Spring Topiary by Gail Carolyn Sirna of Rochester, Michigan

Spring is the season of joy and hope, here artfully rendered in a charming topiary tree, the third in a quartet of seasonal floral expressions. The topiary is composed of the appealing flowers of emerging life. The valiant pansy is here expressed in tints of violet, pink and lavender. Dainty lilies-of-the-valley dangle here and there from the topiary. Fragrant lilacs bring their own special note of both color and scent to this delightful arrangement. Other fantasy flowers complete the composition and are enhanced by beautiful heart-shaped leaves in a lively spring green.

A braided stem supports the beautiful topiary and the silver-gilt pot is decorated with a diaper pattern couched over gold and silver Japanese metallic thread.

I chose my palette to express the re-emergence of life we experience each spring. The greens of the leaves are pale and bright; they represent the bursting forth of new foliage from the earth and from the tree limbs themselves. The pinks and lavenders echo the Lenten season preceding the joy of Easter, the Christian feast which also signifies re-birth. The pansies are for thoughts and sentiments — a special flower that gladdens our eyes and our hearts all year round, but particularly in the spring.

Spring Topiary is stitched on a pale pink congress cloth and is worked in a variety of silks, overdyed cottons, novelty threads and metallic braids.

Techinques include long and short stitch, diaper pattern couching, and the very intriguing lazy daisy plus bullion stitch.