Traditional embroiderers may find that this project strays too far from the usual realm of tiny stitches and standard motifs. But it shows how a combination of time-honoured hand embroidery stitches can be interpreted in a way that is thoroughly modern, yet still highly appealing. The colours shown here are soft and pretty, though it would also be interesting to use vivid shades for a bold, bright look. The attractive fringed edging is a thoughtful touch that complements the napkin’s lively informality.

Stitches used
Fly stitch, blanket stitch, stem stitch, double cross stitch, French knot.

You will need:

(To make six napkins, each 41cm square)
- Six pieces of natural linen, each measuring 41cm square
- Sewing machine
- Cotton thread to match the linen
- Scissons
- Pencil
- Tracing papen
- Dressmaking’s carbon papen
- Masking tape
- 20cm diameter embroideny hoop
- Size 3 embnoideny needle
- 1 skein each of cotton embroidery
- Thread in red, pink, pale pink, lilac, pale blue, dark green, pale yellow and bright green
- Iron

Take the linen squares and use the sewing machine to stitch a line all the way round, 1.5cm in from the edges of the cloth, following the warp and weft as much as possible. Fray the edges of the fabric almost up to the stitching.

Trace your design onto a piece of tracing paper. Lay this over a piece of dressmaker’s carbon paper and tape both of them onto the fabric, so that the design is in one corner. Draw over the design. As an alternative, you could draw out your own pattern. Experiment on a piece of paper first.

Remove the paper and sandwich the fabric into the embroidery hoop. Start to embroider the design, using three strands of thread for all colours. Begin with the flower head, and stem stitch along the outer and middle lines to define its shape. On the inside of this line, fly stitch to create definition, adding a
French knot at the end of each fly stitch.

Between the two middle lines at the centre of the flower, stitch a line of blanket stitches. The stamens are three lines of stem stitch, each finished with a French knot (using six strands of thread).

Create the stalk by sewing two parallel lines of stem stitch, then two leaves and a central vein, also in stem stitch. Oversew a line of blanket stitch along the leading edge of both leaves to create definition.

Sew a line of fly stitches along the inside of the bottom edge of the leaves. In the centre of each fly stitch make one short stitch and finish each stitch
with a French knot.

To finish ofl embroider a double cross stitch and a French knot in all four corners of the napkin, plus a single French knot in between.

Press carefully with a warm iron on the wrong side of the napkin, to ensure that you do not damage the finished embroidery.