Ellen Matilda’s Rose Garden Purse

Ellen Matilda my was my grandmother and she longed for a rose garden. There was never a lot time or extra money for this.

My aunt, her youngest daughter also loved roses, and was able to have a garden in her mother’s memory. It was beautiful and her mother would have been proud of it.

My aunt’s garden inspired me to create one in ribbon embroidery in memory of both my Aunt Ellen and my grandmother Ellen Matilda.

I used the maidenhair fern stitch for the base of the design using a variegated pearl cotton thread. The tips of this stitch are embroidered with 4mm silk ribbon using the the lazy daisy and bullion-tipped lazy daisy flowers. Spider web roses are stitched with 7mm silk ribbon, and carnations are stitched with 3mm ombre ribbon. French knots and bullion knots are used for the details and stitched with 4mm silk ribbon or silk buttonhole twist thread.

A vintage button for the closure; glass seed beads and glass leaf details; brass butterflies; and vintage glass beads on the handle add the perfect finishing touches.

Happy Stitching! Christen