Cardinal and Pine

It’s winter and a glorious cardinal in full mating plumage perches on a lacy pine bough. The bird is worked in numerous shades and tints of the characteristic colors of this species. The pine tufts proliferate about the bird, announcing that the hibernal solstice has arrived. A lone pine cone adds to the composition.

All these elements are worked in Soie d’Alger French silk; techniques include needlepainting and soft shading. The embroiderer will learn to blend the threads to produce a realistic effect.

The background fabric is the new sage green congress cloth which has been embellished with a subtle blackwork pattern worked in a sightly darker shade of the congress cloth. This small project works up fairly quickly.

• Time: 2 days
• Proficiency Level: Intermediate
• Kit cost: $60
• Ground Fabric: Congress Cloth
• Size of Piece: 7″ x 9″ on 11″ x 13″ stretcher bars