The next blanket

 Blanket #220; more details here.

Elizabeth Bradley Cyclamen tapestry cushion

 

I was pleased to find a kit by Elizabeth Bradley in a charity shop.  This was a cushion front, named Cyclamen from a series called Botanical Garden.  It could be made into one block for a rug, but since there was just one it became a cushion.  The instructions were for cross stitch, so that is what I did, although as a cushion tent stitch would have been hard wearing enough.

The kit was thoroughly packaged in a box, with the yarn clearly separated and attached to a labelled strip.  I particularly like charts, and this one was very clear.  The background yarn was black, and it didn't appeal to me.  The instructions said that you could return it exchanging to a different shade, but I doubt that a request some 20 years later for a kit bought second hand would have been welcomed.  I searched my yarn store for sufficient substitute tapestry wool for the background, and the most suitable I could find was this green Anchor grounding wool.  It had to do, but I would have preferred something paler.

The stitching was fine, with the help of the chart.  Nevertheless I managed to get some green in the bottom right hand corner wrong, with a knock on change necessary on one or two others.  It is not obvious unless you know about it.  I do like the detail of the distinctive leaves.  I omitted the name of the plant as not necessary on a single block.

Cross stitch took a long time, doing each stitch twice.  I wanted to try it, and now I have.  It took a long time to make it into a cushion, because I mislaid the canvas, and it took some time to reappear.

It is a delightful design, and I am very happy with the cushion.  These kits are very expensive, so I am unlikely to afford another.

Stitched  25 November 2017 to 14 November 2018; finished cushion 22 August 2020