A Violet Welcome by Carol Pederson

While doodling with my needle, I wove a little violet. I stitched a row, and tried to visualize it as part of a doily or runner. I had an opportunity to show it to Marion Scoular, who suggested a sampler. And so with 28-count linen and perle cotton, I was on my way.

I played with colored thread and liked the result, so the design was no longer white on white. A display of curtains in a shop inspired the use of bell pull hardware. After studying violets in the library, the sample became a welcome sign. After a fruitless search for Hardanger alphabets that would fit the width, I designed my own. A delightful buttonhole butterfly in a book by Linda Driskell inspired the buttonhole violet and leaves that surround the lettering.

Step by step, this piece has evolved from that one precious little woven violet.

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