Gardens are one of the most popular topics for painters and textile artists to ponder upon and interpret in various media. As many embroiderers are also knowledgeable and enthusiastic gardeners it can at times be difficult for them not to portray gardens in a predictable way. We can never emulate nature so it is often wiser to endeavor to capture the very essence, memory or feeling of any exciting or stimulating feature that first appealed to you. Some aspects could be isolated and emphasized and certain areas exaggerated while simplifying or understating others. It is not necessary to try and represent them precisely. Colors can be spectacular or pale and subtle, plant forms enlarged or simplified, scale and proportions contrived to suit you. Use the information gleaned but allow your imagination to blossom.

Themes or concepts may influence your thought processes. Warm, ‘hot’ colours may suggest a garden of love; golds and silvers to celebrate certain anniversaries, whereas historical personalities and events or fictional characters from books could easily set you on another train of thought.

The garden is just the beginning and ideas will emerge much faster than the ability to keep up with them. Here, the garden notebook will be really useful for recording information and noting down thoughts or ideas as they occur. Books on gardening are not only useful for the practical gardener but the designer might find the odd germ of an idea that could inspire a piece of work.

This book hopes to offer suggestions and ideas to possibly revise your thoughts about creating unique stitched pieces inspired by a much-loved subject. Sensuous, evocative, memorable, unusual, pretty and witty are all words that we have considered when compiling this book. We hope that you will enjoy it and better still be moved to stitch your own interpretations.