The lovely flower paintings by Sarah Blomfield inspired this embroidery kit of an informal gathering of dahlias. I love dahlias for their last hurrah of colour before the first frosts. Featuring a range of stitches, and worked in delicious threads, including some of my favourite hand-dyed threads imported from the US company Gentle Art,  it is a larger kit than either Snowdrops or Foxgloves, the first two in my Limited Edition range.

I think every stitcher likes to bring a bit of themselves to an embroidery kit, and in this one the curtain and tablecloth offer a chance to experiment with different techniques, all of which are explained and illustrated in the kit. The folds of the curtain are printed on the design, and you could simply stitch these to great effect. I have been hoarding antique quilt scraps for years and fancied creating a patchwork curtain, which you might also like to do. There are limited numbers of patchwork fabric scrap packs for sale in the haberdashery department, all carefully retrieved from damaged antique quilts. You could also use whitework or lace, or embroidery the curtain like the tablecloth and perhaps paint the latter instead.

The finished design is roughly 20cm square, and is printed on a piece of antique French linen 30 cm x 35 cm. The kit contains a thread card with all the threads you will need.

You can download my illustrated  stitch cards for the stitches used in the design. The painting is optional. I have used Javana Olive silk paint for the hills outside, and a pale blue watercolour for the window frames.

To complete the kit you will need a 9″ embroidery hoop, a selection of embroidery needles (sizes 7-8), a couple of fine, long, milliners’ needles for the bullions, and a pair of small, sharp embroidery scissors.

Packing and postage to the relevant region is included in the price. Please note that postage to the USA has risen sharply of late.

There is no reason why a beginner should not attempt this, as the instructions are very clear, but it is a little more challenging than Snowdrops or Foxgloves. Anyone who has been doing The Stitcher’s Journal subscription will find it a doddle, especially if you are already at home with a bullion knot.