The garden

Historically, the embroiderer was inextricably linked to the garden. She would draw most of her inspiration for design and colour from nature. I am of this same ilk. So since my own garden provides some of the basic food for my work, as soon as the weather permits, I spend as much time digging in the earth and marvelling at what shoots up in the spring and early summer despite the harsh winters of Quebec as I do on my work. If I have difficulty finding a particular hue or marriage of colour for my embroidery, I only have to look to the flower beds and find my answer.

Yesterday, I was at the garden store to pick up the annuals for the flower beds
and today was devoted to weeding, cleaning, and preparing the beds for the summer.

The daffodils and narcissus are dying back, but the muscari is up along with the odd tulip that survived the ravages of the squirrels last fall and the creeping phlox along the border of the 'birthday garden' is in flower, a bright shot of pink to please the eye.

I love the way the sun shines on the petals and the play of light on the colours... I try to capture this in silks or cottons on linen. This is the challenge. It is the most difficult thing to achieve with silk, but it is possible.