Picket Fence by Carol Pederson

When I complained to my husband that I had lost my sewing room to the computer station, he turned his library into a beautiful new sewing room for me. We added a garden window; the other window overlooks our back yard gardens. After musing over window treatments, I decided on shades with valances; the view inspired a garden theme. It must have my favorite flower, the daffodil, so that planted the seed.

This is one of the two valances done on 32-count Jobelan, using Perle cotton for the picket fence and the background stitching, and Caron fibers for the flowers and butterfly.

I began by designing a daffodil and stitching it on 28-count fabric. While contemplating it, the vision expanded to a fence with flowers peeking through. I divided the length needed by five posts, doodled on paper, and reluctantly concluded that it required 32-count fabric. I stitched the first section's outline, added the daffodil, and then designed as I went.

I haven't spent much time in the sewing room during the intervening months, but I've sure enjoyed my stitching!