Summer Splendor by Joyce Feucht

Often when traveling down country roads we fail to notice the beautiful wildflowers along the side of the road. This stumpwork piece was designed to focus on the splendor of these blooms to better appreciate their grandeur. The needlework in this original design was self-taught.

Prior to sketching this pattern, research was done to select the appropriate roadside flowers. Those chosen were: field lilies, black-eyed Susan, chicory, clover, Queen Anne’s Lace, and blueberries. Their placement in the final design was crucial.

Fibers used were variegated and plain cotton floss and silk on brass wires. Stitches included: French and bullion knots, long and short, straight, satin, stem, split, closed fly, buttonhole and detached buttonhole, whipped stem, couching, buttonhole couching and turkey work. The ground fabric is cotton batik. The most challenging aspect was the placement and attachment of up to eleven petals to form a single flower.