Summer must be fading for you with the late summer flowers and harvesting in progress. To be seasonal for you, I am sending you the instructions for Purple Coneflowers from Hand Stitch Recognizable Summer Flowers. The book contains many different flowers and plants as well as different ideas for backgrounds. When you ‘take a peek’ inside the book (to be included on this site very soon), you will see how many and what a variety there are. Dandelions are included in both Spring and Summer Flowers as they are universal.
I think they are fun but not everyone agrees.
Purple Coneflower
The Purple Coneflower grows in clumps and reaches a height between 2′ and 4′. It blooms from mid summer into the autumn. Each flower opens with pink/purple petals and a flat centre similar to a Shasta Daisy. As the flower ages and the seeds in the centre ripen, the petals droop down to become vertical and the centre becomes larger and domed, eventually becoming cone shaped. One plant can have flowers in different stages of development. The birds and bees love this plant.
It is important to use the correct DMC thread colours to achieve a plant and flowers that are obviously Purple Coneflowers. Clarks or Finca threads can be substituted. Refer to a Thread Conversion Chart to identify the correct thread numbers. Remember to strand your threads; it makes a huge and improved difference to the appearance of your stitching.
Stalks: Green 987(6).
Leaves: Green 702 (2) + 988 (1) + 987 (1) = 4.
Petals: Pink 3609 (2), 3608 (3), 3607 (1). Explained in Petal directions.
Centres: Brown 433 (1) + 938 (1) = 2. Orange 721 (1 doubled in the needle) = 2.
Stalks: Using long Straight stitch for some stalks. Indicate the centres of each of the flowers with a small Cross stitch in either of the two brown threads.
Petals: Stitch a few Straight stitch petals in each bloom using 3609 (2). Add more petals using 3608 (3).
Note that the petals are uneven in length and that they are darker towards the centre of the flower. Overstitch the base of the petals with one thread of 3607.
Centres: 433 (1) + 938 (1) + 721 (1) = 3. Overstitch a few horizontal Straight stitches across the central brown Cross stitch. Using 721 (1) doubled in the needle = 2, overstitch a few French Knots on the centres using a fine needle for this such as a Crewel 9 or 10.
Stitched size is 2″ wide x 2 1/4″ high.
Leaves: 702 (2) + 987 (1) + 988 (1) = 4. Detached Chain stitch with the catch stitch towards the stalks of the plant. The upper leaves are stitched with 702 (2) + 988 (1) = 3. The foliage on this plant is fairly dense with the leaves being an oval with a point at the tip of the leaf. The angles of the leaves vary considerably.
Briarwood Garden, stitched by Janet Sunderani
(original is 6 1/2″ x 5 1/2)
Wishing you happy stitching and a very Happy Easter.
A happy Easter to you. Our weather is cooling. Hopefully yours is warming.