A celebrated Japanese textile artist and avid gardener,Embroidered Garden Flowers: Botanical Motifs for Needle and Thread(Roost Books, 2017), by Kazuko Aoki brings the vibrancy and brilliance of the flora and fauna seen throughout her garden to needle and thread. Each of her patterns are presented with care and realistic detail including buds, blooms, roots, seeds, and accompanying insects for the plants. The following excerpt is from the “Rose” section.
Family Rosaceae / Scientific name: Rosa
Native to the Northern Hemisphere
Height 3–6 feet
Bloom time May to November
Considered the queen of flowers, these gorgeous blooms are essentially the main event in my garden. And their fragrance is exceptional. This pattern is modeled on a variety called “The Alexandra Rose.”
Materials
DMC embroidery floss No. 25 (989, 988, 3363, 3348, 3053, 3770, 819, 760, 3776, 3022, 729, 3790, 646)
DMC embroidery floss No. 5 (989)
Notes It’s easy to cover the stamen with the satin stitches of the petals, so work these with a light touch.
More from: Embroidered Garden Flowers
• Embroidering Allium Flowers
• Embroidering Tips and Tricks
From Embroidered Garden Flowers by Kazuko Aoki, © 2017 by Kazuko Aoki Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.
