If you have been following Kam Wenzloff’s Layers Of Leaves project offered through Needlepoint Now, you will be interested in her latest Sunny Sunflower project that features this stunning needlepoint pattern.
This project evolved from her Layers of Leaves wreath with inspiration from the Ukrainian national flower, a sunflower. This small design could be an addition to your wreath. The flower consists of 14 petals with a circular center. You will find the pattern for the project in the September/October 2023 issue of Needlepoint Now so pick up a copy.
I love how Kam utilized the leaf design to create the sunflower petals. It opens up a world of creative possibilities. From experimenting with various stitching techniques to capturing the intricate details of petals, centers, leaves, and stems, it creates opportunities for you to express and hone your artistry creatively. From a colour standpoint, sunflowers come in various shades of yellow, orange, and brown, offering a broad colour palette for your needlepoint project. Incorporating different stitching techniques allows you to bring these colours to life with subtle blending. Each stitch presents an opportunity to experiment with colour placement and create a sunflower design that bursts with vibrancy and depth.
This is a fun, bright and cheery project, and while suited to an autumn-themed wreath, it could easily be added to a spring wreath, so ideal for most seasons.
Kam used mostly Colour Complements threads in the project, so I have created a kit which includes the seven colours used in size five perle cotton. Please note that additional threads are used, outlined in the Needlepoint Now article. There are four additional solid colours of DMC size 5 perle cotton.
