Secret Garden Update

Here are the latest bands of Jane Greenoff's Secret Garden band sampler.  The withdrawn thread band was finished in somersault stitch, a new one for me, but it works quickly and produces a lovely twisted effect.  The central motif of the cross-stitched band was originally charted to have a pulled satin-stitch background but having worked the cross-stitch, I decided adding pulled work would make it look too fussy for my taste, so I left it as it was.  The surface-embroidery band was something a bit different and adds a lovely 3-dimensional touch to the sampler.  I used a Q-snap frame to hold the fabric taut as Jane recommends (I usually stitch 'in hand', as she does).  Long stitches are worked as the outline of the trees, and these stitches are then covered in buttonhole stitch (I used a variegated floss for this).  If you change which way the 'loop' of the buttonhole sits, the stitches twist over producing a lovely 'rough bark' effect.  Lastly, french knots are added at random in a variety of different greens for the leaves.  I discovered I could make different types of tree by varying the colours used; from left to right, I worked an oak, a cherry-blossom, a laburnum (using bullion knots for the drooping flowers) and finally a scots pine.  I don't mind working french-knots but I must admit I was glad to fasten off at the end of this band!