Paisley

Craft goes through fashions like anything and at the moment tapestry, or needlepoint as it is more properly known, is not the craft du jour. I think knitting would probably take that crown at the moment (something I also love to do). However, I find pulling a thread smoothly through canvas and counting stitches (I prefer to use graphs) can be a most therapeutic and mesmerising pastime, particularly if you can set yourself up in good light while watching TV in the evening. I am afraid I am one of those people who can’t just sit and watch the television: I have to be doing something else as well. Needlepoint fits the bill perfectly as it isn’t too complex.

When I started doing my own designs I worked on the principle that many people would be like me: come home from a long day in the office, maybe staring at a computer screen, and would want to do some craft that was relatively simple. Consequently I chose simple repeating patterns and limited colour palettes that could easily be seen in artificial light. It was also less wasteful with yarns.

Many of my designs are drawn from tribal and folk sources and this one is no exception. It is based on an Indian folk design (although apparently this design was also seen in Celtic art two millennia ago) that was later commandeered by the British and called paisley after the town in Scotland.

The boteh or teardrop design is synonymous with paisley patterns and was particular popular in Kashmir for shawls from that region. The pattern travelled back to Great Britain via the East India Trading Company where it was adapted to suit European tastes, and quickly became very popular for textiles there.

I have chosen a palette of just 12 vibrant colours in Appletons Tapestry Wool to reflect the Indian heritage of the pattern. There is also a band of stitching that forms the wall of the cushion - which actually took longer to do than the front because of its long length!

As a rule I tend to use Appletons because of the slightly aged effect you get. I find DMC and other brands are great when you want cleaner, clearer colours, or “lolly” colours. My local stockists for Appletons in Brisbane is Threads and More.

I made the cushion in the shape of a boteh just for a bit of fun.