#8526—Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué by Zena Thorpe

Contents
4
4
5
6
Introduction
Design Inspiration
Flower Research
Flower Basics
7
7
8
9
9
10
11
12
13
14
14
General Directions
Stems
Leaves
Buds
Stamens
Individual Petals
Joined Petals
YoYo Flowers
Bell Flowers
Embroidered Flowers
Berries
15
Embroidery
17 Wildflowers worked with
Individually-placed Petals
47
Wildflowers worked
with Joined Petals
54
Wildflowers worked
with Yoyo Flowers
58
Wildflowers worked
with Embroidery
68
In a Category by Itself
71
Bellflowers
82
Berries
92
Nature’s Treasure
94
Wildflower Index
95
About the Author
Out of the Strong Came
Forth Sweetness, 86" x 76",
made by the author
General Directions
the stitches than to see loose threads breaking out.
While the simple leaf is the easiest, visual interest
and a more natural look can be achieved by adding
a turned leaf as shown.
The join in a turned leaf is made more easily and
tidily by first stitching the two pieces together at
A (see below) while keeping the leaf free from the
background fabric. Then you can turn under the
seam allowance in one operation.
A
A
likely to be able to see the sepals. The sepals may
be appliquéd, as shown on the dog rose on page 6,
but sometimes the buds are so small that the sepals
must be worked with embroidery as shown here.
These sepals were worked in a lazy daisy stitch using
two strands of embroidery floss.
Stamens
Most flowers have lots of stamens which consist
of a filament or stalk and an anther that carries
the pollen that will be transferred to the ovary to
fertilize the seeds. These are shown on page 6.
Sometimes the leaves are so small or so slender that
they must be embroidered. Then I will use the lazy
daisy stitch, either working many tiny lazy daisies
or making one into an elongated stitch for the very
slender acicular leaves. The lazy daisy stitch is
described on page 15.
Rather than working a straight stitch and then a
French knot at the end, the stamens are more easily
worked in one operation with a modified French
knot as shown on page 16.
Buds
It is important to include a few buds in a wildflower
picture and it is on the buds that we are most
Sometimes a flower whose petals have been shed
retains remnants of the stamens, and these appear
fluff y. To portray this effect, cut the fabric exactly
on the straight grain so that the ends can be frayed.
Appliqué the piece along the sides of the bud but
Zena Thorpe • Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué • 9
Embroidery
I cannot overstate the importance of the added
touch that embroidery gives to your work. Many
people use ink for the added definition lines and I
will not give you any argument against inking, but
this is the one (and only) area in which I am a purist.
For my own work, if it’s needlework, then it must be
ALL needlework.
Stem Stitch
The stem stitch is really a simple backstitch but it is
worked left to right (if you’re right-handed), instead
of right to left, thereby creating overlapping stitches.
I usually create a flower stem with the stem stitch
with two strands of floss using small stitches. If the
stem needs to be a little thicker, then I work another
line of stem stitch alongside the first. I believe that
two lines using two strands of floss looks neater
than one line using four strands.
An open lazy daisy stitch can be used to make tiny
sepals or thorns on a rose stem:
Step1
Using two strands of embroidery floss, bring the
needle up at A close to the stem. Insert the needle
at B and come up at C, passing the needle over the
loop of thread.
Step 1
B
A
C
Those wispy tendrils that add so much to the picture
can be worked in stem stitch using single-strand
embroidery floss, but keep those stitches small!
Step 2
Insert the needle again at D a short distance from
the loop to make a sharp point.
You can then work another lazy daisy stitch inside
the thorn to fill in the space.
Step 2
B
Lazy Daisy Stitch
This stitch may be worked in a ring to make flower
petals. Bring the thread up at the base of the petal,
hold the loop with the thumb, and anchor it with a
small stitch.
A
C
D
Zena Thorpe • Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué • 15
Dog Rose
A member of one of the largest plant
families in Europe, the dog rose has
masses of stamens.
24 • Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué • Zena Thorpe
Wildflowers Worked with Joined Petals
Pin the flowers in place and needle-turn the outer
edges. A few tiny stitches in floss will trap down the
messy middle and finish off the flower.
3
4
5
2
6
1
7
8
The leaves numbered 1 through 6 need to
be placed first in the suggested numerical
order. Leaves numbered 7 and 8 are
applied after the stems have been worked.
For the flowers you will cut 5 petals allowing ⅛" turning all around.
Make a joined petal ring as shown on page 12.
Primrose
Petal Pattern
Zena Thorpe • Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué • 51
Dandelion
Pity the poor dandelion, considered
more of a pest than a flower! But
what garden would be complete
without a weed or two, and we might
as well learn to live with them since
they’re here to stay.
The dandelion clock is so
named by children because one
can supposedly tell the time
of day by the number of blows
it takes to detach all of the
parachute seeds. But don’t set
your watch by it!
Zena Thorpe • Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué • 69
Wildflower Index
Angelica
62
Lily of the Valley
78
Bell Heather
72
Lincoln Bell
80
Bilberry
86
Meadow Buttercup 28
Bluebell
74
Meadow Cranesbill 30
Bog Asphodel
18
Milkwort
32
Monkey Flower
34
Mountain Pansy
36
Oxeye Daisy
38
Primrose
50
Sundew
52
Wild Arum
59
Wild Blackberry
83
Wild Strawberry
90
Wild Thyme
55
Wood Anemone
40
Yellow Iris
42
Chickweed
Wintergreen
Clover
Common Poppy
Cranberry
Curled Leaf Dock
Daffodil
Dandelion
Dog Rose
Forget-Me-Not
Foxglove
Hepatica
94 • Beautiful Wildflower Appliqué • Zena Thorpe
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64
22
88
44
76
69
24
48
66
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