Promenade Pastorale

20 ct, stitched over 1

This sampler is more than just a piece of needlework: it tells a quiet little story, where a couple stands beside an imaginary blooming tree. Around them, sheep graze, letters blend with motifs, and deep red, light red, and dark pink flowers form a harmony that is both gentle and vibrant. I grew attached to this model the way one reads a good old Jane Austen novel, imagining the two characters—who knows, perhaps a married couple or two lovers—in the English countryside of the 19th century. Stitch by stitch, the design took shape, guided by attention to every detail: the DMC 844 thread, dark like an old ink line; the border filled with flowers, each one different; the sheep in various sizes creating depth; and the play between dark green and light green, chosen differently than usual.

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