05/23/2026
She’s done! And I’m really proud. I started this, my Gaudy Willow canvas (available from any LNS thru The Gingham Stitchery) on April 22 on the car ride to visit Milo in NH, and I finished it exactly one month later on May 22. When I was coming up with designs for my first needlepoint collection with I knew I wanted to include references to Blue Willow. My grandmother, mother, and I all collect(ed) it. It reminds me of childhood, of home, of the two women who had such an impact on my aesthetic. I am also fascinated by the legend behind the design. There are a few versions, but essentially the story goes that a wealthy man’s daughter fell in love with his lowly assistant. This horrified the man and he banned her from dating him and promised her to a Duke. The night before the wedding the young couple escaped to an island where they lived together — until the Duke tracked them down and had them killed. Now their souls are represented by the two birds forever flying together in the sky. It’s grim, but romantic grim.
I wanted my translation of the design to reflect my love of color and animal print so I interpreted it in punchy bold colors and added a leopard border. And I made it octagonal because I love octagonal pillows. The name is a nod to the versions of the plates made in colors instead of the traditional blues. Those designs featured orangey reds and bright green with blue accents. I love the tongue-in-cheek nod to the canvas’ bold color scheme.
Now it’s being blocked (I stitched much of it in hand and it’s a bit wonky), then sent off to the a finisher. I’m thinking boxed with navy velvet for the piping, gusset, and back. The colors, the design, the 13-mesh all made it an absolute joy to stitch. If I do say so myself!
