Tundra Tuffet by Caela Conn Tyler

In the summer, the otherwise barren landscape of tundra regions erupts in prolific bloom. Somehow, in a rocky terrain with a very thin layer of soil and in harsh weather conditions, small brightly colored flowers flourish for a brief time. Tundra Tuffet depicts one small microcosm of this terrain - a tuffet (small mound) loaded with hardy grasses and plants along with stubborn and tough little blossoms.

Since tundra vegetation is so fleeting and delicate, I defined the design area by giving a soft veil of color through applying layers of colored tulle. This approach allowed me to appropriately use a neutral color (gray) of Congress cloth – a decision that supports the idea of the tundra's typically barren slate.

Tundra ground covers may be lichen, moss, grass or other very small plants/organisms whose "leaves" are not definitive. In the tuffet area, exposed canvas stitches yield several textures and colors, giving the illusion of grassy or mossy growth and serving as a backdrop for the floral elements. In the background, other areas of vegetation are hinted at through the use of two small, light-handed stitch motifs that echo the line/shape of grasses. The foreground area is rock. Rather than using a heavy hand with the stitches, an open Sandy's Slide Variation gives the illusion of shale-like striations.

Having marveled in the surprisingly colorful tundra areas of Rocky Mountain National Park, prolific with wildflowers, I wanted my tundra tuffet to "strut its stuff". Several types of flowers and berries are evident. The blooms' appearances range from delicate and lacy, to puffy, to bulbous. These differences are depicted by using stitches that offer significant textural contrasts such as lazy daisy, padded satin, and fishbone stitches along with turkey work, whipped spiders, and a French knot combination. I selected thread hues that 1) offer instant visual impact and that 2) are close-to-scientifically correct for a range of tundra plants (as per my research).

Finally, during the short blooming season each small tundra tuffet is teeming with life, hence the design elements are close together or clustered in a piece whose design area is small – reflecting the miniature microcosms of the tundra environment.?