Parterre – no, these are the final stages!

Finished Surrey Stitch, ready to be trimmed

So you may recall that, when last seen, I was working the Surrey Stitch boss for the centre of the Parterre. This is something else that uses a lot of thread, so I had a nervous time wondering whether I would run out of the wool I wanted to use before I finished it. And because the stitches were pushed down for quite a while as I was working it, I tied some thread around the finished stitches for a few days to help them stand up to be trimmed.

Surrey Stitch now trimmed

Then I realised that some of those stitches were still loops and might not be standing up to where they should.

So the semi-final trim took a bit longer than I perhaps hoped, and is maybe not quite as short and trim as it should be. That’s because I don’t have enough wool to do it again, and I am absolutely terrified of trimming it too short!

However, any further trim can wait – it’s something that can be done off the frame, and I wanted to see how the whole Parterre had turned out.

Finished Parterre canvaswork ready for blocking

Pretty well, I think. It is squarer than it looks, I just need to block it a bit to take the frame-kinks out of the canvas!

7 Comments

  1. Chilly Hollow says:

    I love the central bush as is. Of course pictures lie and you are the best judge, but from where I sit, it’s perfect. Congratulations.

  2. Jillayne says:

    Looks pretty fabulous to me! I love this piece, it turned out beautifully and the bush in the centre is wonderful just as it is. Well done!

  3. I bet you felt like a garden apprentice when you started trimming the bush but you have proven to be an excellent topiarian!

  4. Lin says:

    It’s lovely to see how all those different sections have come together so beautifully. Great finish, congratulations.

  5. Carolyn Foley says:

    Love it. A big tick for that one.

  6. Sue Jones says:

    A fine Parterre. Edmund Henry Palmer would be proud!

  7. Alex Hall says:

    Love it! It’s gorgeous and the central bush, to me, is just the right length.

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