Three of these blackwork daisies are the work of my late mother-in-law, who was an acomplished and imaginative needlewoman. The daisies were part of a practice at blackwork, worked on a spare piece of even-weave and left alongside some other unfinished, blackwork experiments. I thought they would make an eye-catching border for the apron of Sigaree's Forest outfit so I have added a fourth daisy. Copying her stitches felt like sharing again the kind of conversation we enjoyed; especially when I miscounted and the stitches had to come out and the needle re-threaded.
As there are a few hours of sunlight today, this stage of the project could be photographed outside. Finding the pink Bellis perennis in flower was a surprise. During the late spring wild rabbits ate any and every speck of colour that struggled to appear in my garden. In the end, despite installing netting, it was far too late for plants grown from seed to flower. But now, in deepest, darkest December, here are the daisies to brighten the end of the year, and the mixture of winter colours exactly match the Liberty print chosen for the Forest Dress.
