Secret Garden Embroidery

Book excerpt: Stitch your very own horticultural haven with What Delilah Did. Step into Miranda Merriweather’s magnificent secret garden, where lucky clovers grow in spades and the towering tulips reach six feet tall. This whimsical collection of botanical-inspired needlework projects will take you from budding novice to confident stitcher as you explore a variety of simple counted embroidery techniques. Bursting with colour and filled with designs to suit a range of abilities, you needn’t be green-fingered to recreate a slice of this magical rural retreat in your own home. Keep your eyes open for beautiful Lacewing Butterflies, Arbour Alphabet Flags, a super-sweet Milk and Honey Bee and a naughty little Early Bird called Gerald who is guaranteed to brighten up your summer. Projects are design-led, practical and colourful, and many can be completed within a weekend. The style is light and folksy but still retains What Delilah Did's signature pared-down and stylish aesthetic. Materials are high quality, with an emphasis on texture and sophisticated colours. Florals play a large part, but are beautiful and modern rather than flouncy, ranging from folky to botanical in style.