroidery threads onto the needle together and make the long stitches.
Finish with the tent stitches, again using these double threads.
To make this into a picture, the top was curved—a picture framer will do this for you—but for a cushion it is squared off.
FINISHED STITCHED AREA
18 x 16in (46 X 41cm)
STITCH
Tent stitch (basket weave) or half cross stitch, long stitch, and French knots
MATERIALS
24 x 22in (60 x 55in) of interlock canvas,
12 holes per inch (2.5cm)
Size 20 tapestry needle
32yds (29m) each of stranded embroidery cotton in straw and pale grey, for the basket
12 holes per inch (2.5cm)
Size 20 tapestry needle
32yds (29m) each of stranded embroidery cotton in straw and pale grey, for the basket
REQUIRED NEEDLEPOINT WOOL
A625 CHARCOAL – 2 skeins
M53 PRUSSIAN BLUE - 3 skeins
M414 MID-BLUE - 9 skeins
P100 JADE – 2 skeins
P421 GREY GREEN - 2 skeins
V617 PALE OLIVE - 3 skeins
B152 MUSTARD - 2 skeins
E104 AMBER – 3 skeins
E402 APRICOT - 2 skeins
A2 WHITE – 4 skeins
L120 PALE MAUVE - 14 skeins
J410 ROSE PINK - 3 skeins
J411 DUSKY PINK – 3 skeins
L423 PURPLE - 2 skeins
H85 MAROON - 2 skeins
B6 YELLOW – 4 skeins
Mixed embroidery cotton
STRAW AND PALE GREY
M53 PRUSSIAN BLUE - 3 skeins
M414 MID-BLUE - 9 skeins
P100 JADE – 2 skeins
P421 GREY GREEN - 2 skeins
V617 PALE OLIVE - 3 skeins
B152 MUSTARD - 2 skeins
E104 AMBER – 3 skeins
E402 APRICOT - 2 skeins
A2 WHITE – 4 skeins
L120 PALE MAUVE - 14 skeins
J410 ROSE PINK - 3 skeins
J411 DUSKY PINK – 3 skeins
L423 PURPLE - 2 skeins
H85 MAROON - 2 skeins
B6 YELLOW – 4 skeins
Mixed embroidery cotton
STRAW AND PALE GREY