Bramble Garland & Emerald Moth by Jane Nicholas

Have you ever taken the time to consider why you choose certain projects to stitch?

For many of us it’s an impulsive decision - we see it, we like it, we want to stitch it. Simple as that.

Our What Are You Stitching? segment is full of amazing stories from readers who have seen a project they like and despite the fact they have no experience in the featured technique, they just jump right in and make it happen. We love that!

For others, each project is a more considered and deliberate choice

Today’s feature project is one of those exceptional all-rounders that has a little something for everyone, which in turn makes it a very popular piece.

Bramble Garland & Emerald Moth appears in The Handpicked Collection 7 and is superbly designed and stitched by none other than the remarkable Jane Nicholas herself.

Having all the hallmark elements of a classic Jane Nicholas piece, there are many reasons why people choose to stitch a project like this, but today we’ll give you our top three.

Storytelling

Look closely at the wreath of blackberry sprigs and you'll find more than flowers, fruit and foliage. Tucked among the leaves is the complete life-cycle of the large emerald moth, from a scatter of tiny, beaded eggs, to a looping inch-worm caterpillar, to a beautifully textured pupa, right through to the moth itself, wings spread, ready to take flight.

It's a quiet piece of storytelling stitched into a single design, the kind of detail easily missed at first glance and all the more delightful for it, turning a pretty wreath into a scene with a beginning, middle and end.

Depth of Technique

This is a project that keeps a stitcher engaged from start to finish. The garland itself calls on long and short stitch, satin stitch and stem stitch, while the blackberries are built up in dimensional French knots and beads and finished with sepals worked as needlewoven bars.

The flowers are raised on wire, their centres a burst of Ghiordes knot ‘stamens’ trimmed to shape. Then there's the moth. Its wings are worked separately on wire, in long and short stitch fading through five shades of blue-green, before being inserted and the body built up in raised stem stitch over padding.

It's a genuine showcase of stumpwork technique, with enough to keep the most accomplished stitcher content, yet achievable enough for newcomers.

Spectacular Finish

For all its technical complexity, the finished piece is deceptively delicate. At just 11.5cm x 11cm, the cool blue-green of the moth sits in gentle contrast against the deep purples and reds of the berries and the soft white and blush of the blackberry flowers.

It's the kind of piece that looks equally at home as a single statement frame or grouped with a collection of other embroidered art on a gallery wall, proof that a small design can still make a spectacular finish.

See it, love it, stitch it? All ticks on that front. Looking for some more considered reasons - storytelling? Tick. Rich in technique? Tick.

While we said we'd only give you three reasons, we have to give you one more, and for many of us here at Inspirations, it's oftentimes a reason that makes us really, really want to stitch something - provenance.

Who is the designer - Jane Nicholas? That's all we need to know.

If Jane has designed it, that seals it, we absolutely want to stitch it because everything she does is perfectly considered, detail originated and immaculately stitched.

If you see a design you fall in love with and then find out the designer is one of your favourites and most respected - well now, isn’t that the exact definition of icing on the cake? That kind of icing that is so, so good!

Ready to Stitch kits for Bramble Garland & Emerald Moth are now available, with instructions available to add separately at checkout.

For anyone new to Jane Nicholas or not yet as enamoured with her work as we are, may we suggest you visit her website to see more of her designs HERE.

You can also check out her incredibly impressive portfolio of projects we've been fortunate enough to publish HERE.